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Joker (2019)

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Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Silver. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix and is loosely based on DC Comics characters, including the Joker. It follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comedian whose descent into mental illness and nihilism culminates with the emergence of an alter-ego known as "Joker" and inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy appear in supporting roles. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Joker was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative and Joint Effort.

Phillips conceived Joker in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese, particularly Taxi Driver (1976) and The King of Comedy (1982); Scorsese was initially attached to the project as a producer. The film loosely adapts plot elements from Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) and The Dark Knight Returns (1986), but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration, nor did he wish for it to be connected to any prior Batman film continuity. Phoenix became attached in February 2018 and was cast that July, while the majority of the cast signed on by August. Principal photography took place in New York City, Jersey City and Newark, from September to December 2018. Joker is the first live-action theatrical Batman film to receive an R rating from the Motion Picture Association.

Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 4. The film was a box office success and set records for an October release. It grossed over $1 billion, becoming the first R-rated film to do so, and it was the highest-grossing R-rated film until being surpassed by Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024. It was also the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2019. The film received numerous accolades, including two Academy Award wins at the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Actor (Phoenix) and Best Original Score out of 11 nominations including Best Picture, becoming the first DC film to do so. A sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, was released on October 4, 2024.

Plot[]

Arthur Fleck is a professional clown and aspiring stand-up comedian who lives with his mother, Penny, in the crime-and recession-ridden city of  Gotham, New York. He suffers from a neurological disorder that causes him to have random, uncontrollable laughing fits, requiring medication for which he depends on social services to obtain. One day, after Arthur is attacked by street youths while on the job, his co-worker Randall gives him a revolver for self-defense. Arthur pursues a relationship with his neighbor, single mother Sophie Dumond, and invites her to see his routine at a comedy club.

Arthur is dismissed from his job after he accidentally exposes the gun while performing at a children's hospital, despite explaining that it was given to him by Randall, who denies this. While riding home on the subway, still donning his clown make-up, Arthur is mocked and assaulted by three drunk businessmen from Wayne Investments. Arthur fatally shoots two of them in self-defense and murders the third as he attempts to flee. Their employer, billionaire mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne, condemns the killings but protesters begin sporting clown masks in Arthur's image. Budget cuts shut down the social services program, leaving Arthur without his medication.

Sophie attends Arthur's stand-up routine, which fails due to his disorder and his jokes falling flat. Arthur intercepts a letter from Penny to Thomas, revealing that he is Thomas's illegitimate son, and berates his mother for hiding the truth of his parentage. He goes to Wayne Manor, where he meets Thomas's young son Bruce, but flees after a scuffle with family butler Alfred Pennyworth. Penny suffers a stroke and is hospitalized. Arthur's idol, popular late-night talk show host Murray Franklin, presents clips of Arthur's failed performance on his show and mockingly calls him a "joker".

Arthur confronts Thomas at a movie theatre. Thomas denies being his father, claiming that Penny is not his biological mother. In denial, Arthur visits Arkham State Hospital and reads Penny's file, which states she was a delusional narcissist who adopted Arthur while working as a housekeeper for the Waynes. She developed an imaginary intimate relationship with Thomas, which included Arthur being their biological son. At the same time, Penny raised Arthur with an abusive boyfriend who physically and sexually abused Arthur, which Penny ignored, leading to his neurological disorder. A distraught Arthur enters Sophie's apartment unannounced. Frightened, she kindly asks him to leave, revealing their relationship to be a figment of Arthur's imagination. The following day, Arthur smothers Penny with a pillow at the hospital.

Arthur is soon invited to be on Murray's show. He subsequently plans to kill himself with his revolver during the broadcast. While crafting a clown-inspired persona, he is visited by Randall and another ex-colleague, Gary. Arthur fatally stabs Randall, but spares Gary for being kind to him in the past. Two detectives investigating Arthur's involvement in the subway murders pursue him onto a train filled with clown protesters. Arthur incites a brawl, during which one detective accidentally shoots and kills a protester. The other protesters, in turn, beat the detectives while Arthur escapes.

At the studio, Arthur asks Murray to introduce him as "Joker", a reference to his earlier mockery. As the show goes live, Arthur tells morbid jokes, confesses to the subway murders, rants about societal neglect on the downtrodden, and berates Murray for ridiculing him. After a final joke, Arthur shoots Murray dead, on live television. Arthur is arrested, and riots erupt across the city. Looters in an ambulance crash into the police car carrying Arthur and free him. Meanwhile, one rioter corners the Wayne family in an alley and murders Thomas and his wife Martha, sparing Bruce. Arthur stands atop the police car, dances to the cheers of the crowd, and smears blood on his face into the shape of a smile.

At Arkham, Arthur laughs to himself about a joke during a session with his new therapist. He declines telling it to her, affirming she would not understand it. After the session, he leaves behind a trail of bloodied shoeprints as an orderly chases him down.

Cast[]

Design[]

Set[]

Gotham City in Joker was set in 1980s New York City, according to Todd Phillips, "to separate it, quite frankly, from the DC universe".[37] Mark Friedberg, the production designer of this film, said he established the filming location of Gotham Square in Newark as a film set because there was still poverty.[38] He wanted Gotham to look like a gritty city, as described in Taxi Driver (1976), so he named all structures and lines in this film and drew a specific map of Gotham city.[39] He displayed 1970s brightly colored muscle cars on the set, "conveying dissonance and being awful and beautiful at the same time". He also tried to describe Gotham as a decaying city through graffiti, garbage on the road and cracked sidewalks.[40][41] The VFX team added fictional buildings, changing the skyline of the city to give the sense that the city was pressing down on Arthur.[42] Lawrence Sher said sodium-vapor lights were used in this film, representing Arthur's isolation and his more hopeful side.[43]

Brooklyn Army Terminal samsebeskazal.livejournal

Arch bridge in Brooklyn Army Terminal, used to depict the exterior of Arkham State Hospital.

