It could be a great surprise, like the first movie, or an unprecedented disaster. And, it seems that Joker: Folie à Deux has leaned more towards this second option. After its premiere at the Venice Film Festival — where Joker won the Golden Lion in 2019 — the reviews for the highly anticipated sequel to the film starring Joaquin Phoenix have arrived. And let’s say they haven’t been as hopeful as we all expected.
Although we can’t talk about absolute failure either, since it debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with 59% acceptance, there is much more disparity of reviews than with the first one, which went much further and was much more celebrated in its premiere. The fact that it is a musical with Lady Gaga but still tries to take itself too seriously seems to have not convinced many… but what does the critics say exactly?
If you liked Joker, you probably won’t like its sequel
Here are some comments from the main critics who have seen Joker 2 at the Venice Film Festival:
‘It’s not that this version of the Joker is inherently wrong, but it’s not interesting. Please, let’s end this’ – Rory Doherty, Flicks
‘It feels remarkably honest and true to itself, but once again demonstrates that taking such a popular character so seriously is not funny at all’ – Bill Bria, Slash Film
‘Joker: Folie à Deux is not at all what you expect it to be, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s the story of a man who refuses to be anything other than himself until the end, and that’s what makes this Joker sequel so deliciously subversive‘ – Serena Seghedoni, Loud & Clear
‘It seems that Todd Philips has dedicated Folie à Deux directly to the audience that liked Joker too much, seeking to provoke them‘ – Alex Harrison, Screen Rant
