The much-anticipated Joker sequel (Joker: Folie à Deux) had the daunting task of following up a groundbreaking film that captivated audiences with its gritty portrayal of mental illness, social isolation, and the dark evolution of Arthur Fleck into the Joker. However, for many, the sequel didn’t quite land in the way the original did. It lands on its face.
The first Joker was a self-contained, character-driven drama that didn’t need a follow-up. It explored Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness with a depth and finality that felt complete. By the end of the film, Arthur’s transformation into the Joker felt like a natural (if disturbing) conclusion. But as soon as Waner Bros. saw the film they had zero faith in making a billion bucks now they want you to push out a sequel. Where the original Joker was a standalone, intimate story about one man’s breakdown, the sequel struggles to justify its narrative. Many sequels fall into the trap of trying to top the original, and Joker: Folie à Deux falls into this by forcing the story to continue where it felt like it should have ended. Arthur Fleck’s journey, as bleak and definitive as it was, didn’t seem to leave room for more development. Trying to continue this journey risked over-explaining or diluting the original story’s impact.
One of the boldest and most controversial choices for the Joker sequel was its decision to become a musical. While this creative leap aimed to differentiate the sequel from the original and explore a new facet of Arthur Fleck's psyche, it didn’t quite work for many viewers. The first film was a psychological thriller, a dark, grounded character study inspired by the grim realities of mental illness and societal neglect. Shifting from that to a musical felt like a jarring tonal dissonance. The musical numbers, while intended to symbolize Arthur’s increasingly fragmented mental state, clash with the grim realism established in the original. Rather than adding depth to the story, the musical format felt more like an art-house gimmick. The original Joker worked because of its raw intensity and emotional realism and blending that with extravagant musical sequences undermines the story's attempt at depth.
Joker resonated with audiences because it tapped into modern anxieties around mental illness, class division, and alienation, while simultaneously humanizing one of pop culture’s most iconic villains. However, the sequel rehashes many of the same themes—Arthur’s mental instability, his chaotic relationship with reality, and his violent rebellion against society—without adding much that’s new. In a horrible attempt to expand the story, the sequel falls into the trap of retelling the same story but on a bigger, less impactful scale. Arthur's breakdown was central to the first movie, and repeating his disillusionment in the sequel feels like a re-tread, rather than an evolution. There’s no new layer of complexity or emotional depth, leaving audiences feeling like the sequel is merely echoing what worked in the original without truly building on it.
The original Joker had a subtlety that allowed audiences to interpret Arthur Fleck’s story in different ways. Was he a victim of society’s cruelty? Or was he always a violent, disturbed individual whose breakdown was inevitable? This ambiguity allowed for a rich, layered viewing experience that sparked conversation and debate. The sequel, by contrast, seems to abandon this subtlety in favor of a more straightforward narrative. With its musical sequences, Harley Quinn's “romance”, and larger-than-life presentation, the sequel lacks the nuanced storytelling that made the original film resonate. The psychological depth that characterized Arthur’s descent into madness is traded for more overt displays of insanity, which, while visually striking, doesn’t leave as much to the imagination or allow for the same feeling that we had before.
In the end, Joker: Folie à Deux didn’t work because it tried to extend a story that had already reached its natural conclusion. By moving away from the grounded, gritty tone of the first film, introducing Harley Quinn into Arthur’s world, and relying on a musical format that clashed with the original’s realism, the sequel lost much of the magic that made Joker a success. While some may appreciate the sequel’s bold risks, it ultimately felt like an unnecessary extension of a film that worked so well because it stood alone.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Finale Grade: -D Great actors and cinematography cannot save a film alone.
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