In 2019, Director Todd Phillips declared that “The Joker is not set up to have a sequel. We always pitched it as one movie, and that’s it.” However, in 2024, Joker: Folie à Deux was released amongst polarizing societal turmoil – yes, I’m talking about now with us as the “boiling frogs” – still leaving audiences to question the motivation behind creating a sequel. With the original Joker film grossing over a billion dollars, many thought a follow-up film was guaranteed to be a financial success.

Joker: Folie à Deux appears to diverge from the expectations of fans and instead focuses on a sluggish musical drama about Arthur Fleck's deteriorating mental health. While Todd Phillips seems intent on distancing himself from the incel icon he created with the original Joker film, his efforts to deconstruct the character result in a broken man who lacks the intrigue of the original; a character that seemed to capture the unsettled disdain on younger American generation. Despite the presence of Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, and an abundance of musical numbers, Joker: Folie à Deux fails to captivate audiences. If you're not French.

I was a raving fan of the 2019 film, witnessing the plot lines unfolding almost as a direct commentary on the real-world unraveling all around us; many “questionable characters” held the highest positions of power in their respective countries from 2016-2020. With 2019 being the release date of the original movie, it seemed like the perfect accompaniment for the time the movie was born. Not only serving as a quirky friend, helping us understand the injustices of the world, but also be an artistic expression of it. Perhaps we gave the film too much credit, somehow thinking Todd Phillips was very aware of the real world unraveling outside of any cinematic universe in 2018-2019.

Objectively, the film sequel falls short in several areas, including underutilizing Lady Gaga's portrayal of Harley Quinn, a departure from how Margot Robbie betrays her. She delivered awkward musical numbers while most of them are scenarios in Arthur's head. At first witness, the musical mood-scapes came across as a lackluster and overused trope at best for movies that aim to push our psychological comfort zones. Instead of captivated by the mental deterioration, we were left bored because, well, we are American. Moreover, the film fails to make a memorable impact or effectively use its iconic Gotham setting like the first film did. However, when I look at the title, I can’t help but realize that the film has had it influences painted by moody and slow-moving French films. The two films that come to mind are Amour (2012) and Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013). These films are a passionate and intense exploration of love, desire, and identity.

Overall, Joker: Folie à Deux is a chore to watch and a major letdown if you’re not in the right mindset for it; particularly for fans of the original film. The sequel and the original are polar opposites, with the former introducing the Joker antihero we all can relate to and the latter simply tearing him down as your everyday, mentally deranged person in a world failing to understand anyone with mental problems. One film is anxious, fast and explosive while the other is slow, lingering and uncomfortable. And here, in my final remarks, is where I maybe understand Phillips’ artistic genius behind it all. The film shakes us awake from simply being captive audience members to meet us where we’re at in the real world. Sadly, however, most of us are still asleep, numb or un- reactive to the injustice all around us. And this is where the movie asks us to take the uncomfortable retreat within ourselves. None of us want to be THIS Joker.

Perhaps the “killing joke” of Arthur Fleck is a story of a man no one should laugh at or pay attention to. Only the true die-hard fans of the DC comic universe, and moody French films, will truly get the point of the film. The movie fails as an audience favorite but wins, in my opinion, as a reflection on the folly of man living up to a broken world’s expectations.