“Joker 2: Folie à Deux” is the sequel to the original Joker movie, directed by Todd Phillips. The original movie follows the perspective of Arthur Fleck, a mentally disturbed man who claims the persona of Joker through his descent into madness. The sequel however, showcases Arthur’s struggle to maintain his two identities as he meets Harley Quinn while incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital. Upon initial release, most viewers did not like the movie. Currently, it has a 32% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 5.3/10 rating on IMDb, a 45% rating on Metacritic and 2.5/5 stars averaged on Letterboxd.
Below are two opposing views of the film:

Franklin Sosa: Skip the music

I am among people who did not like “Joker 2: Folie a Deux” and one reason why is because the musical aspect should not have been added. The time that was used for the music could have instead been used to drive the plot of the movie forward. If they wanted to sing for the movie, they could have done it in a different way, like using the songs as a way to explore Arthur Fleck’s [Joaquin Phoenix] disturbed mind. Also, if the first movie did not have a musical aspect to it, the sequel should not have one either. Finally, the addition of the musical aspect in the movie was poorly executed.

Additionally, I feel like the Joker persona does not show up as often as he should. When we look at the first movie, we see Arthur and the things he does as Joker, especially the chaos he causes. The second movie is supposed to be him dealing with the consequences, such as the persona of Joker becoming more important than Arthur himself. If that’s the direction they were going to take with the movie, then the Joker should have made more of an appearance because that would be a way to show the viewers that the importance of Arthur himself is fading, and the people of Gotham care more about his persona than him.

Another problem is that Harley Quinn [Lady Gaga] in the movie is used as more of a plot line for the Joker then as her own character. I understand that in most of the films where Harley Quinn and the Joker are together, she is typically used as a way to show how messed up the Joker is; however she is still shown to be her own character. In this movie, she had no other purpose than to further the Joker himself. If the developers were going to add Harley Quinn into this movie they should’ve delved deeper into her character because individually, she is interesting. For example, showing that Harley, even though she knows Joker and the things he does are wrong, she goes along with them anyway as a result of her delusion and her over-commitment to him. Sadly, they did not dive into her character at all in this movie so instead she feels less like her own character and more of a plot point.

Zoe Reyes: Music, story worth seeing

Contrary to popular opinion,  “Joker 2: Folie à Deux” is a great movie and a solid sequel to the first movie.  Critics and reviewers are too harsh on this film. Maybe it’s an unnecessary sequel, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless.

What’s interesting is that the negative reaction to the new release mirrors the reaction to the first Joker movie when it was released in 2019. The “Joker’ is beloved now but wasn’t well-received at first. People complained that the movie didn’t accurately follow the comics and took the character on a different journey. So initially people didn’t like the movie because Joker didn’t resemble the character. The movie provoked sympathy and emotion from its audience, instead of showcasing a hilariously evil man. Due to this, most people started to dislike the movie purely because of an idea that was foreign to them.

I believe that Todd Phillips [director of Joker ½] never  cared about appealing to the audience, he had a story to tell then, and has a story to tell now, regardless of whether or not the audience likes it at first, and Phillips deserves respect for this.

Eventually, people realized the concept was great and started to love the movie. The same thing will probably happen when people adjust to the idea of having more musicals on the big screen.

Part of the problem is today’s audiences aren’t used to seeing musicals in movie theaters. Some examples being; “Mamma Mia” (2008), “The Greatest Showman” (2017), and even  “La La Land” (2016). At the release of these movies in theaters, there were many mixed reviews. “La La Land” is my leading example; despite being an internationally loved movie, people seem to ignore its musical aspect and focus on its ending, close to the reaction of Joker 2. There is an overwhelming amount of film critics who hate musicals, and will be upset at any movie that features singing. As an enthusiast of Broadway and every other form of theater, I could never hate a movie solely because of its musical aspect. This movie was advertised as a musical, and yet the main complaint from viewers is that it is one.

My personal favorite thing about this movie is the creativity behind it that seems to be overshadowed by mixed feelings on the singing. Joker 2 uses its singing in such an imaginative way that only makes me wince at reviews that don’t understand the meaning trying to be conveyed, Arthur Fleck [Joaquin Phoenix] in this movie is an inmate seen as “insane” by his peers, prisoners and guards alike. The music is utilized to showcase his disturbing mindset, proved by the implication that music is his delusion, but it’s subtle and many viewers miss it. In the previous film, he goes through shocking & traumatic discoveries that would only result in his breaking point. Escapism is a commonly seen trauma response by Fleck. I believe that using music & a stage to showcase Fleck’s escapism is one of the most creative ways I’ve ever seen mental illness portrayed in film.

The first film portrayed Arthur Fleck’s failed attempts to get help from a broken system, to which he responded by calling out government officials & even unrelated civilians like Murray Franklin [Robert De Niro] which increased the popularity of “Joker” as a symbol for civilians of Gotham. This sequel expands on those institutions and their flawed methods of medication, which focus on punishment rather than rehab and can be seen in today’s prison system as well. This direction makes the musical aspect even more impactful for me, considering the use of music serves as a metaphor to Fleck and Quinn’s [Lady Gaga] intensifying detachment from reality as the movie progresses.

Another thing to mention, Joker 2’s increased quality in visuals & creativity from the last film. Joker 2019 is a dull film as it showcases Fleck’s depressing life. In the 2nd movie, where he meets Harley, there is an increase in color in his life, especially when he’s in his imaginary stage. The cinematography does not disappoint, some scenes are vibrant and beautiful that I took a second to awe in theaters, before going back to muted and dull colors to showcase the reality Fleck continues to face. Harley’s character serves as symbolism for Fleck’s fantasies, which makes the title very interesting. A Folie à Deux is French, and it directly translates to “madness of two.” In simple terms, it’s a shared psychosis or delusion, which I believe illustrates this film & its dedication to showcasing mental illnesses in an unconventional or uncomfortable way perfectly. Also, we all knew Lady Gaga’s vocals would be amazing, but I didn’t expect Joaquin Phoenix’s voice to be so phenomenal. I’d rewatch the movie just to hear his voice alone, the performance scenes were authentic and fun.

Overall, Joker 2 was an amazing experience for me. Considering he’s a man whose life revolves around fantasy and performance, the direction this movie took with Arthur Fleck as a character was fascinating and engaging. This movie has flaws, but they’re all subjective to say the least. I believe Joker 2 is worth the watch, and if you haven’t seen it I encourage you to not let your opinion be swayed by others and do so.