Joker: Folie à Deux hit theaters and left some burning questions that may remain unanswered about DC’s latest movie. The sequel to Todd Phillips critically well-received and financial record-breaking Joker Didn’t exactly stick the landing like its predecessor. While there’s no denying that the movie delivered a particularly fresh take on the genre by exploring the eponymous character in a musical, Joker: Folie à Deux earned disappointingly mixed reviews from fans and critics as it took a healthy amount of creative freedom.
The nature of Phillips’ DC Elseworlds installment is to be thought-provoking, making lingering and unanswered questions inevitable. Much of that makes Joker: Folie à Deux So compelling is that many of the unanswered questions are left up for interpretation, which is by design. These, therefore, are the ten most pressing questions that have so far been hot topics of discussion since the release.
10
Is everything Arthur sees a product of his imagination?
It’s hard to tell when Arthur’s delusions begin and end
Joker’s tortured mental state is again front-and-center Joker: Folie à Deux As his delusions pervade the movie mostly in the form of musical sequences. This was to be expected, since the French subtitle translated into English as “madness of two“and is used to describe two people engaged in a shared delusion. Still Some delusions are more obvious than otherswith Joker: Folie à Deux Blurring the line between reality and fantasy with increasing intensity.
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The question continues from the first movie, which sparked the theory that at least most of Arthur Fleck’s murders were imagined. His non-existent relationship with Zazie Beetz’s Sophie Drummond was a prime example of how real Arthur’s delusions can look to the audience. Some sequences in Joker: Folie à Deux Ask the same question, from his ability to score cigarettes from Arkham’s guards to his assertive performance when representing himself at his trial.
9
Am I really pregnant?
Lee never explicitly admitted to lying about her pregnancy
Joker: Folie à Deux Flips the script on the typical depiction of Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship by making Lady Gaga’s Lee the mentally abusive one. Lee lies about some personal details before their whirlwind romance culminates in a supposed pregnancy after Lee somehow makes her way into Fleck’s solitary confinement cell. Lee later leaves Arthur after he renounces his Joker persona, clarifying that their shared delusion is the only thing she was pursuing. It is also at this point that Lee responds to Arthur’s question about their baby with a snippet of “This is entertainment“ From 1953s The bandwagon.
Given her dishonest track record, This suggests that the pregnancy was a lie. Then, it’s far from a straight answer, and the two have seemingly unprotected sex in Arthur’s cell. The question is compounded by the fact that Arthur’s final lines are part of a musical reprise of “will build a mountain“In which he belts the lyrics”With a beautiful young son to take my place, I will leave a son in my heaven on earth.“This could, however, be a reference to his killer.
8
Who blew the courthouse?
The explosion was just as likely to kill Arthur Fleck as it was to free him
Joker: Folie à Deux Mostly not diverting from two main staging areas: Arkham State Hospital and the Gotham Courthouse. In the end, Arthur decides in vain to represent himself in the trial he is undergoing for the murders committed in Joker. His cocky defense (or lack thereof) doesn’t wash, leading to a series of guilty verdicts before the courtroom is rocked by a car bomb explosion outside. This kills several of the occupants of the courtroom (and freezes half of Harvey Dent’s face) and allows Fleck to walk free from the wreckage.
The highly public nature of the trial and the crowd of supporters outside the court suggests that the bomb was an intentional attempt to free Joker as soon as it was clear that he would be convicted. But it tormented his life. The most reasonable explanation is that the bomb was made by his supporters. on the other hand, The danger it posed to Fleck’s life suggests it might be Lee, toowho had left the courtroom moments earlier after disavowing Fleck’s renunciation of Joker.
7
Was there a guest and who?
The guest could have been an exciting payment if they existed at all
The controversial conclusion to Joker: Folie à Deux saw Joker recaptured and re-incarcerated after his attempt to escape after explosion. Back in Arkham and severely dejected, Joker is informed that he has a visitor before being led down an empty hallway by a single Arkham guard. He was followed, however, by Connor Storrie’s “YYoung prisoner,” who proceeds to tell Arthur a joke before stabbing him to death and cutting a smile into his own cheeks.
If it really was a guest, it’s hard for any DC fan not to speculate on what established DC character it could have been such as Dent in his two-faced guise, Riddler, or even another of Joker’s sidekicks like Punchline.
