JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Test-Screening Reactions Land - Possible SPOILERS

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Test-Screening Reactions Land - Possible SPOILERS

Some reactions to a recent test-screening of Todd Phillips' Joker sequel have been shared online, and it sounds like those in attendance were very impressed by what they saw...

By MarkCassidy - Mar 18, 2024 10:03 PM EST
Filed Under: Joker

Some reactions to a recent test-screening of Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux have been shared online, and it sounds like the filmmaker has pulled off a worthy sequel to Warner Bros.' $1 billion-grossing original.

Though the version that screened is said to have "some editing and script issues that need to be resolved," all of the reactions we've seen so far have been very positive.

This first round (via Joey Monda) keep things pretty vague, but are no less intriguing.

"The film is super bloody, chaotic, aggressive, surrealistic, but somehow true to its essence. Gaga and Joaquin are on the same level in performance."

"The musical aspect is not presented in a conventional way. They sing, of course, but it works in a different pattern. Very risky, but f*cking genius."

“Overall, the film seeks to balance itself to captivate both critics and the general public."

We also have a more in-depth report (via JoBlo.com), and some may consider these details a bit more spoilery.

Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn is said to be "equal to Phoenix or even more central." Arthur Fleck supposedly never refers to her as Harley, "but a nickname derived from it." Both characters reportedly "perform songs as a duet, and some are just her singing. Songs are a mix of old and new."

Also: "Famous characters appear in it. Some changes to lore since these movies are standalone from certain other DC franchises.”

This last part is very interesting. Can we expect some other familiar DC Comics characters to appear? We find it hard to imagine The Dark Knight himself showing up, but maybe some more of his villains from Arkham Asylum? We should have a better idea of what to expect after the first trailer, which is expected to hit next month.

While some fans are a little resistant to the idea of a follow-up to Phillips' dark psychological thriller being a musical, others have embraced the concept. We're still not sure exactly how these songs will be implemented into the story, but rumor has it that the narrative will be split between Harley and Fleck's skewed perspectives, so there's a chance the musical numbers will simply be part of the characters' delusions (Fleck imagined his entire relationship with Sofie Dummond in the first film, after all).

Whatever form the songs take, we have heard that the soundtrack will be "heavily inspired" by classic Liza Minelli musicals such as Cabaret, New York, New York, and That's Entertainment. This isn't really too surprising, since Lady Gaga is a big Minelli fan.

We still don't know if the pop megastar is actually writing the soundtrack, but we'd say there's a decent chance she'll pen at least one song for the movie.

In addition to Phoenix and Gaga, Joker 2 will see the return of Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, along with new cast members Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland and Harry Lawtey in undisclosed roles.

The Joker sequel won't take place in the same world as the main DCU, and will be known as an "Elseworlds" project, along with Matt Reeves' The Batman movies, J.J. Abrams' Superman film, and Constantine 2 (if they happen).

Joker: Folie à deux is set to hit theaters on October 4, 2024.

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BreakTheCode
BreakTheCode - 3/18/2024, 10:21 PM
This is about to be an overrated piece of crap just like the first film.
TheGreenRanger
TheGreenRanger - 3/18/2024, 10:23 PM
@BreakTheCode - 1000%
JobinJ
JobinJ - 3/18/2024, 10:30 PM
@BreakTheCode - first film is a masterpiece.
BreakTheCode
BreakTheCode - 3/18/2024, 10:31 PM
@JobinJ - Agree to disagree on that.
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 3/18/2024, 10:32 PM
@JobinJ -

First film is only hailed as a masterpiece by the very crowd that Warner tried to sell it to by changing the protagonist from a social outcast to a recognizable popular character.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 3/18/2024, 10:44 PM
@BreakTheCode - overrated? That's a hot take if I've ever seen one lol
marvel72
marvel72 - 3/18/2024, 10:53 PM
@BreakTheCode - I like the first one though, as for the sequel not sure about the singing bits.
GeneralZod
GeneralZod - 3/18/2024, 10:59 PM
@BreakTheCode - First film is cinema.