Arkham State Hospital is based on Arkham Asylum.[36] Warner Bros. Korea explained that it is a more realistic name in the real world.[44] The exterior of Arkham State hospital was filmed at Brooklyn Army Terminal,[45] while the interior was pictured in Metropolitan Hospital Center of Harlem.[46] Throughout the film, two walls are shown inside Arkham State Hospital; one is clearly white in the first and last scenes, the other is dirty yellow in the scene in which Arthur runs with a medical report. This difference was intended to make the audience confused and to question the possibility that Arthur had been in hospital the entire time.[36][44]

Character design[]

One of the most important inspirations for Arthur's behavior came from the Little Tramp in Modern Times (1936), while his "ridiculous" movement was inspired by Charlie Chaplin.[36][42] Arthur's dance was influenced by that of Ray Bolger, and his gesture of making a smile from two fingers was from the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939).[47] In preparation, Phoenix ate a single sparse meal per day for 8 months, losing to look "wolf-like and malnourished and hungry",[48] and watched videos of people suffering from pathological laughter to refine his own laughter for the role.(citation needed) He sought to portray a character whom audiences could not relate to and did not look to previous Joker actors for inspiration; instead, he read a book about political assassinations so he could understand killers and their motivations. Phillips identified Arthur's normal face as being his "real mask", while Joker served as his true personality.[49] He had also identified the genuine laugh occurring only in the last scene.[50] Director Todd Phillips said that he intentionally left it ambiguous as to whether Arthur becomes the Joker of traditional Batman stories or inspires a separate character, although Phoenix believes that Arthur is the former.[51][52]

Make-up and costumes[]

Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou, the makeup designer and hairstylist tried to show Arthur Fleck to "be handmade and realistic". Georgiou designated Arthur as a man with unwashed hair. Arthur's costumes, designed by Mark Bridges, were matched to look "aged, overdyed and distressed" through wearing him with cheap polyester pants and an acrylic sweater. His color palette was inspired by the aesthetics of the 1980s: blue, maroon, brown, mauve and gray.[53] Bridges explained Arthur's costume color started from a "juvenile mode" and later changing to align with the tone of the film.[54] In the first scene, Arthur's "too small" hooded jacket and white socks emphasizes the childish concept, being a reflection of him living with his mother Penny, with her calling him "my little boy",[53] and the influence of Charlie Chaplin.[55] However, he wore a charcoal sweater during the scene in which he is interviewed by the social worker and finally wore a "scab-colored knit top" in Arkham State Hospital.[54] A line depicting his old suit for many years was interpreted a mustard-toned vest and a patterned bottle-green shirt.[53]

After turning Arthur into Joker, his design was also changed. His hair was dyed "broccoli" green and he wore a suit similar to the one in the original Batman series.[53][54] However, the Joker suit in this film had different colors compared to previous films (purple suit with a green or yellow shirt). Mark Bridges noted that it was result of Phillips' intention to not want to be "connected to anything else". Initially, the color of the suit in the script was set to terracotta, but Bridges changed this to red to give "more expressive" emotion. Additionally, his suit colors (green, yellow, purple and red) were contrasted with those of his antagonists, including Thomas Wayne, giving them to gray and blue like Batman. Clown makeup was drawn with a classic, antique feel, with darker colors and tones and menacing eyebrows. Due to copyright laws stating that no two clowns can look alike, Ledermann faced a challenge.[53]

Music[]

Main article: Joker (soundtrack)In August 2018, Hildur Guðnadóttir was hired to compose the film's score.[56] Hildur began writing music after reading the script and meeting with Phillips, who "had a lot of strong ideas" about how he thought the score should sound. She worked on the Joker score alongside the score for the drama miniseries Chernobyl; Hildur told The Hindu's Divya-Kala Bhavani switching between the two was challenging because the scores were so different.[57]

Additionally, the film features the songs "That's Life", "Send In the Clowns", "White Room" and "Rock and Roll Part 2".[58] The use of "Rock and Roll Part 2" generated controversy when it was reported that its singer, convicted child sex offender Gary Glitter, would receive royalties,[59] but it was later confirmed he would not since he had long since sold the rights.[58] The score was released on October 2, 2019, by WaterTower Music.[60] Hildur's music won numerous awards including an Academy Award, a Satellite Award, a Saturn Award, the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, with the latter making her the first woman to win as a solo composer in that category.[61][62]

Marketing[]

Phillips promoted Joker by posting on set photos on his Instagram account.[63] On September 21, 2018, he released test footage of Phoenix in-costume as the Joker, with "Laughing" by The Guess Who accompanying the footage.[64] At CinemaCon on April 2, 2019, Phillips unveiled the first trailer for the film, which was released online the following day.[65] The trailer, prominently featuring the song "Smile" performed by Jimmy Durante, generated positive responses, with some commentators comparing it to Taxi Driver and Requiem for a Dream (2000) and praising Phoenix's performance.[66][67] Writers described the trailer as dark and gritty,[68] with ComicBook.com's Jenna Anderson feeling it appeared more like a psychological thriller than a comic book film. Actor Mark Hamill, who has voiced the Joker since the cartoon Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), expressed enthusiasm on Twitter.(citation needed) Conversely, io9's Germain Lussier said the trailer revealed too little and that it was too similar to photos Phillips had posted on Instagram. While he still believed it exhibited potential, Lussier overall thought the trailer was not "a home run".[69] The trailer received over eight million views in the first few hours of release.[70]

On August 25, 2019, Phillips released six brief teasers that contained flashes of writing, revealing the second trailer would be released on August 28.[71] Filmmaker Kevin Smith commended the trailer, stating he thought the film "would still work even if [DC Comics] didn't exist" and praising its uniqueness.[72] Overall, Deadline Hollywood estimated that Warner Bros. spent $120 million on promotion and advertisements.

After release in theaters, Warner Bros. used negative critics on this film for promotion.[73]

Release[]

Theatrical[]

refer to caption

Joaquin Phoenix (left) at the 76th Venice International Film Festival, where Joker premiered

Joker had its world premiere at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation and won the Golden Lion award.[74][75] It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2019.[76] The film was released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures on October 4, 2019, in the United States and a day earlier in Australia and several other international markets.[77][78] On November 16, 2019, it was screened at the White House for President Donald Trump, who reportedly enjoyed the film.[79] Some theaters released this movie on 70mm film, by original intention of the movie's director. Following its nominations at various awards shows, the film was scheduled to be rereleased in theaters across North America, beginning on January 17, 2020.[80]

Security concerns[]

On September 18, 2019, the United States Army distributed an email warning service members of potential violence at theaters screening the film and noting the Joker character's popularity among the incel community. A separate memo revealed the Army received "credible" information from Texas law enforcement "regarding the targeting of an unknown movie theater during the release".[81] The film, forbidden to minors under 17 in the US, was feared to possibly encourage imitations of the criminal behaviors represented in the film in ordinary life.[82] However, according to Deadline Hollywood, the FBI and the United States Department of Homeland Security found no credible threats surrounding the release of the film.[83]

In an interview with TheWrap, Phillips expressed surprise at criticism of the film's dark tone, stating "it's because outrage is a commodity" and calling critics of the film "far left".[84] Phoenix walked out of an interview by The Telegraph when asked if the film could inspire mass shooters. He later returned to finish the interview, but did not answer the question.[85] Following this, journalists were disinvited from the premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre, with only photographers being allowed to interact with the filmmakers and cast on the carpet. In a statement to Variety, Warner Bros. said that "A lot has been said about Joker and we just feel it's time for people to see the film".[86][87]

