Joker: Folie à Deux is both a testament to the ambitious nature of its creators and a cautionary tale about trying to marry too many disparate ideas into one film. The follow-up to 2019’s critically acclaimed Joker attempts to explore themes of identity, mental illness, and self-acceptance through a musical lens—a bold move that, while partially successful, ultimately falls short of its full potential.

Joaquin Phoenix returns as Arthur Fleck who has been held in Arkham State Hospital awaiting “the trial of the century” for the multiple murders he is accused of committing in the previous film. There’s a morbidly funny recurring joke as to whether it was five murders or six. Representing him and hoping to get an insanity defense his his attorney Maryanne Stewart, played by Catherine Keener.

While attending music class in the hospital – a privilege he earns for good behavior, Fleck meets an unlikely soulmate in the person of Lee Quinzel, (Lady Gaga) a mysterious fan and fellow patient, who pulls Fleck out of his heavily-medicated shell with music; an unintended byproduct that goes against his attorney’s attempts to have him certified as mentally incapable of withstanding capital punishment.

As Arthur and Lee head down their treacherous road of romance highlighted by a series of fun and entertaining musical interludes, Joker: Folie à Deux – the subtitle of which refers to “a shared madness,” becomes an outright musical, complete with numerous song and dance numbers including a nice little soft shoe tap dance from Phoenix. Who knew he had that talent?

The story, co-written by director Todd Phillips and Scott Silver attempts to dig deeper into Fleck’s psyche, portraying the struggle with his own identity and what it means to truly become the Joker. While this psychological exploration is an intriguing premise, it isn’t nearly as entertaining as the musical interludes. These moments, though delightful and well-executed thanks to Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s undeniable talents, do little to advance the storyline but provide meaningful insight into Arthur's awakening. In addition, they serve as wonderful respites from an otherwise ploddingly dull narrative.

One of the film’s major shortcomings is its failure to provide the chaotic energy that made the original Joker so captivating. The filmmakers have even mentioned in interviews that they wanted to make the sequel as crazy and fearless as Joker himself. But sadly, Fleck spends much of the movie heavily medicated and confined, which drastically limits the character's potential for mayhem and dilutes the essence of what made Joker such a compelling figure in the first place. The tension and unpredictability from the first film are conspicuously absent, replaced by a languid pacing that leaves viewers yearning for more action and less introspection.

Furthermore, the movie doesn’t adequately explore Joker’s influence on his numerous delirious followers. This aspect, which could have added depth and complexity to the narrative, is unfortunately sidelined in favor of an overdrawn focus on Arthur’s internal battles. While addressing mental illness is certainly a worthy undertaking, the film’s heavy-handed approach feels more like a lecture than a narrative drive.

On the brighter side, Lawrence Sher's cinematography is nothing short of stunning. The visual storytelling is rich and immersive, perfectly capturing the gritty essence of Gotham and the tumultuous inner world of its protagonist. Technically, the film is a marvel, with every frame thoughtfully composed to suit the dark and complex themes.

As expected Phoenix and Gaga deliver scorching performances, and their chemistry is a highlight in an otherwise lackluster storyline. However, even their combined star power can’t save the film from its scattered execution and focus on the wrong things.

Joker: Folie à Deux is a mixed bag that tries to be both a psychological exploration and a musical extravaganza but ends up doing justice to neither. While it deserves credit for its ambition and technical prowess, the film struggles to maintain the intrigue and intensity that made its predecessor a phenomenon. Joker and Lady Gaga fans will surely find moments to enjoy, but they're likely to leave the theater feeling pranked.

4K Ultra HD + Digital Edition

Home Video Distributor: Warner Bros.
Available on Blu-ray - December 17, 2024
Screen Formats: 2.20:1; 1.90:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Video: Native 4K HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Discs: 4K Ultra HD single disc
Region Encoding: 4K region-free

Warner Bros. brings Joker: Folie à Deux into our homes with a nice little 4K UltraHD + Digital Code Edition that boasts of nearly 90 minutes of bonus material. It all comes housed in a black eco-case wrapped inside a matte-finish cardboard slip cover with identical artwork. A digital redemption card is included. There is no Blu-ray Disc.

VIDEO

Though the film was shot on the Arri Alexa cameras and finished with a digital intermediate, the native 4K picture in the variable IMAX 2.20:1 and 1.90:1 aspect ratios offers a pristine picture that features a nice, but subtle, film grain that brings us right into Joker's grimy world.

Yes, film grain can work if done properly and this is the perfect film for it. Film grain doesn't mean lack of sharpness as evidenced by the tack sharp image highlighted by individual threads in costumes, cluttered street scenes, and, of course, the tousled green hair which all come to life due to the Dolby vision HDR10 encoding. It's a beautifully rendered mess.

AUDIO

There are Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks, each of which bangs the room from all directions. It's an all-out assault on the ears that never drowns out the perfectly rendered, front-centered dialogue.

The room comes alive from all directions mostly during the musical numbers which, in one wonderful scene, features a merry-go-round effect of music working the room. Absolutely no complaints on the audio side either.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• None

Special Features:

Here's where things go a little south with this release. Sure, there's over an hour of bonus material, with the 44-minute Everything Must Go documentary piece being the featured, but otters than that, it's rather dull cast and crew discussions and interviews.

• Everything Must Go (44:05)
• The Character of Music (08:20)
• Crafted With Class (07:21)
• Colors of Madness (06:22)
• Live! With The Joker (05:16)

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 138 mins
Director: Todd Phillips
Writer: Scott Silver; Todd Phillips; Bob Kane
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix; Lady Gaga; Brendan Gleeson
Genre: Crime | Musical | Thriller
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "Get ready for the judgement day."
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: October 4, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: December 17, 2024
Synopsis: Arthur Fleck is institutionalized at Arkham, awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.