Joker was a film that never needed a sequel, yet its massive success and the interest of writer/director Todd Phillips and the film’s star, Joaquin Phoenix to return for a second installment all but made one inevitable. I do have to give Phillips and company credit, as they didn’t want to simply rehash everything that made the first film successful while trying nothing new. Could the story of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) and his trial continued on without musical numbers being sprinkled throughout? Of course, though the story being told here isn’t just about Fleck finally facing the consequences of his actions, but one of love and the rollercoaster of emotions that come along with it. For that, you need music! Well, you don’t, but again, kudos for them in trying a fresh angle and I personally thought it worked.
Joker: Folie à Deux (which means Madness of Two before you go Google it. I’m not trying to be pretentious; I’m just trying to save you time as I had to Google it myself) takes place two years after the events of the first film, which saw Fleck descend into the darkest depths of his mind in a world that threw him and so many others by the wayside while the wealthy prosper. Pushed to the edge (and over) Fleck killed six people by the time the credits rolled, but he was still viewed as a hero by many, or at least understood by those who were tired of being walked all over. This all hit close to home thematically for many back in 2019, and sadly not much has changed in the world five years later to be honest. Having just revisited Joker prior to watching Folie à Deux, it holds up just as strongly today as it did back then.
Joker was designed as a standalone film and it said what it wanted to say, complete with “The End” written on the screen before fading to black – and no “?” popping up as though, “or is it?” was implied. Yet the story continues with Fleck standing trial and his defense arguing that Joker is a split personality from Arthur who appeared and did these things because of all the traumatic happenings throughout Arthur’s life, from childhood straight through to adulthood and that Joker is the one responsible for these heinous crimes. Then there’s District Attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey), who believes that Arthur and Joker are one in the same and he’s pushing for the death penalty in the case.
Meanwhile, back at Arkham Asylum, Arthur has a somewhat odd relationship with the guards. They rip on him, but also offer him cigarettes if he tells them jokes. One of the guards, Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson), notices that Fleck took an interest in a musical therapy class in a wing of Arkham where the non-violent inmates reside and says he’s signed him up for some classes. There Arthur meets Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga), who says she understands Arthur like nobody else because they’re on in the same. She was beaten by her father, and grew up in the same neighbourhood as he did. This brief encounter is all the lonely and forgotten Arthur needs to fall in love – so let the singing begin!
Listen, I get it, a lot of people don’t like musicals, and even if you do not every one works for you. I’m not here to sell you on the film, I’m just here to give my opinion and you’re free to agree or disagree with it. I will say that if you enjoyed Joker then I’d ignore anything you’ve heard about Folie à Deux (except what I’m telling you, of course) and give it a watch. If you go in with an open mind then you may be surprised at how the story comes through, or you may quickly realize that this isn’t something of interest and you’ll just stick with the original. And honestly, that’s one thing that’s great about Joker and Folie à Deux in that they both work together, or you can completely ignore Folie à Deux and Joker is still an incredibly strong film that works without a sequel ever having been created.
But I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least delve into why I enjoyed Folie à Deux, and why I recommend you see it and decide for yourself what you think about it. While I don’t think its as strong as the first film on the story side of things, Arthur Fleck is an incredibly interesting character and Phoenix brings the character to life masterfully. The film won’t receive the award recognition it did the first time out, but Phoenix still gives that same amount of energy that won him the Best Actor Oscar for Joker the first time out. Speaking of Joker, that side of Arthur really gets some fantastic spotlight moments in Folie à Deux, especially alongside Gaga’s Harley Quinn in their fantasy singing sessions.
I know what you’re thinking, “Joker gets big moments during sing-a-long sequences?” and if you’re really against musicals then I do probably take back what I said and you should avoid Folie à Deux, as you’re really just not going to like it. But if you’re open to the idea of them and something different, then watching Joker and Harley come out like Sunny and Cher is beautifully handled and it leads to some of Phoenix’s best moments as the character. Gaga’s work as Harley must also be praised, as she has that perfect sense of madness that fans of the character know so well, while also being just different enough in this world Phillips has created (which doesn’t bleed into any actual Batman film canon) that she makes it her own.