The film did not play at the Aurora, Colorado movie theater where the 2012 mass shooting occurred during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises (2012).[88] Three families of victims, as well as the mother of a witness, signed a letter to Warner Bros. with the request.[89] Additionally, Landmark Theaters prohibited moviegoers from wearing Joker costumes during its run, while the Los Angeles and New York City Police Departments increased police visibility at area theaters, though they did not receive "any specific threat".[90][17]

Ultimately, despite the aforementioned concerns, screenings of the film proceeded and concluded with no reports of violent incidents.[91]

Home media[]

Joker was released on Digital HD on December 17, 2019, and on DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray on January 7, 2020.[92] It debuted on HBO on May 16, 2020, and on HBO Max when it launched on May 27, 2020.[93]

Reception[]

Box office[]

Joker grossed $335.5 million in the United States and Canada and $743.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.079 billion. It is the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2019 and the second highest-grossing R-rated film of all time,[94][95] as well as the first and only R-rated film to pass the billion-dollar mark until Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024.[96] In terms of budget-to-gross ratio, Joker is also the most profitable film based on a comic book,[97] due to its small budget and little decline in week-to-week grosses during its theatrical run, surpassing the record previously held by Deadpool (2016).[98] Deadline Hollywood estimated the film made a net profit of $437 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.[99]

In August 2019, BoxOffice magazine analyst Shawn Robbins wrote that he expected Joker to gross $60–90 million during its opening weekend in North America.[100] Following the film's premiere, BoxOffice predicted Joker could open to $70–95 million domestically.[101] Later updating to $85–105 million, Robbins suggested it could become the first October release to open to over $100 million and surpass the record set by Venom (2018).[102] However, Comscore's senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian thought the film would open closer to $50 million because it is not a "typical comic-book movie".[103] Three weeks prior to its release, official industry tracking projected the film would debut to $65–80 million, with some estimates going as high as $90 million.[104] The week of its release, Atom Tickets announced pre-sale totals for the film were outpacing those of Venom and It Chapter Two ($91.1 million debut) and that Joker was its second-best-selling R-rated film of 2019 behind John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.[105]

Joker opened in 4,374 theaters in North America and made $39.9 million on its first day of release, including $13.3 million from Thursday night previews, besting Venom's respective October records.[106] The film also had the biggest October opening day of any film, beating out Halloween (2018).[107] It went on to break Venom's record for having the biggest October opening weekend, finishing with a domestic total of $96.2 million. The film set career records for Phoenix, Phillips and De Niro and was the fourth-largest debut for an R-rated film of all time.[108] The latter record would cross over The Matrix Reloaded (2003), staying behind Deadpool, Deadpool 2 (2018) and It (2017).[109] It was also Warner Bros.' biggest domestic opening in two years.[110] In its second weekend, the film fell just 41.8% to $55.9 million, remaining in first and marking the best second-weekend October total (besting Gravity (2013)'s $43.1 million in 2013).[111] It made $29.2 million in its third weekend and $19.2 million in its fourth, finishing second behind Maleficent: Mistress of Evil both times.[112][113] After 155 days, Joker's American theatrical run wrapped up on March 5, 2020, with a final gross of $355.5 million, making it the fourth-highest domestic gross for an R-rated film, behind The Passion of the Christ (2004), Deadpool and American Sniper (2014).[114]

Worldwide, the film was projected to debut to around $155 million, including $75 million from 73 overseas territories.[115] It made $5.4 million from four countries on its first day and $18.7 million from 47 in its second, for a two-day total of $24.6 million. It went on to greatly exceed expectations, making $140.5 million from overseas territories and a total $234 million worldwide. Its largest markets were South Korea (a Warner Bros. record $16.3 million), the United Kingdom ($14.8 million), Mexico ($13.1 million) and Japan ($7 million).[116] With this, it became the biggest worldwide opening for an October film.[110] During its second weekend, the film made an additional $125.7 million worldwide,[117] and $77.9 million in its third.[118] By this point, industry analysts expected Joker to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, with some suggesting that it could finish its run with over $1 billion.[119] The film became the highest-grossing R-rated film in its fourth weekend, during which it grossed $47.8 million internationally,[120] and passed the billion-dollar mark about a month into its theatrical release.[96]

Critical response[]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Joker holds an approval rating of 68% based on 603 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Joker gives its infamous central character a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star – and a dark evolution for comics-inspired cinema." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100 based on 60 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 84% (with an average 4 out of 5 stars) and a 60% "definite recommend".[106] The critical response to Joker made it one of the worst-reviewed films to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.[121]

Mark Kermode of The Observer rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, stating "Joker has an ace card in the form of Joaquin Phoenix's mesmerisingly physical portrayal of a man who would be king".[122] Writing for IGN, Jim Vejvoda gave Joker a perfect score, saying that the film "would work just as well as an engrossing character study without any of its DC Comics trappings; that it just so happens to be a brilliant Batman-universe movie is icing on the Batfan cake". He found it a powerful and unsettling allegory of contemporary neglect and violence and described Phoenix's performance as the Joker as engrossing and "Oscar-worthy".[123] Similarly, Xan Brooks of The Observer—who also gave the film a perfect score—called it "gloriously daring and explosive" and appreciated how Phillips used elements from Scorsese films to create an original story.[124] Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote, "Phoenix is astonishing as a mentally ill geek who becomes the killer-clown Joker in Todd Phillips' neo-Taxi Driver knockout: the rare comic-book movie that expresses what's happening in the real world".[125]

ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis acclaimed Joker as a groundbreaking comic book adaptation that he found scarier than most 2019 horror films. Davis compared it favorably to the 2008 Batman film The Dark Knight, praised the cinematography and performances and called it a film that needed to be seen to be believed.[126] Deadline Hollywood's Pete Hammond believes the film redefines the Joker and is "impossible to shake off". Hammond also praised the story and performances and summarized the film as "a bravura piece of filmmaking that speaks to the world we are actually living in today in ways that few movies do".[127] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said he was lost for words in describing Phoenix's performance, calling the film "gut-wrenching" and "simply stupendous".[128]

