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Joaquin Phoenix delves further into insanity in the 1st full-length trailer for Joker: Folie A Deux. Only this time, he’s got a dame and a hankerin’ for some show tunes. God, this movie looks bizarre.
Following the events of Joker, Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) has been locked up in Arkham Asylum awaiting trial. While there, he meets the asylum’s musical therapist Harleen Quinzel (Lady Gaga), whose growing fondness for him tips into a deep-seated obsession.
Joker: Folie A Deux (2024) – source: Warner Bros. Studios
As the two star-crossed lovers delve deeper into insanity, they become immersed in a surreal world of old-Hollywood song and dance. Meanwhile, back in the real world, Gotham City deals with a society divided by the fallout of Fleck’s actions in Joker. And as the city spirals more and more out of control, Fleck delights in bringing the entire world into his madness.
Every detail released about this movie was more puzzling than the last. From the musical setting, to Gaga’s casting, to the film’s treatment of shared delusion, Joker: Folie A Deux felt like the worst impulses of an auteur unrestrained. It’s a testament to returning director Todd Phillips that this movie’s choices not only feel cohesive, but purposeful.
The first film stood out in the world of blockbusters for its willingness to borrow visually from surreal thrillers of the 80s. In the sequel, Phillips looks further back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, evoking the gothic vistas of Bob Fosse pickled in arsenic. And, impressively, it all feels rooted in the film’s characters and comic book mythos.
Joaquin Phoenix continues to be one of Hollywood’s finest, and co-star Gaga matches his craziness beat for beat, in what looks to be her finest performance yet. Expectations are high, but Joker: Folie A Deux is primed to be one of the most distinctively strange blockbusters to take over the box office this fall.
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie A Deux will release in the US theatrically on October 4, 2024. The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga in the lead roles.
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