jumpingtheshark
jumpingtheshark - 3/18/2024, 11:53 PM
@BreakTheCode - 100 percent. People that like this schlock don’t read comics.
LibraMatter
LibraMatter - 3/19/2024, 1:22 AM
@BreakTheCode - the script was so bland. The movie was ridiculously elevated by Phoenix! Cool idea but if Joaquin wasn’t casted that movie would have tanked. IMO.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 3/19/2024, 3:42 AM
@BreakTheCode - I couldn't disagree more. You may have gotten some likes for your comment but the R-rated, elseworld's film made over 1 billion world-wide so seems like quite a few people on the planet disagree with you.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 3/19/2024, 3:43 AM
@JobinJ - dang straight it is
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 3/19/2024, 3:49 AM
@DrReedRichards - Phoenix's Arthur/JOKER was recognizable? um, not sure you saw the same film I did.

and it seems that "very crowd" was quite large considering they helped a low-budget, odd-elseworld's rated-R tale to make over $1B.

Since the JOKER has many versions of his origin, this one was a great take and did borrow some things from the comics that were obvious and many that weren't.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 3/19/2024, 3:51 AM
@jumpingtheshark - so, you're saying there is nothing from any of the comics that are part of the JOKER? Wow.
Fogs
Fogs - 3/19/2024, 6:05 AM
@BreakTheCode - I like the 1st one and wouldn't call it a piece of crap, but it isn't the best movie ever, as some believe.

I particularly dislike the 'Thomas Wayne being a dick' thing.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 3/19/2024, 6:30 AM
@lazlodaytona - The problem for some I feel is they judge more on it being an adaption of the comics which it was never supposed to be at all.

This is to the comics, at best, what Wicked was to the Wizard of Oz.

As in that both cases wanted to explore real world topics in a fictional/fantasy setting using known characters to do so but not sticking to canon at all, just pulling from the source aspects which fit the intent and creating from scratch everything else.

I would say in some ways trying to loosely connect to the comic character and gain wider appeal means at it's core it prevents itself being considered as good as something like Taxi Driver, if only for loosing points on originality of concept, but is is for me probaly still in the top 10 of those I can remember watching of those with these sort of core ideas.

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/movies-to-watch-if-you-loved-joker/

https://screenrant.com/films-like-taxi-driver/

https://bilbr.com/movies-like-falling-down/

In the case of both this and Wicked it is about how do people become evil and perceptions of evil. With Joker it is a Falling down type film where you take an every day person you would pay little attention to yet trust to entertain kids and how his past and path send him spiraling down into being a psychopathic character LIKE the Joker without all the comic booky falling in vats of acid and surviving sort of stuff, how that could occur in a grounded setting.

Masterpiece or not is a tad subective, feel it did what it intended extremely well whilst being more engaging to watch than most these sort of heavy exploration of mental health breakdown type stories and deserved to do well. That said it did WAY better than the quality of writing would normaly bring in due to using the recognisable character and thus brand association (even if in pseudonym only) and the controversy IRL springing from it.

Anyone going in expecting any comic book like capeshit will still likely be disappointed with this as even if we saw any of that it would likely turn out to all be in the head of the titular characters. As such like the first we may get recognisable names, like Bruce Wayne, but will be in name only realy so more Easter Egg references to the comics than based on other than still having similar jobs in regards to lawyers, cops, political figures and the like.
CerealKiller1
CerealKiller1 - 3/19/2024, 7:14 AM
@BreakTheCode - It’s very interesting seeing the comments for this one, if this was a marvel movie having ‘early screening reactions’, the comments would be flooded with people yelling ‘oh these shills will say anything’ and ‘these good reactions were bought’ etc. But now the reactions are for the incel darling movie and those comments are nowhere to be seen. What a surprise
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 3/19/2024, 7:58 AM
@BreakTheCode - 100% agreed. absolutely hated the first one and will never watch this one
marvel72
marvel72 - 3/19/2024, 9:20 AM
@jumpingtheshark - But it's an Elseworlds movie which alternate comic book universe.
TCronson
TCronson - 3/19/2024, 12:35 PM
@DrReedRichards - since you consoome the most cynical toy and cinematic universe commercials disguised as movies I'd shut up about what people need to like or don't like if I were you, you are not exactly a shiny example of good taste to say the least.
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 3/19/2024, 12:37 PM
@TCronson -