David Ehrlich of IndieWire was more mixed and gave the film a "C+". He felt that while "Joker is the boldest and most exciting superhero movie since The Dark Knight", it was "also incendiary, confused and potentially toxic". Ehrlich thought that the film would make DC fans happy and praised Phoenix's performance, but criticized Phillips' direction and the lack of originality.[129] A critical review came from Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com, who gave the film two stars out of four. Though he praised the performances and thought the story worked, Kenny criticized the social commentary and Phillips' direction, finding the film too derivative and believing its focus was "less in entertainment than in generating self-importance".[130] In an analysis of the character Joker, Onmanorama's Sajesh Mohan wrote that the movie was cliché-ridden, the only original part being Joaquin Phoenix's acting. "The movie, with great pain and in detail, explains how Arthur Fleck turns into Joker dejected by the way the world treats him. Thanks to Phillips and Silver, Phoenix was able to bring out the king among the Jokers", the analysis read.[131]

Stephanie Zacharek of Time, in a negative review, labeled Phoenix's performance over-the-top and felt that while Phillips tried to "[give] us a movie all about the emptiness of our culture ... he's just offering a prime example of it". She argued the plot was nonexistent, "dark only in a stupidly adolescent way" and "stuffed with phony philosophy".[132] Meanwhile, NPR's Glen Weldon thought the film lacked innovation and said its sympathetic take on the Joker was "wildly unconvincing and mundanely uninteresting". Weldon also described Joker as trying too hard to deviate from the comics and, as a result, coming off as an imitation of films like Taxi Driver.[133] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it "the most disappointing film of the year". While praising Phoenix's performance and the first act, he criticized the film's political plot developments and overall found it too derivative of various Scorsese films.[134]

Industry response[]

Joker generated positive responses from industry figures. DC Comics chief creative officer Jim Lee praised it as "intense, raw and soulful" and stated that it had remained true to the character despite deviating from the source material.(citation needed) Actor Mark Hamill, who has voiced the Joker in animation and video games since Batman: The Animated Series, thought the film had "brilliantly" reinvented the character and gave it "[two] thumbs up".[135] Superman (1978) director Richard Donner called the film "brilliant", "fascinating", "really well-written" and stated that Phoenix's performance was "genius". Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore called Joker a "cinematic masterpiece" and stated it was a "danger to society" if people did not see it.[136] Actor Josh Brolin found the film powerful: "To appreciate Joker I believe you have to have either gone through something traumatic in your lifetime (and I believe most of us have) or understand somewhere in your psyche what true compassion is".[137] Actor Vincent D'Onofrio vocally commended Phoenix's performance in the film on Twitter, stating that he "deserve[d] recognition for this performance", while actress Jessica Chastain agreed, replying: "It's one of the greatest pieces of acting I've ever seen".[138] Actress and screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge also praised the film, stating: "I think the reason people got so uncomfortable [with the film] is because it feels too true, too raw. I was watching it and thinking to myself, God, if this came out a year into Obama's time in office, I don't think we'd be feeling as worried about it".[139] Filmmaker David Fincher said of the film's unexpected success, "Nobody would have thought they had a shot at a giant hit with Joker had The Dark Knight not been as massive as it was. I don't think anyone would have looked at that material and thought, 'Yeah, let's take [Taxi Driver's] Travis Bickle and [The King of Comedy's] Rupert Pupkin and conflate them, then trap him in a betrayal of the mentally ill and trot it out for a billion dollars'".[140] Actor Brendan Gleeson felt that Phoenix's performance as the Joker was absolutely "indelible" and one of the most magnificent achievements in cinema he has ever seen, incidentally being that the reason he opted to join the film's sequel Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) as Jackie Sullivan.[141] Filmmaker Ridley Scott, who had previously worked with Phoenix in Gladiator (2000), felt "blown away" by the film; while he disliked the apparent way it celebrated violence, Scott felt that Phoenix's performance was remarkable enough to make Phoenix an "amazing asset" for his film Napoleon (2023) in a "creative and commercial sense".[142]

Themes and analysis[]

Joker deals with the themes of mental illness and its both psychological and sociological effects.[143] While its depiction of the Joker has been described as reminiscent of those who commit mass shootings in the United States as well as members of the incel community,[144] Christina Newland of The Guardian concludes that Fleck is not an incel, but wrote that incels are likely to relate to him.[145] Vejvoda, Hammond and Newland interpreted the film as a cautionary tale—society's disregard of those who are less fortunate will create a person like the Joker.[145] Stephen Kent, writing for the Washington Examiner, described Arthur Fleck as blending shared aspects of mass shooters and interpreted its message as a reminder that society is riddled with men like the Joker.[144] Writing in People's World, Chauncey K. Robinson said the film "walks a fine line between exploration and validation" of Joker's character and is "ultimately an in-your-face examination of a broken system that creates its own monsters."[146]

Some writers have expressed concern that Joker's sympathetic portrayal of a homicidal maniac could inspire real-world violence.[147][148] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair found the film was too sympathetic towards "white men who commit heinous crimes" and that the sociopolitical ideologies represented in the film are "evils that are far more easily identifiable" to people "who shoot up schools and concerts and churches, who gun down the women and men they covet and envy, who let loose some spirit of anarchic animus upon the world—there's almost a woebegone mythos placed on them in the search for answers."[149] Jim Geraghty of National Review wrote he was "worried that a certain segment of America's angry, paranoid, emotionally unstable young men will watch Joaquin Phoenix descending into madness and a desire to get back at society by hurting as many people as possible and exclaim, 'finally, somebody understands me![150] Contrarily, Michael Shindler, reviewing the film in Mere Orthodoxy, while agreeing that Joker depicts a sympathetic wish fulfillment fantasy, contends (drawing on insights from Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan) that it is for precisely that reason that the film will, if anything, preemptively quell real-world violence by rendering "the Flecks of the world into meek somnambulists".[151]

British neurocriminologist Adrian Raine was impressed by how accurate the film's depiction of the psychology of a murderer was. In an interview with Vanity Fair, he described it as "a great educational tool" and stated that he planned to present film clips during his classes.[152] Psychiatrist Kamran Ahmed highlighted the factors in Arthur's childhood such as parental abuse and loss and family history of mental illness in the genesis of his condition.[153] American psychiatrist Imani Walker, who is known for her Bravo television series Married to Medicine Los Angeles and working with violent criminals with mental disorders, analyzed the Joker's apparent mental disorders and circumstances and noted that Arthur tries to find help before his downfall, only to be abandoned. She says of Arthur and others in poverty who have mental illness: "We as a society don't even pretend that they're real people and that's what this movie is about. He never had a chance."[154] Forensic psychiatrist Ziv Cohen criticized the film as misrepresenting the mentally ill as violent.[155] He argued the film conflates psychopathy (a lack of conscience) with mental illness, thereby creating a false impression of the mentally ill as dangerous.[155]