The music is also handled with care, with the actors singing live and the music playing in their ear as they do to the beats they choose. So if Harley or Joker are singing and speed up or slow down to accommodate how they’d like to act the scene, the music being played in their ear will follow suit in order to make sure the emotion and acting of the scene is what drives the song and not the beat itself. So there was no prerecorded songs, and everything was done on set, so there’s a realness to it that comes out in their voices that would be lost had it been harmonized and perfected prior to the scene being filmed.
The set designs for the film are also extravagant and likely one of the big reasons the budget for the film ballooned the way it did. That can sometimes be an issue when the first film hits over $1 billion at the box office, as you kind of get the red-carpet treatment and anything you need to follow it up is yours! Do I think that money was wasted? No, Folie à Deux looks gorgeous and the sets are hugely important to the story and fantasy of the film, it’s just that a large portion of the audience that loved the dark, psychological aspects of the first film didn’t really want to follow it up with watching Joker tap dance and simply didn’t show up to watch it.
That all said, Joker: Folie à Deux is a solid movie, and I feel it was a risk worth taking. It’s not often that you can jump from a dark dramatic thriller, to a dark dramatic musical, but the themes and story elements that Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver brought to life with Joker and Arthur Fleck’s character allowed for that fairly seamless transition and it honestly didn’t feel out of place at all. Whether you like it or not is another story, but at a time when there’s lots of playing it safe in Hollywood, it’s nice to see a swing for the fences in the opposite direction from time to time.
Overall Movie Score: 4/5
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
The film, much like its predecessor, looks phenomenal in 4K, and the work done with the set design truly gets to shine (or be showcased in the drab sense it’s often meant to be viewed). The fantasy sequences shared between Joker and Harley beautifully counter the more realistic, harsher stylings that the reality of Fleck’s life are set against. The 2160p/HDR10 delivery doesn’t hold anything back from its theatrical counterpart and is exactly the type of film that takes everything this format has to offer, packs it all onto a disc and delivers it to your home for the best viewing experience possible.
And just as important (sometimes more so) is the audio side of things, and this Dolby Atmos track rocks the room in tremendous fashion. Hildur Guðnadóttir returns to score the film, which makes sense as her score was one of the driving forces throughout the first film. The choices of songs during Arthur’s fantasy sequences are also chosen with care and reflect the storytelling, without ever simply having music thrown in just to have a song play. The vocals come through wonderfully, showcasing the rawness of the live recording at times, while also playing perfectly alongside the regular dialogue. Overall, this is a top tier release on both audio and visuals, and if you own the first film in 4K you know exactly what to expect.
Special Features:
Everything Must Go – This big feature is what you’re tuning in for, as we get just under 45-minutes of behind-the-scenes, on-set footage, as well as plenty of interviews with the cast and crew. There’s a lot of interesting tidbits throughout, and is the closest thing to a commentary track that there is on this release, so if you’re looking for information on the making-of the film then this is your one-stop shop.
The Character of Music – Here we’ve got an 8-minute featurette that sees Lady Gaga and others talk about the singing on set, how they did it live and in the moment, as well as setting the stage for the bigger production fantasy numbers.
Crafted with Class – That leads us to this 7-minute featurette that focuses on the set design and the massive production pieces that the actors rave about, as it allows them to immerse themselves in this dark world in ways that wouldn’t be as possible if it had all been done with green screens or lesser sets.
Colors of Madness – This is a 6-minute featurette that sees Phillips and Cinematographer Lawrence Sher talk about the use of colours and visuals in the film, and how they were used alongside music to enhance and further the story.
Live! With The Joker – Here we’ve got a 5-minute piece that sees animator Sylvain Chomet talk about the cartoon that opens the film, complete with Looney Tunes vibes and how it was done by hand. It’s a great start to the movie and really sets the tone for the breaks in reality that we’ll be encountering.
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents Joker: Folie à Deux. Directed by: Todd Phillips. Written by: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver. Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steeve Coogan, Harry Lawtey, Leigh Gill, Jacob Lofland. Running time: 138 Minutes. Rating: R. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Dec. 17, 2024.
About Brendan Campbell
