Joker: Folie a Deux Has Rotten Tomatoes Reviewers In Agreement

Joker: Folie à Deux is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 Oscar-winning Joker, but despite so many fans wanting to see a sequel, it didn’t live up to the expectations. In fact, Rotten Tomatoes critics and audience seem to agree on the quality.

Joker: Folie à Deux has received mixed reviews from both critics and audiences. The film’s Rotten Tomatoes score currently stands at 34% for critics and 36% for audiences, placing it firmly in “rotten” territory. The controversial musical elements, a departure from the first film’s dark and psychological tone, seem to be the primary source of criticism. While some reviewers praised the performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, they found the musical segments jarring and inconsistent with the film’s overall narrative.

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Many critics seemed to have felt the musical numbers detracted from the film’s atmosphere and lacked coherence with the story. Some even compared the film’s musical elements to a “jukebox musical from hell.” Plenty of audiences had similar things to say, mostly expressing disappointment in the film’s unexpected musical direction. There are many who thought including musical numbers was unnecessary and detracted from the film’s overall experience.

Some viewers even commented that the musical elements made Arthur Fleck, the character played by Phoenix, appear less sympathetic and more of a loser. The inclusion of musical elements in the film had been met with skepticism even before the film’s release. While Gaga acknowledged the controversy, she defended the use of music as a means for characters to express their emotions beyond dialogue.

Many would find that to be silly. While music can express others, The Joker isn’t the kind of person to do it in a way that isn’t silly. He’s been shown to sing, but it’s normally to make a joke about a situation or put an ironic twist. A musical is just strange. Unfortunately for Joker: Folie à Deux, while it seems to set up a sequel, we likely won’t see one after this reception.