Micah Uetricht, managing director of Jacobin, opined in a review published by The Guardian that he was shocked that the media did not understand the movie's message: "we got a fairly straightforward condemnation of American austerity: how it leaves the vulnerable to suffer without the resources they need and the horrific consequences for the rest of society that can result"; Uetricht thus declares that Joker presents a world that has devolved into "barbarism".[156] Uetricht states that these themes are unsubtle to the extent that it was surprising that most media outlets had not identified them.[156] Ahmed also highlights the lack of funding for already-stretched mental health services worldwide being alluded to.[153]

Alison Willmore wrote in Vulture that the film has "impossible" and "deliberately contradictory" politics.[157]

The film's director and co-screenwriter, Todd Phillips, has stated that Joker is "certainly not a political film".[158] Phillips has also commented on discourse surrounding the film, pushing back on several criticisms of its themes. He responded to critics who have expressed concerns over the film's violence, saying "Isn't it good to have these discussions about these movies, about violence? Why is that a bad thing if the movie does lead to a discourse about it?" Phillips also commented on political backlash to the film, saying "What's outstanding to me in this discourse in this movie is how easily the far left can sound like the far right when it suits their agenda. It's really been eye-opening for me."[159]

Cultural impact[]

Piñera Joker 2019-11-12

Mural depicting Chilean president Sebastián Piñera as the Joker during the 2019–2022 Chilean protests

During a Five Star Movement event in October 2019, Italian comedian and politician Beppe Grillo gave a speech wearing the Joker's makeup.[160] Yusuke Kawai, a candidate for governor of Chiba Prefecture, appeared on NHK with a Joker costume in 2021.[161] References to the character were also found in anti-government protests worldwide.[162][163] During the 17 October Revolution, a group of graffiti artists called Ashekm painted a mural of the Joker holding a Molotov cocktail and it was also reported that there was a Joker facepaint station at the protests in Beirut.[162] In Los Ángeles, Chile, during the 2019–2022 Chilean protests, the phrase "We are all clowns", which is adopted by Gotham City protesters in the movie, was written at the foot of a statue.[162][163] In Hong Kong, protesters challenged an emergency decree prohibiting the wearing of masks by wearing those of fictional characters such as the Joker.[162] In France, during the Yellow Vest Protests, firefighters donned Joker makeup holding placards.[164] In 2020, during the George Floyd protests, Argentine president Alberto Fernández compared the pictures of the protests to those seen in the film.[165]

One of the locations seen in the film, a set of stairs in the Bronx, New York City, has been dubbed the Joker Stairs. The stairs have become a tourist destination and the subject of Internet memes, with visitors often reenacting the scene from the film in which Fleck dances down the stairs in his Joker attire.[166][167] Ukrainian boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk wore a suit resembling that of Joker in a pre-fight press conference leading up to his fight with Anthony Joshua.[168]

In 2020, Deadline listed it as one of the "21 Most Influential Films Of The 21st Century, So Far," with Pete Hammond describing it as a film "that emerged from a comic book to become a frightening comment on our own dark times, proving the genre from which it came is capable of being taken very seriously indeed."[169] It also ranked 39 on Empire's list of the "100 Greatest Movies of the 21st Century," saying that "it represented another mature evolution for the comic book movie – and proved that DC adaptations could thrive outside the Marvel-style universe structure."[170]

Sequel[]

Joker was intended to be a stand-alone film with no sequels but Warner Bros. greenlit a follow-up project.[171] Joker: Folie à Deux, with Phoenix and Beetz reprising their roles and Lady Gaga joining as Harley Quinn, was released on October 4, 2024 to negative reviews and a poor commercial performance.[172][173]

Trailers[]

External links[]

References[]

