Joker 2 Review: A Chaotic Dance of Madness That May Be Too Bold for Its Own Good

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Few films in recent years have generated as much anticipation and controversy as Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to 2019’s wildly successful and deeply polarizing Joker. Directed by Todd Phillips, this sequel is anything but conventional. In a cinematic universe flooded with comic-book blockbusters where formulaic action scenes and predictable superhero arcs reign supreme, Phillips’ follow-up attempts something different: a chaotic blend of psychological thriller, musical, and courtroom drama. But, much like Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness, the movie itself often teeters on the edge of coherence, leaving both critics and audiences divided.
With a lower Rotten Tomatoes score than its predecessor (currently sitting at 60%, down from 69% for Joker), Joker: Folie à Deux is already causing a stir after its debut at the Venice Film Festival. Some see it as a bold experiment, while others view it as a ...

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Few films in recent years have generated as much anticipation and controversy as Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to 2019’s wildly successful and deeply polarizing Joker. Directed by Todd Phillips, this sequel is anything but conventional. In a cinematic universe flooded with comic-book blockbusters where formulaic action scenes and predictable superhero arcs reign supreme, Phillips’ follow-up attempts something different: a chaotic blend of psychological thriller, musical, and courtroom drama. But, much like Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness, the movie itself often teeters on the edge of coherence, leaving both critics and audiences divided.

With a lower Rotten Tomatoes score than its predecessor (currently sitting at 60%, down from 69% for Joker), Joker: Folie à Deux is already causing a stir after its debut at the Venice Film Festival. Some see it as a bold experiment, while others view it as a frustrating misfire. Yet, no matter which side of the debate you land on, one thing is clear: this isn’t a movie you can easily forget. But is it the movie we needed—or the one we deserve?

A Sequel Daring to Be Different: The Musical Gamble

The first red flag—or stroke of genius, depending on your perspective—is Joker 2’s surprising musical elements. In a genre where epic battles and dramatic CGI fights are the norm, Phillips dared to go in a completely different direction. Musicals are a rare breed in comic book adaptations, and their inclusion in Joker 2 has been nothing if not polarizing. Some, like Ben Rolph of Discussing Film, praised the film for being "deranged and exciting," while others like David Ehrlich of IndieWire weren’t as kind, calling it an "excruciatingly — perhaps even deliberately — boring" waste of potential.

What you get with Folie à Deux is not the action-packed, explosive drama of your typical superhero flick. Instead, it offers something resembling a psychological character study set to music—albeit, one that sometimes feels as disjointed as its titular anti-hero. There are jukebox-style musical numbers peppered throughout, with Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker taking center stage, singing and dancing their way through shared delusions. But for some critics, the songs feel disconnected from the narrative, like someone took a pair of scissors and carelessly cut apart the film’s flow. Alison Willmore from Vulture suggested the movie is "perversely dedicated to eliminating as much pleasure as possible from its song and dance numbers."

This is where Phillips’ ambition may have overstepped. Audiences expecting the dark, gritty intensity of the original Joker are being thrust into something far stranger: a dystopian, musical fever dream that may or may not work depending on how willing you are to abandon all sense of narrative expectation.

Joaquin Phoenix’s Performance: Still Masterful, Still Disturbing

While Joker 2 may have its narrative struggles, there’s one element critics across the board can agree on—Joaquin Phoenix once again delivers a tour de force performance. Phoenix, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in the first film, continues to astonish with his ability to embody the duality of his character: Arthur the man, and Joker the persona.

Phoenix’s performance this time around is described as more restrained than in the original, perhaps reflecting Arthur’s newfound acceptance of his identity as the Joker. Matthew Turner of NME calls his portrayal "compelling and remarkably physical," while Dorian Parks of Geeks of Color lauds the actor for grappling with the "duality of Arthur and the Joker like never before." It’s a portrayal teetering between insanity and clarity, as Phoenix dives deeper into Fleck’s psyche, revealing more about the character’s fractured mental state.

