Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last month, and was greeted with a 12½-minute standing ovation.
Despite this warm reception (which you should never take seriously), the reviews that followed were mixed, and now that the movie is in theaters, we know that the majority of critics - and audiences, for that matter - did not care for the sequel at all.
Is there a chance the movie's lead feels the same way?
Some video clips from the Venice premiere have now been shared online, with supposed "lip-reader" technology applied to decipher what stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga were saying to each other during the ovation. While Gaga's responses do seem to line-up, it's far more difficult to figure out if Phoenix's words match the subtitles or if it's just complete nonsense. However, one angle does make it seem like he says "horrible."
Spoilers follow.
If Phoenix did have a problem with the film, there's a chance it was the ending. We know Phillips shot a scene with Gaga's Lee Quinzel being the one to kill Arthur Fleck, and not the nameless inmate (aka, the real Joker) back in Arkham.
Again, this may not be at all accurate, but it does certainly make for an interesting watch. Check out the video at the links below, and let us know what you think.
From acclaimed writer/director/producer Todd Phillips comes Joker: Folie À Deux, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Academy Award-winning Joker, which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and remains the (second) highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
The new film stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar winner Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born). The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Catherine Keener (Get Out, Capote), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from Joker.
The movie is rated R for “some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity.”
Do you plan on seeing the Joker sequel in theaters, or have the reviews put you off? Let us know in the comments section down below.