  1. ↑ Joker (15) (September 24, 2019).
  2. ↑ Joker. IMDb.
  3. ↑ Joker (2019). Nash Information Services, LLC.
  4. ↑ Everything you missed in the first 'Joker' teaser trailer (April 9, 2019).
  5. ↑ Chu, Henry (August 31, 2019). In 'Joker,' Joaquin Phoenix Wanted to Create a Character 'That Wasn't Identifiable'.
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ColliderPhoenix
  7. ↑ Joaquin Phoenix on 'Joker' weight loss, dance and De Niro (in en). Associated Press (30 September 2019).
  8. ↑ No Joker: Why Joaquin Phoenix walked out of our interview (10 February 2020).
  9. ↑ Joaquin Phoenix Says Losing 52 Lbs. for Joker Made Him Develop a 'Disorder' (in en) (October 1, 2019).
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kohn, Eric (April 3, 2019). 'Joker': Robert De Niro Addresses the Connection Between His Character and 'King of Comedy'.
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DeNiroCast
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Hood, Cooper (August 10, 2018). Zazie Beetz's Role in Joker Revealed.
  13. ↑ Kit, Borys. "'Joker' Movie: 'Deadpool 2' Actress Zazie Beetz in Talks to Join Joaquin Phoenix (Exclusive)", July 19, 2018. (in en) 
  14. ↑ Anderson, Jenna (September 18, 2018). Zazie Beetz is Excited to Be Working With Joaquin Phoenix on 'Joker' Movie.
  15. ↑ Schmidt, JK (May 21, 2019). Zazie Beetz Explains How Joker Movie Is Different Than Deadpool.
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ConroyTalks
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Select Joker Screenings to Be Policed With NYPD Undercover Tactics for Opening Weekend (October 2, 2019).
  18. ↑ Desta, Yohana. "Joker: Let's Talk About His Mom, Shall We?", Vanity Fair, October 4, 2019. 
  19. ↑ Anderson, Jenna (September 23, 2018). 'Joker' Set Photo Reveals Thomas Wayne's Political Ambitions.
  20. ↑ Kit, Borys (August 27, 2018). "'Joker' Movie: Alec Baldwin to Play Bruce Wayne's Father". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  21. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named baldwinout
  22. ↑ Joker Avoids Having Its Own MARTHA Moment (October 10, 2019).
  23. ↑ Couch, Aaron (October 23, 2018). Joker' Finds Its Young Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth.
  24. ↑ Davis, Brandon (October 23, 2018). 'Joker': Dante Pereira-Olson Cast as Young Bruce Wayne.
  25. ↑ E. Hayner, Chris (September 20, 2018). The Joker Movie Casts A New Thomas Wayne After Alec Baldwin Quit.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named underway
  27. ↑ Rosenberg, Alyssa (October 7, 2019). 'Joker' wants you to choose between provocation and prudishness. It's not a hard decision.
  28. ↑ Chitwood, Adam (October 22, 2018). Exclusive: 'Joker' Actor Shea Whigham Reveals Who He Plays, Teases Unique Filming Experience.
  29. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MaronCast
  30. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NME: Maron
  31. ↑ Anderson, Jenna (April 2, 2019). First 'Joker' Trailer Debuts at CinemaCon.
  32. ↑ Joker Easter eggs: 10 references to Batman (and beyond) you might have missed (October 7, 2019).
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Reilly, Dan (October 15, 2019). What Joker Gets Right About Stand-Up Comedy.
  34. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (October 25, 2019). Gary Gulman on His New HBO Special, Battling Depression, and His 'Joker' Scene.
  35. ↑ Francisco, Eric (September 20, 2018). Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker' Movie Set Photos Show an Aging Stripper Character.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 Acuna, Kirsten (October 3, 2019). 12 details and references you may have missed in 'Joker'.
  37. ↑ Nicholson, Tom (September 25, 2019). Ah, So That's Why Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker' Is Set In 1981.
  38. ↑ Tancacy, Jazz (November 11, 2019). How 'Joker' Production Designer and Costume Designer Brought New Color to a Familiar World.
  39. ↑ Pond, Steve (December 18, 2019). How 'Joker' Designer Mapped Gotham With a Touch of DC Comics and a Lot of Old NYC Squalor (Map).
  40. ↑ Desowitz, Bill (November 14, 2019). Creating Unstable New York States of Mind for Todd Phillips' 'Joker' and Edward Norton's 'Motherless Brooklyn'.
  41. ↑ Mancuso, Vinnie (January 23, 2020). 'Joker's Biggest Crime Is Robbing Gotham City of a Personality.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Fair, Vanity (October 7, 2019). Joker Director Breaks Down the Opening Scene | Vanity Fair.
  43. ↑ Giroux, Jack (October 23, 2019). 'Joker' Cinematographer Lawrence Sher On Contrasts And Chaos [Spoiler Interview].
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Yoo-jin, Jung (October 11, 2019). '조커', 배급사가 공개한 11개 트리비아...'배트맨' 오마주? (in Korean).
  45. ↑ Joker.
  46. ↑ Obenson, Tambay (October 19, 2019). 'Joker' Makes a Strange Connection Between Arthur Fleck and the Struggles of Black Women — Analysis.
  47. ↑ Ro, Crystal (October 5, 2019). 17 "Joker" Behind-The-Scenes Facts That Are Fascinating And Impressive.
  48. ↑ Shanchez, Omar (September 26, 2019). 'Joker' Director Todd Phillips Wanted Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur to Look 'Wolf-Like and Malnourished'.
  49. ↑ Thompson, Luke (January 6, 2020). How 'Joker' May Not Be The Clown You Think He Is.
  50. ↑ Nicholson, Tome (October 17, 2019). Here's What Joaquin Phoenix And Todd Phillips Think Of All Your 'Joker' Fan Theories.
  51. ↑ Rottenberg, Josh. "Why Joaquin Phoenix likes your 'Joker' theories. He's also got his own", November 13, 2019. 
  52. ↑ Nicholson, Tom (October 7, 2019). Hang On, Is The Bad Stand-Up Set In 'Joker' Actually... Really Good?.
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 53.3 53.4 Whitlock, Cathy (October 3, 2019). The Style Transformation of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker.
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 Grobar, Matt (November 12, 2019). Costume Designer Mark Bridges On Honing 'Joker's Transformation & "Easter Eggs" Within Noah Baumbach's 'Marriage Story'.
  55. ↑ Inoa, Christopher (October 14, 2019). WHY 'JOKER'S COSTUME DESIGNER DECIDED TO IGNORE THE COMICS ENTIRELY.
  56. ↑ "Hildur Gudnadottir to Score Todd Phillips' 'Joker' Origin Movie", Film Music Reporter, August 23, 2018. 
  57. ↑ Kala Bhavani, Divya (July 31, 2019). Working on 'Chernobyl' and 'Joker' came with a lot of pressure, says Emmy-nominated composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.
  58. ↑ 58.0 58.1 Appleford, Steve (October 11, 2019). Will a convicted pedophile make a fortune from a 'Joker' song?.
  59. ↑ Meredith, Sam. "Convicted pedophile Gary Glitter set to earn big royalties from 'Joker' movie", CNBC, October 7, 2019. 
  60. ↑ 'Joker' Soundtrack Details (September 23, 2019).
  61. ↑ Neglia, Matt (December 19, 2019). The 2019 Satellite Award Winners.
  62. ↑ Winners & Nominees 2020.
  63. ↑ Shanley, Patrick (September 16, 2018). Joaquin Phoenix's Joker Unveiled in First-Look Photo.
  64. ↑ Patches, Matt (September 21, 2018). Joaquin Phoenix's Joker makeup revealed in behind-the-scenes footage.
