The review embargo for Joker: Folie À Deux has lifted following screenings at the 81st Venice International Film Festival earlier today and they make for very interesting reading.
In 2019, some critics were convinced that Joker was some sort of rallying call for gun-toting incels and that opinion found its way into many a review. The narrative has now changed but it still doesn't sound like this follow-up quite manages to live up to its predecessor.
While the overall consensus is largely positive, it appears this musical sequel is lacking a compelling narrative and, despite some catchy songs, fails to capture lightning in a bottle for the second time.
The Hollywood Reporter says, "for a movie running two-and-a-quarter hours, Folie à Deux feels narratively a little thin and at times dull." On Lady Gaga, the trade adds, "Some will complain that Gaga is criminally underused in the movie. But as much as it cries out for more of the extravagant numbers where the singer-actress gets to shine, Lee does have a full character arc."
Deadline explains, "With song, dance, comedy, darkness, animation, drama, violence and more, this is a musical, if it even is a musical, like no other," while The Wrap calls it "the most interesting film about Arthur Fleck. It’s genuinely a little daring, genuinely a little challenging, and genuinely a little genuine."
Variety's critic wasn't a fan and argues that the Joker follow-up is "ambitious and superficially outrageous, but in a basic way it’s an overly cautious sequel."
Empire awards Joker: Folie à Deux 4* and concludes, "As sweet and beguiling a musical romance as it’s possible to have between two murderous psychopaths. Its kooky approach won’t suit all stripes of comic-book fan, but it finds a strange, tragic hopefulness all of its own." Discussing Film goes with the same score, declaring it an "enchanting follow-up that boasts some bold risks and surprise twists that will leave fans speculating for days."
IGN was less impressed and wraps up a 5/10 review with, "Despite the best efforts of Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, and an opening hour set in Arkham Asylum, Joker: Folie à Deux wastes its potential as a movie musical, a courtroom drama, and a sequel that has anything meaningful to say about or add to the first Joker."
The Guardian goes with 3*, stating that while the sequel "ends up as strident, laborious and often flat-out tedious as the first film, there’s an improvement." The Independent adds a star and calls it an "ingenious and deeply unsettling film."
Finally, our superhero-hating chums at IndieWire award the movie a C- and say, "Folie à Deux on a conceptual level, its turgid symphony of unexpected cameos, mournful cello solos, and implied sexual violence is too dissonant to appreciate even on its own terms."
It's a bit of a mixed bag, though we were expecting that. Joker was similarly divisive and sits at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes; despite that, it was nominated for countless awards and earned Phoenix a well-deserved "Best Actor" Oscar at the Academy Awards.
There's still a month to go before Joker: Folie à Deux is released in theaters and these reviews are bound to be a big talking point in the weeks ahead.
Joker: Folie À Deux arrives in theaters on October 4.