Joker: Folie a Deux

The follow-up is uninspired and stiff

Despite publicly claiming that no sequel would be made, it was hard for director Todd Phillips and performer Joaquin Phoenix to escape studio demands after Joker (2019) made over $1 billion at the global box office. Five years later the creative duo relented, releasing their follow-up Joker: Folie a Deux (2024).

Joker: Folie a Deux finds Arthur “Joker” Fleck (Phoenix), in an insane asylum awaiting trial for the murders he committed in the first film. There he meets fellow inmate Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga) with whom he falls in love. Amongst his time waiting for trial, preparing with his harried lawyer (Catherine Keener), Fleck imagines musical numbers of him and Lee escaping and embracing his Joker alter ego.

Phillips returns to direct this film, and while he seemed reticent to make a follow-up, his ambition to try new things in this sequel is admirable. Joker: Folie a Deux takes on the dour note of the previous film, only slightly interrupted by musical numbers throughout. Folie a Deux never commits to its musical numbers, leading to unimaginative staging of songs, such as a static shot of Fleck at a phone booth, crooning into the receiver. The imaginative escapades of Joker with Lee are likewise restrained and never indulge into their crazed elements. If Phillips wanted to peek into Joker’s insanity, a barrage of colors and choreography for the songs would have fit the character exploration and visual storytelling better.

Folie A Deux as the title suggests, is to be the story of a duet of mad lovers. While Lee is an important part of the narrative, Phillips never finds out how to delve into her character or have her service the story. The result is a duet and romance that feel like padding and an afterthought by the time the credits roll. Phillips and the narrative are at a loss as to what story to tell. As such, Folie a Deux feels like it’s wandering in search of meaning and instead only finds half-ideas it never develops. The trial itself is rote, with little dramatics in terms of character divulsion. The finale, no spoilers, feels less like a catharsis than Phillips trying to distance himself from a character and story for whose success he fears becoming shackled to.

Phoenix returns to his Fleck and Joker characters, making a now iconic take feel familiar and easy, never missing a beat into the vulnerability and coherence of his chaos. Gaga has the challenging role of entering a defined creative environment, yet her acting prowess is impressive. The American pop-star/actress not only excels in “dumbing down” her singing, but also finds a balance of crazed obsession and fanatism in her character. The writing behind her is thin, but her interactions with Fleck are enough to let her transmit the passion she has for her character.

Elsewhere, the technical elements of Folie a Deux carry on from the brilliant first film. The soundtrack from Hildur Gundandottir retains its brooding presence, as does the 70’s grime production design of Gotham, and the cinematography from Lawrence Sher, making use of the contrasts of smoke and spotlights.

In the end, Joker: Folie a Deux is a film that struggles to find anything new to do or say with its characters. The transformation into a musical falters, as Phillips is too timid to commit to the format. The two lead performances are spectacular, but abandoned by scant writing. Folie a Deux is an example of how any success in Hollywood will have every last cent milked out of it, no matter the cost to the creative story in it.  

5.2/10