Thank you. Unironically, thank you. I'd hate myself if I ever shared the same preference with some clearly spiteful, petty, arrogant bunch of contrarian idiots.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 3/18/2024, 10:22 PM
Interested to see Gaga in this one, she really has come along quite a way as an actress.
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 3/18/2024, 10:22 PM
I'm interested...
TheGreenRanger
TheGreenRanger - 3/18/2024, 10:24 PM
Stop calling this series Joker. Just bc he’s a clown doesn’t mean he’s Joker.
JobinJ
JobinJ - 3/18/2024, 10:29 PM
@TheGreenRanger - um, it’s literally called joker. Bruce Wayne and his parents are in the first one. Alfred is too.
valmic
valmic - 3/18/2024, 11:04 PM
@TheGreenRanger - Seeing how he’s called Joker… he is.
theFUZZ008
theFUZZ008 - 3/18/2024, 10:29 PM
“ f*cking genius”

Pfffft.
MrDandy
MrDandy - 3/18/2024, 10:30 PM
Honestly the musical angle has me a little interested where this is going. I think the first film was mostly a wannabe Scorsese knock off that was uplifted by a great central performance. Hopefully this one can find more of its own vibe.
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 3/18/2024, 10:32 PM
Something something cinema, something something kino.
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 3/18/2024, 10:42 PM
So the leaks are, it's a musical so shockingly they sing, Harley may or may not be more central and that some characters from Batman's universe might show up. Doesn't that just sound like a bunch obvious shit that everyone expects.

User Comment Image
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 3/18/2024, 11:23 PM
@HashTagSwagg - the times we live in. No matter how inconsequential/redundant things are, people will still find ways to hype it up for clout
Alucard28
Alucard28 - 3/18/2024, 10:45 PM
Not interested tbh. I don't like musicals and hardly enjoy Lady Gaga. I hope it's a good molvie tho. DC needs ore wins even though this is Joker in name only.
Fogs
Fogs - 3/19/2024, 6:07 AM
@Alucard28 - Very well stated. Agree with everything you said. Except I'll probably check it out eventually.
JFerguson
JFerguson - 3/18/2024, 10:47 PM
You know itll be a good joker performance when the hair is all greased up like that.
oh so greasy
bobevanz
bobevanz - 3/18/2024, 10:49 PM
Just do a few songs like La La Land, sure people can say the first one was like X and Y but that's another discussion for another time. Hollywood is unoriginal, they ran out of different types of stories 50 years ago.. Joaquin deserved the Oscar win. I'm hyped for this, I have faith
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 3/19/2024, 3:56 AM
@bobevanz - 100% with you bro. Just the fact that Phoenix is very picky about the films he makes, and he never does sequels, means this ought to be well worth it.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 3/19/2024, 6:44 AM
@bobevanz - Even before Hollywood existed there were no new stories, even trying to do an original spin or twist had been done in books or on stage so oft that anything can be said to be a rehash of 'insert list'.

I get the complaint as Hollywood can be super lazy and overly formulaic but impossible to make anything 'original' without someone finding a bunch of films prior that in various ways was almost exactly like it. Heck even when they are making a drama based on real world events for the first time you will find prior fictional/RL stories close enough to at least be percieved as the same.

That is not to say there isn't every now and again a film that FEELS like it breaks new ground and SEEMS entirely original which then becomes a new benchmark others like it are compared to. Joker wasn't realy one of them for many as too similar to films like Taxi Driver (which many would say was far superior) and Falling Down but for younger audiences and those attracted to watch due to the loose comic connection that wouldn't/hadn't watched films like that it could become a new benchmark for them in the future.
mountainman
mountainman - 3/18/2024, 11:18 PM
Was expecting Harley to be the primary POV character in this one. It tracks since the first was about a decent into madness, it only makes sense that the sequel would be about a similar story.

If they can pull this off, it’ll be amazing. I didn’t have much faith for the first Joker, and that was one of the most impactful CBMs ever. Just a great character and societal study.

If they can successfully examine how love makes people do crazy things and drives them to madness, it could be even better than the first one. I just hope they give us a little bit of classic Joker and Harley moments.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 3/18/2024, 11:25 PM
If they market this properly, they can make it trend like barbenheimer.

If this succeeds, will be a good push for the DCU next year even if it isnt part of it
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