Common Sense Media Review
By Monique Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Colorful, explosive, queer take on iconic DC villain.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The People's Joker
What's the Story?
THE PEOPLE'S JOKER follows Joker the Harlequin (Vera Drew) as she goes on a trans journey of self-discovery while pursuing her dreams of becoming a comedian. Along the way, she stumbles into crime through her troubled relationship with Mr. J (Kane Distler). Over the course of her journey, Joker the Harlequin figures out who she wants to be—and what she doesn't want in her life.
Is It Any Good?
This comic superhero reimagining uses its intentionally low-budget feel and guerilla theater/DIY techniques to fight back against mainstream messaging about a marginalized group. Those tactics include disrupting the audience, interjecting political and social ideas, and using a variety of artistic forms—including puppetry and animation. In other words, The People's Joker brings a lot to the table, and for many viewers, there will be a lot to parse through. The film focuses heavily on reimagining a world in which our popular heroes and villains are all making a queer journey. It also gives props to Joel Schumacher: While some hard-core Batman film fans blame the director for "ruining" the franchise in the late 1990s and early 2000s, for many queer viewers—including Drew—Schumacher's take on Batman helped open up a new world of self-exploration. (It's probably high time more critics give Schumacher some praise for bringing a John Waters-esque edge to Batman lore, allowing queer audiences to feel some sense of representation.)
All of that said, The People's Joker falters in its preachiness. At times, especially toward the beginning, the film feels more like an essay—like someone talking at you—than a film that wants to invite you into its colorful, cracked-mirror version of Gotham. Still, the overall message of The People's Joker is fantastic: We need more films to dissect how supposedly "lowbrow" media has served as a gateway for queer people to learn more about themselves. We also need more films that are brave enough to position queer coming-of-age stories, especially trans stories, as heroic. Viewers thirsty for this type of representation will flock to The People's Joker and love it, crunchy dialogue and all.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The People's Joker portrays Joker the Harlequin's journey. What starts her path to self-exploration? What kind of relationship does she develop with Mr. J?
How are trans and queer characters portrayed in the film? What about characters of color? Why are diverse representations important in the media?
How does this film compare to other Batman-related stories you've seen? Are there other superhero stories you'd like to see reimagined?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 5, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : July 30, 2024
- Cast : Vera Drew , Tim Heidecker , Bob Odenkirk , Maria Bamford , Scott Aukerman , Kane Distler
- Director : Vera Drew
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Transgender Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s) , Transgender Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Altered Innocence
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Superheroes
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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