  65. ↑ Sandwell, Ian (April 2, 2019). Joker's first trailer is coming tomorrow.
  66. ↑ Peters, Megan (April 3, 2019). 'Joker' Trailer Draws In Rave Reactions.
  67. ↑ Sharf, Zack (April 2, 2019). Joker' First Trailer Stuns CinemaCon, Critics Compare Footage to 'Taxi Driver' and 'Requiem for a Dream'.
  68. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (April 2, 2019). Joaquin Phoenix 'Joker' Footage Debuts at CinemaCon.
  69. ↑ Lussier, Germain (April 2, 2019). We Just Got Our First Look at Footage of Joaquin Phoenix in DC's Joker.
  70. ↑ Cashmere, Paul (April 4, 2019). Joker Trailer Clocks Up Over 8 Million Views in a few hours.
  71. ↑ Anderson, Jenna (August 25, 2019). Joaquin Phoenix's Joker Movie Releases New Teasers, Reveals Trailer Release Date.
  72. ↑ Perine, Aaron (August 28, 2019). Kevin Smith Praises the New Joker Trailer.
  73. ↑ Barnhardt, Adam (September 13, 2019). Joker Using Negative Reviews to Promote the DC Comics Movie.
  74. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (August 31, 2019). 'Joker' Is Wild, Gets Eight-Minute Standing Ovation At Venice Film Festival.
  75. ↑ Joaquin Phoenix's Joker film praised as a dark and twisted "masterpiece" by critics as first reactions land (August 31, 2019).
  76. ↑ Joker.
  77. ↑ "'Joker' Origin Movie Lands Fall 2019 Release Date", The Hollywood Reporter, June 18, 2018. 
  78. ↑ Joker Is Powerful, Confused And Provocative, Just Like The Character (in en) (September 2, 2019).
  79. ↑ Trump hosts White House screening of 'Joker' (in en-US) (November 17, 2019).
  80. ↑ JOKER Rushed Back to Theaters After Double-Digit Oscar Nominations (January 14, 2020).
  81. ↑ U.S. Military Issues Warning to Troops About Incel Violence at Joker Screenings [Updated] (September 24, 2019).
  82. ↑ Joker: meaning and explanation of the movie (March 19, 2021).
  83. ↑ 'Joker': Warner Bros Restricts Broadcast & Print Reporters From Red Carpet At Hollywood Premiere (September 27, 2019).
  84. ↑ 'Joker' Director Todd Phillips Rebuffs Criticism of Dark Tone: 'We Didn't Make the Movie to Push Buttons' (Exclusive) (September 25, 2019).
  85. ↑ Joaquin Phoenix walked out of an interview after a critic asked him whether 'Joker' would inspire mass shooters (September 24, 2019).
  86. ↑ 'Joker' Premiere Disinvites Interview Press From Hollywood Red Carpet (September 27, 2019).
  87. ↑ Warner Bros. says the 'Joker' team won't give interviews at its red carpet premiere (September 27, 2019).
  88. ↑ Cavna, Michael. "Why 'Joker' became one of the most divisive movies of the year", October 3, 2019. (in en) 
  89. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 24, 2019). 'Joker' Will Not Play At Aurora Theater Where 2012 'Dark Knight Rises' Shooting Occurred; Some Victims' Families Call On Warner Bros To Back Gun Reform.
  90. ↑ Donnelly, Matt (September 27, 2019). 'Joker' Premiere Disinvites Interview Press From Hollywood Red Carpet (in en).
  91. ↑ Ransden, Brenna (October 7, 2019). Despite controversy, Joker is a box office hit.Bunch, Sonny. "Opinion | The Joker reflects Gotham's insecurities — and our own", October 8, 2019. “Worries that "Joker" [...] would spark violence from disaffected young men in the "incel" community, were remarkably overblown. There was no violence and the film broke box office records.” Godfrey, Alex. "'It's mind-blowing': Emma Tillinger Koskoff on producing The Irishman and Joker", The Guardian, December 19, 2019. (in en-GB) “The release went ahead as planned and there was no violence.” Zinski, Dan (March 20, 2020). Joker Movie Almost Released Online, Not In Theaters, Due To Backlash (in en).Hamerly, Brad (May 3, 2023). What Happened to Joker (2019)? (in en-US).
  92. ↑ Reyes, Mike (December 3, 2019). Joker Is Coming To Digital, DVD And Blu-ray Just In Time For The Holidays.
  93. ↑ 'Joker,' All Other DC Titles Will Be Available to Stream on HBO Max From Day One (October 29, 2019).
  94. ↑ 2019 Worldwide Box Office.
  95. ↑ "'Joker' is now the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  96. ↑ 96.0 96.1 Nolfi, Joey (November 15, 2019). "Joker becomes first R-rated movie to gross $1 billion worldwide". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  97. ↑ Joker is now the most profitable comic book movie of all time (November 8, 2019).
  98. ↑ Box Office: How 'Joker' Became Insanely Profitable (October 23, 2019).
  99. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 23, 2020). 'Joker' Makes Serious Profit As No. 4 In Deadline's 2019 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament. Deadline Hollywood.
  100. ↑ Robbins, Shawn (August 9, 2019). Long Range Forecast: Joker.
  101. ↑ Barnhardt, Adam (September 1, 2019). New Box Office Tracking Suggests Joker Could Close in on $100M Opening Weekend.
  102. ↑ Robbins, Shawn (September 6, 2019). Long Range Forecast: Terminator: Dark Fate, Plus a Big Joker Update.
  103. ↑ Clark, Travis (September 9, 2019). 'Joker' is projected to break multiple box-office records when it hits theaters.
  104. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 11, 2019). 'Joker' Is Wild On Tracking With $82M-$90M Projected Opening – Early B.O. Read.
  105. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 30, 2019). 'Joker' Atom Tickets Pre-Sales Besting 'Venom' & 'It Chapter Two'; Batman Villain Pic Still Eyeing $80M+ October Record Debut.
  106. ↑ 106.0 106.1 D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 5, 2019). Warner Bros. Laughing All The Way To The Bank With 'Joker': $94M Debut Reps Records For October, Todd Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix & Robert De Niro.
  107. ↑ 'Joker' had the biggest October opening weekend ever, taking in $96 million.
  108. ↑ 'Joker' smashes October box office record with $93.5M debut. Variety (October 6, 2019).
  109. ↑ 'Joker' Laughs All The Way To The Bank As The Film Breaks Records & Bests WB's 'Justice League' Opening [Box Office].
  110. ↑ 110.0 110.1 'Joker' Box Office: All the Records Broken (October 6, 2019).
  111. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 13, 2019). 'Joker' $55M+ Scores 2nd Weekend October Record, 'Addams Family' Rich $30M+, 'Gemini Man' Still Not Dazzling $20M – Sunday B.O. Update. Deadline Hollywood.
  112. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 20, 2019). 'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil' No Magic With $36M+, 'Joker' Still Stealing 2nd Place From 'Zombieland 2' With $28M+. Deadline Hollywood.
  113. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 28, 2019). 'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil' Tricks 'Joker' & Steals No. 1 With $19.37M After Dead Heat B.O. Battle. Deadline Hollywood.
  114. ↑ All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies.
  115. ↑ 'Joker' To Laugh Up $155M+ Opening Around The World – Box Office Preview (October 1, 2019).
  116. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (October 6, 2019). 'Joker' Jolts October With $141M Overseas & $234M Global Bows, Thrashes 'Venom' Records – International Box Office.
