Joaquin Phoenix carries 'The Joker: Folie à Deux' to higher heights

The film also dials down the crazy, even though folie à deux translates as 'madness for two'. For many viewers, the Joker's madness is intense violence carried out against the gothic urban backdrop associated with the wider Batman franchise. Again, that is not what is offered here.

The 2019 film gave a distinctive portrayal of the main character's origin and evolution. That depiction carried substantial historical weight in the way it showed neurotic, psychopathic, antisocial and destructive behaviour. 

This interpretation resonated with long-time followers of the Joker's story, as established in the DC Comics universe, introduced in 1940 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, as well as those familiar with various other adaptations of the character. It also brought the Joker to a new audience. 

Wholly misunderstood

The 2019 film, therefore, laid the groundwork for what the character could evolve into and the extent of madness that could be explored in future instalments. Phoenix fully convinces in his portrayal, captivating both long-time fans and newcomers alike. 

But what some devoted followers of the comic-book character may fail to recognise is that the Joker—and the film itself—is not exclusively focused on this persona. It is more accurate to say that the story is deeply rooted in the character of Arthur Fleck—the man from whom the Joker emerges. 

Fleck was a boy who suffered abuse at home and bullying in his community. All he wanted really was to be accepted as a person and comedian.

Those claiming that Joker: Folie à Deux has deceived fans or deviated from the traditions of the series are therefore mistaken. The first film traced Fleck's development into the Joker. The sequel follows the fates of Fleck and the Joker in tandem, staying true to the narrative set by the original.

Musical complexity

The confusion may stem from the musical aspect drawn into the sequel. With rare exceptions (such as All That Jazz), music animates a film, adding a sense of joy and colour, qualities not associated with the dark and sinister Joker character. 

More confusion may come from Lady Gaga's portrayal of the main female character, Harley Quinn. Since the actress is also a well-known singer, some may feel that the musical elements were tailored to her inclusion, rather than the other way around. Her songs and more expressive scenes are often anchored in Arthur Fleck's world and, at times, that of his alter ego, the Joker. 

Given the film's title, one might anticipate a tempestuous narrative. Instead, it is a complex and ambiguous love story between a broken man seeking acceptance and a woman drawn not to Arthur Fleck but to the fantasy and legend of the Joker. The film navigates these dual themes until its conclusion. 

Gone, the grandeur

This is not a new take on the Joker; it is a definitive portrayal of Arthur Fleck. Its narrative deepens the original's themes. It neither departs from nor betrays its predecessor. It portrays a man who kills in moments of rage and madness. He does not terrorise a city or execute cunning, diabolical schemes, as seen in many original DC Joker stories. Likewise, Batman—the Joker's arch-enemy and the wider star of the DC Comics franchise—does not appear, meaning that this film has no hero/anti-hero showdown.  

Furthermore, the supernatural elements associated with the series—including the Joker's transformation after falling into a chemical vat that turns his skin white, hair green, and lips red—are notably absent in Todd Phillips' adaptation. 

Even the stylised dark gothic grandeur of Gotham City is eschewed in favour of a contemporary New York-like skyline. In short, Joker: Folie à Deux depicts a more realistic world. The only glimpses of fantasy come through the music, which offers an escape for the characters from their harsh reality.

Trapped by the system

Beyond these brief moments, the film sets out to show unyielding cruelty—notably the political, policing, social, and judicial systems that grind people down and leave no room for redemption. The darkness is not so much in the character of the Joker as in the grim reality of Arthur Fleck, a man stripped of power and dignity. 

Trapped in prison, he becomes enchanted by the world Harley Quinn represents and decides to fully embrace the identity of his alter ego. He uses the Joker to try to fulfil his impossible fantasy but is met with the crushing reality of a system that reduces him to a mere shadow of a man, confined to a caricature—the image of a clown. 

When he exhibits a hint of strength and self-assurance, the system—embodied by ruthless policemen—swiftly intervenes to punish him and remind him of his place: a weak, solitary figure who can be easily destroyed. So, this perpetual victim of an oppressive system emerges as the main character, not the triumphant Joker who tries to overcome it.

The Joker: Folie à Deux is about the nature of evil and the age-old questions that have preoccupied philosophers, writers, and artists who ask if villains are inherently evil or whether they are products of their environment. In other words, are they born or made?

Todd Phillips leans toward the latter. The story he tells is not one of rebellion and defiance against societal norms and institutions. Rather, it is a depiction of overwhelming power and tyranny that offers no hope and no room for dreaming.

Joaquin Phoenix's performance is outstanding. He won an Oscar for his Joker in the 2019 film, but for me, his acting this time is even better. Through his expressive facial features, frail physique, movements, piercing glances, and manic laughter, he conjures not a derisive psychopath but a tragic, broken figure ensnared in an inescapable cycle.

His performance is the greatest strength of The Joker: Folie à Deux. It lets the film move beyond being an entertaining narrative centred on a charismatic figure sowing chaos, transforming it instead into a protest not just against society's ways and means, but against the very injustices of life itself.