Parents' Guide to Joker: Folie à Deux

Phoenix and Gaga give it their all, but whatever worked in the original simply doesn't here; this sequel is a long bummer of a songfest that makes us question why we're even watching this character. It's safe to assume that Joker: Folie à Deux was made at all because Joker earned its way into the billion-dollar movie club, which is incredible given that it was a pessimistic reworking of two Martin Scorsese movies (Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy) about how a cruel, selfish society can drive a sad, lonely person to violence. This sequel feels like it could have been inspired by another Scorsese movie, New York, New York, which is also a very long—and very depressing—musical.

The decision to cast Lady Gaga as a Harley Quinn-type character probably went over well in pitch meetings, and she is great, but her character becomes part of the movie's problem. While the first movie was about Arthur's descent into instability, this one is mostly about his fame and how everyone wants him to be the Joker. But why? The movie never wonders why all these people would be so fascinated by, and indeed adore, a murderer. (There are always mobs hanging around outside the prison, many with painted-on clown faces or masks, emulating their "hero.") The movie's most powerful, human moment involves the return of Gary Puddles (Leigh Gill) from the first movie, who, in an extraordinary moment, explains how Arthur's actions robbed him of his strength and courage. But other than that, director Todd Phillips focuses on making his imagery big and showy (e.g., a shot of four different-colored umbrellas seen from above, with Arthur at the center). Yet somehow, the musical numbers wind up largely dreary, as if they were performed at three-quarter speed. And the movie's final 10 minutes suggest that there wasn't much of an idea here to begin with. When fans finish watching Joker: Folie à Deux, they're less likely to be "bewitched, bothered, and bewildered" than "baffled, befuddled, and bored."