“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That’s how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.” – Joker, The Killing Joke
At the moment, comic book movies are a dime a dozen. These movies are great and popular for a good reason, but they all share similar elements. Playful depictions of violence combined with endless jokes seems to be the name of the game for comic book adaptations. For those looking for a comic book inspired film that has a decidedly mature edge, Joker is here—in all of its insane glory—to shake things up.
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker revolves around the character of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) and traipses into the murky origins of Batman’s mentally-ill archnemesis.
Let’s get this out of the way: every aspect of this film, from the cinematography to the script, is an audio-visual treat. This is especially true of the acting in the film, particularly that of Phoenix. He was incredible in his role as Arthur Fleck/the Joker. His portrayal of someone with profound mental illness felt incredibly authentic. He melts into the role effortlessly.
Arthur begins the film depressed and destitute, which Phoenix demonstrates through mopey, low-energy body language. As Arthur’s life descends further and further into madness, the character begins to exude more confidence, so Phoenix slowly begins to give the character more grace and swagger.
He is truly an actor that fades into his role, and this ability is on full display in Joker. Let’s not forget about his Joker laugh as well! There are some points in the film where you can hear the pain behind Arthur’s laughter, so major props to Phoenix for making something like laughter sound painful.
One of the greatest strengths of the film, besides its performances, is its tone. Audiences know this is a movie about the Joker, so viewers watch as Arthur spirals further and further into this persona. This gives an impending sense of doom and dread to every scene.
You don’t know what Arthur will do every time life decides to get him down, and this unpredictability lends itself to uneasiness the further you are into the film. This dread and terror eventually culminate in a grand catharsis that, while satisfying, is also horrifying to witness.
This film is a standalone, which means it’s not part of DC’s Extended Universe films. It’s also not your typical PG-rated, filled-with-quips affair. It is an in-depth and dark character study of how society and mental illness can turn someone into the Joker. It’s a breath of fresh air, not having to deal with sequel hooks and spin-off set-ups. I can only hope that the box office performance and the good reviews Joker has received will influence Warner Brothers to take more chances on less traditional, standalone takes on the comic book properties they own.
The only real negative of the film I can latch onto would be the inclusion of the final scene. I won’t get too in-depth about what it’s about, but the scene essentially boils down to the movie stating, “Hey guys, this is Joker! Batman’s on his way to chase him around!”
The scene feels pointless; the movie slightly overextends itself. The inclusion is more annoying since the film chooses to end with this scene rather than the much more satisfying scene that directly precedes it. However, this is ultimately a minor complaint about a movie that does a lot of good, and it does not detract much from the film for me.
It’s great that we can still see a movie like this being made, one that’s unafraid to show the darkness that can fester within someone. I would love to see more films like Joker, standalone movies that are focused on just being great films and not on setting up spin-offs. This movie is a risk for sure, but one that I think audiences will appreciate. Todd Phillips and Warner Brothers should be proud of Joker, because it’s phenomenal.
Featured graphic by Farhan Tasin.