In a surprising twist, Phoenix also shows off his singing talents, which critics were not expecting, adding another layer to his already impressive skill set. But while his vocal abilities are being praised, some wonder whether adding musical elements to such a complex psychological role was a risk the film didn’t need to take. Even though Phoenix shines, the surrounding structure of the film threatens to weigh down his brilliance.

Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn: A Powerhouse Performance, But Not Enough Screen Time

When it was announced that Lady Gaga would step into the iconic role of Harley Quinn, anticipation skyrocketed. Gaga’s transformation from pop star to Oscar-nominated actress in A Star is Born was the talk of Hollywood, and fans were eager to see how she’d reinvent a character already made famous by Margot Robbie. But while critics agree that Gaga delivers a captivating performance, many feel her talents were underutilized.

Gaga’s Harley Quinn is described as a "live-wire presence" and a "revelation" by some critics, but as IndieWire’s Ehrlich pointed out, she’s "drastically underused." Instead of being front and center in this chaotic dance with the Joker, Gaga is often sidelined by long courtroom scenes and musical numbers that don’t quite live up to expectations. Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair echoed these sentiments, calling Gaga’s role "woefully underused."

The chemistry between Gaga and Phoenix is undeniable, and in the few scenes where they interact, the film soars. These moments provide a glimpse of the chaotic, unpredictable energy that defines the Joker-Harley relationship in the DC universe. But instead of fully exploring this dynamic, Folie à Deux often diverts to subplots that take away from what could have been a much more compelling relationship at the heart of the film.

The Critic-Audience Divide: A Growing Rift in Modern Filmmaking

Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of Joker: Folie à Deux is the stark difference between critical reception and early audience reactions. On the one hand, critics have been divided. While some appreciate the risks Phillips took with the musical elements and courtroom drama, others found them tedious, boring, or outright disjointed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film sits at a mediocre 60%, a significant drop from the original’s 69%.

Yet the early reactions from fans suggest an even deeper divide. Social media platforms have been flooded with negative comments from fans who attended early screenings, with one audience member tweeting, "If you liked the first Joker, you will not like the sequel." Another fan compared watching the film to "having food poisoning and kidney stones at the same time," clearly expressing disillusionment with the film’s departure from the first.

This gap between critic and audience reactions isn’t new in modern filmmaking, but it does point to a larger issue at play in today’s entertainment industry: expectations versus experimentation. Fans of the original Joker were expecting a continuation of the dark, gritty, intense psychological drama that made the first film a success. What they got instead was a psychedelic musical that delved even further into madness, with mixed results. It’s a film that takes risks, yes, but in doing so, it’s alienated a portion of its fanbase.

Final Verdict: A Risky Swing That May Not Land for Everyone

Joker: Folie à Deux is, without a doubt, a bold movie. Todd Phillips deserves credit for taking risks in a genre known for its formulaic tendencies. The decision to turn what could have been a straightforward sequel into a musical, psychological thriller, and courtroom drama hybrid was unexpected and certainly daring. But bold choices don’t always lead to success.

The film’s fragmented narrative, uneven pacing, and divisive musical elements might have worked better in a different context, but here they often feel out of place. That’s not to say there aren’t bright spots. Joaquin Phoenix continues to be a revelation as Arthur Fleck, delivering another Oscar-worthy performance, and Lady Gaga brings an electrifying presence to the film, even if her screen time is limited.

At its core, Joker: Folie à Deux will likely be remembered as a film that challenged expectations—whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your perspective. For those who appreciate cinematic risks and experimentation, this may be a fascinating watch. But for fans of the original film’s tone and structure, Folie à Deux could feel like a disorienting detour into an experimental genre that doesn’t quite fit.

What is clear is that Joker 2 will be talked about for years to come, for better or worse. It’s a film that defies easy categorization, and in doing so, it may have cemented itself as one of the most controversial sequels in modern cinema. The only question left is: was it worth the gamble?