Film critics are expressing mixed opinions on *Joker: Folie à Deux*, featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, with some calling it “bleak and bold,” while others describe it as “depressingly dull and tedious.”
The film, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival and was directed and co-written by Todd Phillips, was characterized by Geoffrey Macnab in the *Independent* as “just as bleak and daring as the original.” However, David Ehrlich from *IndieWire* criticized it as “intentionally bad,” labeling it “boring, flat, and a serious waste of Lady Gaga’s talents.”
The reception mirrors the divisive response to the first *Joker* film, which was released in 2019, earned Phoenix an Oscar, and became the first R-rated film to gross $1 billion worldwide.
In this sequel, Lady Gaga portrays Harley Quinn, Joker’s love interest, and both actors perform musical numbers. At the premiere, Gaga mentioned her motivation for joining the project was to “help people feel good about life” and provide an “escape into another world.” She shared her unique interpretation of Harley Quinn, influenced by her personal experiences with chaos, suggesting that extreme emotional states can lead to a kind of quietness.
The storyline follows Joker and Harley Quinn’s dark romance, beginning in Arkham State Hospital and featuring musical elements. However, Ehrlich pointed out that Phillips lacks the ability or interest to create visually captivating musical scenes, calling the arrangements “dull” and the overall experience “uninteresting.”
Conversely, Macnab awarded the film four stars, praising Phoenix’s performance and Gaga’s “appealingly cruel” portrayal. He noted that Phillips seems to enjoy the creative process, with the film transitioning through various styles—from animated sequences to courtroom drama—while maintaining its edgy and unsettling essence.
Critics were split on the film’s effectiveness. David Rooney from *Hollywood Reporter* found it “frustrating,” noting its strongest moments were when Phoenix and Gaga performed together. Tim Grierson from *Screen Daily* remarked that the leads lacked chemistry and the film missed the original’s captivating depth, yet it still appeared positioned for box office success.
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw described the film as “claustrophobic and repetitive,” but preferred it to the first, highlighting its musical elements as a structural improvement. Pete Hammond from *Deadline* called it an “audacious and head-spinning follow-up,” praising its production quality and diverse elements.
While William Bibbiani from *The Wrap* deemed the film “impressively odd,” Jo-Ann Titmarsh from *The Evening Standard* found it “depressingly dull and plodding.”
Phoenix, who lost weight for the role, commented on the challenges of maintaining his physique due to the film’s dance components. Director Todd Phillips previously expressed his desire for the Joker character to appear “malnourished and thin.” Critics noted that while the film’s concept is intriguing, its execution falls short, pulling back from the original’s dangerous edge.