Joker: Folie a Deux

No.

Just no.

Apologies, but this is one of the rare, “I can’t even rate this” movies.

When The Joker came out in 2019, while there were a number of aspects of the film that I liked and/or was intrigued by, overall, I didn’t like the film. So much so that until this week it was a “one and done” viewing for me. Despite that, with Joker: Folie a Deux hitting the theaters this weekend I felt almost obligated to see it nonetheless and begrudgingly went to the theater to check it out.

:Sigh:

Even with an open mind and a smidgeon of hope that J2 would make my venturing out in 105-degree heat worthwhile, it didn’t take me long to regret my decision.

Once again, I found myself feeling that Joker: Folie a Deux has some positives going for it, yet it falls flat. With a resounding thud.

Beautiful cinematography/visuals. Good music. A great cast. Loved seeing Catherine Keener, Steve Coogan, and Brendan Gleeson (beautiful pipes on this man) joining the cast along with returning cast members. Lady Gaga sings her butt off as well, but otherwise seems like a pointless add-on through no fault of her own.

Which brings me to the issue with the entire film.

What’s the point?

Seriously.

Two hours and 18 minutes of my life. $2.34 out of pocket for my ticket (damn my opting for the XD upgrade on my freebie). And what I believe to have been a relatively short nap; the head bashing during a fantasy vignette woke me up (yes, I actually fell asleep, and I never sleep at the movies) later, and the first thing I said when the credits rolled was, “what the hell did I just watch? And why? What was the point of that bull$#@!”!?

Joker: Folie a Deux doesn’t really have a storyline. At least none that’s discernible let alone even mildly engaging. The entire film plays out as nothing more than a piss poor attempt at a money grab from people who really didn't want to do the movie and a long ass ad promoting the Warner Bros. property catalogue.

Or maybe like so much of the Joker films, it’s just me. Either way, I can’t recommend this one. I'll be doing a The Dark Knight palate cleanse this weekend for sure.

#JokerFolieADeux