  117. ↑ Box Office: Joker Scores $55 Million Second Weekend (October 13, 2019).
  118. ↑ Box Office: 'Maleficent 2' Stumbles to No. 1 With $36M; 'Joker' Snags Magical $29M (October 20, 2019).
  119. ↑ Box Office: 'Joker' to Become Top-Grossing R-Rated Pic of All Time (October 20, 2019).
  120. ↑ 'Joker' Laughing At $850M WW As 'Maleficent 2' Nears $300M & 'Terminator: Dark Fate' Unlucky With $13M Offshore Bow – International Box Office (October 27, 2019).
  121. ↑ The 40 Lowest-Rated Best Picture Nominees Of All Time. Fandango.
  122. ↑ Kermode, Mark (October 6, 2019). Joker review – an ace turn from Joaquin Phoenix. The Observer.
  123. ↑ Vejvoda, Jim (August 31, 2019). Joker Review. IGN.
  124. ↑ Brooks, Xan (August 31, 2019). Joker review – Joaquin Phoenix's villain has last laugh in twisted tale.
  125. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (August 31, 2019). Venice Film Review: 'Joker'.
  126. ↑ Davis, Brandon (September 2, 2019). Joker Review: An Insane Masterpiece Based on DC Comics Villain.
  127. ↑ Hammond, Pete (August 31, 2019). 'Joker' Review: Joaquin Phoenix Kills It In Dark, Timely DC Origin Movie That Is No Laughing Matter – Venice Film Festival.
  128. ↑ Travers, Peter (September 27, 2019). "'Joker' Review: Joaquin Phoenix's Joker Is Indeed Wild". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  129. ↑ David Ehrlich (August 31, 2019). 'Joker' Review: For Better or Worse, Superhero Movies Will Never Be the Same. IndieWire.
  130. ↑ Kenny, Glenn (August 31, 2019). Joker Movie Review & Film Summary (2019). RogerEbert.com.
  131. ↑ Analysing 'Joker': Only ashes remain as Joaquin Phoenix takes off to glory. Onmanorama (October 13, 2019).
  132. ↑ Zacharek, Stephanie (August 31, 2019). "Joker Wants to Be a Movie About the Emptiness of Our Culture. Instead, It's a Prime Example of It". Time. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  133. ↑ 'Joker' Is Wild ... ly Dull. NPR (October 3, 2019).
  134. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (October 3, 2019). Joker review – the most disappointing film of the year.
  135. ↑ Joker Actor Mark Hamill Shares His Take On Joaquin Phoenix's Movie (October 5, 2019).
  136. ↑ Michael Moore Calls 'Joker' a Masterpiece: 'The Greater Danger to Society May Be If You Don't See This Movie' (October 5, 2019).
  137. ↑ Thanos Snaps Back: Josh Brolin Defends Joker Movie in Fiery Post (October 6, 2019).
  138. ↑ Sharf, Zack (November 2, 2019). Jessica Chastain says Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker' performance is one of the 'greatest pieces of acting' she's ever seen. Business Insider.
  139. ↑ Collins, Lauren (November 6, 2019). The World According to Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Vogue.
  140. ↑ Grater, Tom (November 16, 2020). David Fincher Calls 'Joker' A "Betrayal Of The Mentally Ill" & Explains Signing Exclusive Netflix Deal.
  141. ↑ Krause, Katie (October 11, 2022). 'Joker 2' Star Brendan Gleeson Calls Lady Gaga 'Sensational' as Harley Quinn (Exclusive).
  142. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (October 7, 2023). Ridley Scott On Capturing Epic 'Napoleon' & Why He Chose Joaquin Phoenix To Play The Emperor – Contenders London.
  143. ↑ Davis, Brandon (September 2, 2019). Joker: Your Biggest Questions Answered (Spoiler-Free).
  144. ↑ 144.0 144.1 Kent, Stephen (August 30, 2019). The brilliant new Joker movie offers an uncomfortable message about mass shooters.
  145. ↑ 145.0 145.1 Newland, Christina. "'Incel' violence is horrific, but Joker is complex, and doesn't take sides", September 2, 2019. 
  146. ↑ Robinson, Chauncey K. (October 4, 2019). 'Joker' exposes the broken class system that creates its own monsters.
  147. ↑ Lang, Brent (September 5, 2019). From 'Joker' Controversy to Oscar Contenders, 5 Burning Questions at the Toronto Film Festival.
  148. ↑ Outlaw, Kofi (September 5, 2019). Joker Movie is Already Stirring Controversy.
  149. ↑ Lawson, Richard (August 31, 2019). Joker Review: Joaquin Phoenix Towers in a Deeply Troubling Origin Story — Todd Phillips's bracing, disturbing film has an undeniable impact—for good and bad..
  150. ↑ Geraghty, Jim (September 4, 2019). Burning It All Down, Nihilism, and the Joker.
  151. ↑ Citation.
  152. ↑ Miller, Julie (October 14, 2019). Leading Neurocriminologist Considers Joker "a Great Educational Tool".
  153. ↑ 153.0 153.1 "As a psychiatrist, I was blown away by the latest Joker", Sydney Morning Herald, October 26, 2019. 
  154. ↑ Pierce, Tony (October 9, 2019). Analyzing 'Joker' with a Psychiatrist Who Treats People Like the Joker (in en-US).
  155. ↑ 155.0 155.1 What 'The Joker' gets wrong about mental illnes (October 4, 2019).
  156. ↑ 156.0 156.1 Joker isn't an ode to the far right – it's a warning against austerity (October 11, 2019).
  157. ↑ Alison Willmore. "The Impossible Politics of Joker", Vulture, 2019-10-10. 
  158. ↑ "Joker Director Todd Phillips Says It's Not a Political Film", ComicBook.com, September 2, 2019. 
  159. ↑ ""Outrage is a commodity": Director Todd Phillips bashes "far left" criticism of "Joker"", The Denver Post, September 26, 2019. 
  160. ↑ Italia 5 stelle, Beppe Grillo apre il suo intervento a Napoli truccato da Joker: "Non faccio piani, sono il caos" (in it-IT) (October 13, 2019).
  161. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (March 10, 2021). Politician Dressed Like The Joker Is Campaigning In Japan.
  162. ↑ 162.0 162.1 162.2 162.3 From Beirut to Hong Kong, the face of the Joker is appearing in demonstrations (October 24, 2019).
  163. ↑ 163.0 163.1 Kaur, Harmeet (November 3, 2019). In protests around the world, one image stands out: The Joker.
  164. ↑ French protesters, police clash on 'yellow vest' anniversary (November 17, 2019).
  165. ↑ "Asesinato de George Floyd: Alberto Fernández dijo que las imágenes de la violencia en Estados Unidos son "impensadas" y las comparó con la película El Guasón", La Nación, June 3, 2020. (in es) 
  166. ↑ Mahdawi, Arwa. "Meme tourism has turned the world into the seventh circle of selfie hell", The Guardian, October 30, 2019. 
  167. ↑ Alter, Rebecca (October 24, 2019). The Dance of Freedom. The Death Bells. The Meme-ing of the Joker..
  168. ↑ Usyk 'dressed like the Joker' and was trying to get into AJ's head, says Hearn (September 24, 2021).
  169. ↑ The 21 Most Influential Films of the 21st Century, So Far. Deadline (December 30, 2020).
  170. ↑ The 100 Greatest Movies Of The 21st Century (March 18, 2020).
  171. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (November 20, 2019). Joker Sequel in the Works as Todd Phillips Eyes More DC Origin Movies (Exclusive).
  172. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 3, 2022). Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie À Deux Gets Fall 2024 Release Date.
  173. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (2024-10-07). 'Joker' Box Office Shocker: 'Folie à Deux' Bombs With $37.8M Opening After Receiving D CinemaScore (in en-US).
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