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Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to the 2019 film Joker, was released in theatres on October 2. The movie brings back Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, aka Joker, after he won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal in the 2019 film. This time, he is joined by Lady Gaga, who plays Harley Quinn, a fellow inmate at Arkham Asylum, where Arthur is incarcerated. Harley, a Joker fangirl, strikes up a romance with him. Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux experiments with genres, merging elements of musical, romance, prison drama and courtroom drama with psychological drama. However, the final product feels half-baked and unconvincing, making it a forced sequel that fails to significantly develop its lead character. ‘Joker Folie a Deux’ Movie Review: Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s Doomed Musical Love Story Is Both Fascinating and Frustrating!
Will Joker: Folie à Deux lead to another sequel where the creators can rectify their mistakes? It’s doubtful. While Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix returned for this film, the ending suggests they may not be interested in continuing the character's journey with Joker 3.
But before discussing that, let’s delve into the climax of Joker: Folie à Deux. Warning - MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
Arthur Fleck Betrays Joker
For verbally insulting the guards in the court, Arthur is stripped and beaten upon his return from court to the asylum. Ricky, another inmate, shouts his support for Arthur from his cell but is killed when guard Jackie suffocates him in a fit of rage.
Although we don’t witness the violence, this triggers something in Arthur, leading him to confess before the jury that the Joker persona is nothing more than a fantasy—there is no other personality. A devastated Harley leaves the courthouse, later contemplating suicide as she listens to Arthur’s final message on her answering machine.
The Courtroom Blast (and the Birth of Two-Face?)
The jury finds Arthur Fleck guilty of the murders, but before his sentence can be pronounced, a car bomb detonates outside the courthouse, causing widespread destruction and killing several attendees. The explosion appears to have been set off by Arthur’s Joker followers.
Although Arthur was close to the blast, he miraculously survived. As he leaves the courthouse, we see the state attorney, Harvey Dent, lying in the debris, still alive but with half his face horribly scarred, hinting at his possible transformation into the Batman villain, Two-Face.
Harley Ditches Arthur Fleck
After escaping two of his fans who try to take him with them, Arthur returns to the now-iconic flight of stairs, where Harley is waiting. He asks her to run away with him, but she refuses, making it clear that her obsession was with the 'Joker,' not the broken man, Arthur Fleck.
She begins singing, but Arthur pleads for her to stop, saying he can no longer live in the fantasies. He wants to stay in reality. However, Harley walks away, indifferent to Arthur's plight. It remains unclear whether she was really pregnant or if it was also a manipulation. As she leaves, the police arrive to apprehend Arthur. Joker Movie Review: Joaquin Phoenix Redefines This Iconic DC Villain With a Beautifully Disturbing Tale.
The Killing of a Threequel
In the final scene, Arthur Fleck is back in his cell, watching television, when a guard informs him he has a visitor. This piques curiosity—has Harley returned, or is it someone else? Unfortunately, we never find out. As Arthur heads to the meeting room, he is confronted by a fellow inmate who tells him a joke about a sad clown and a psychopath before stabbing him multiple times. As Arthur lies dying, he revisits glimpses of a fantasy he had once where Harley shoots him with a gun.
If you look closely, through the blur, you can see the murderer attempting to carve a smile into his own face, implying that he will be the next Joker. His motivation for killing Arthur stems from an earlier scene, where it was established that he admired Arthur’s Joker persona while watching the trial proceedings from the prison. When Arthur dismissed the Joker as a mere fantasy, the inmate could have felt betrayed, much like Harley, and took his revenge.
With Arthur Fleck dead, it's clear that Todd Phillips does not intend to continue this story with another sequel. Joaquin Phoenix, who isn’t inclined to do franchise films, likely returned for the part only because of the Oscar he won for his previous portrayal. If the studio wishes to continue this universe—separate from James Gunn's DC Studios projects or Matt Reeves' Batman films—they could focus on Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn and perhaps explore the fate of Harvey Dent after the explosion.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2024 10:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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