Arthur’s death was a significant carpet-pull after the promise of a guest suggested that Arthur’s luck might be about to change. If it really was a guest, then meIt’s hard for any DC fan not to speculate on what established DC character it might have been Such as Dent in his two-faced guise, Riddler, or even another of Joker’s sidekicks like Punchline. It was heavily implied, however, that the guest never existed at all, and that Fleck was led into the hallway on purpose to be stabbed by his apparent replacement.
6
Why did Arthur say there was never a joker?
The Joker of 2019 tells a different story
Another one of Joker: Folie à DeuxThe most controversial moments came during Arthur Fleck’s trial after he renounced his Joker persona to the world. He is rejected by Lee and some of his supporters (including some in the real world) after Stating that there never really was a Joker alternate personality and that his actions were the work of Arthur Fleck himself. Then followed the suggestion that Connor Storrie’s character was the real Joker all along.
This shocking admission basically contradicts the entirety of Arthur Fleck’s first outingwhich centered around his delusions and actions as Joker. Arthur may have attempted to gain some support from the jury with his admission, but the fact that he is seemingly replaced by the end of the movie suggests that this is, in fact, the truth. Still, it makes little sense to suggest that it was “Never“A Joker, when the legions of ape and video evidence say quite the opposite – even if Joker was never an old one.
5
Is Joker: Folie Á Deux a prequel?
Joker: Folie Á Deux sets up some familiar characters
Ending with Arthur Fleck’s death means that Joker: Folie à Deux A definitive line is drawn under his history. A comic book-style resurrection on the line seems immensely out of place in this exceptionally grounded and bleak adaptation of a DC Comics character. Nevertheless, several reasons seem to suggest that Joker: Folie à Deux is a prequel. Among these is the fact that Arthur Fleck’s comically inaccurate Joker is joined by some more comically accurate depictions of other DC characters.
DC Comics characters set in Joker and Joker: Folie à Deux |
|
---|---|
Character |
Comically-accurate inaugural moment |
Bruce Wayne / Batman |
Parents killed by a rich crown. |
Alfred Pennyworth |
A younger Alfred is seen protectively over a young Bruce Wayne. |
Harley Quinn |
Studied psychology and interacted with Arkham inmates willingly. |
Harvey Dent / Two-Face |
Assistant District Attorney whose face was half-scarred by the car bomb explosion. |
The Joker |
Connor Storrie’s “Young Inmate” displays psychopathic behavior and cuts a Glasgow smile on his face. |
Everything points to the fact that Arthur Fleck was never the real Joker and that a litany of other DC characters are now primed to be unleashed on Gotham in the wake of his death. Bruce Wayne’s age over Joker And Joker: Folie à Deux It’s also a huge clue that these movies are prequels to another Batman movie. Whether the movie is intended as a prequel to an already-exclusive Batman movie remains to be seen, however.
4
Why did the guards SA Arthur?
The moment felt somewhat empty
This post is about sexual assault.
One of the most disturbing scenes in Joker: Folie à Deux Hard implies that Arthur was severely sexually assaulted by Arkham’s prison guards at the behest of Brendan Gleeson’s Jackie. After his cocksure display representing himself at his trial, the guards seemingly take umbrage at Joker’s courtroom comments. When they return to Arkham, they violently drag him to a prison bathroom before casually stripping him down, where it is implied that they inflict severe sexual injury on Spot.
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The scene was a stark reminder of the franchise’s brutal tone, but it also felt out of left field. The sheer level of insidious evil present in the prison guards is enshrined in this moment, Which was presumably carried out as a heavy show of power over Fleck after he seemingly regained his confidence. While it may have successfully conveyed the brutality of Arkham’s staff and led to the ultimate breakdown of Fleck’s Joker persona, it may have felt particularly cheesy to many.
3
Is there an alternate ending?
The Joker: Folie à Deux The end was bleak, especially for Arthur Fleck whose death sentence was violently expedited by a fellow Arkham resident. However, it may have felt particularly unexpected to anyone who watched these Joker: Folie à Deux Trailers, which specifically depicted Joker walking free with Lee in tow to the excited cheers of his adoring fans. The duo’s homage to Joker’s dance on the set of stairs from the first movie was also on the cards. Ultimately, however, this is not the case.
The full eighty on Joker’s fate did not land too well with a swath of viewers who may feel cheated by false advertising. However, this could also mean that the trailer footage depicted an alternate ending for Fleck in which his court performance is enough to earn his freedom and he embraces the Joker persona. This question may be answered when the movie is released on home media, but for now, the assumption is that The trailers also depicted one of Arthur’s many delusions.
2
Is that Heath Ledger’s Joker?
Arthur’s killer scarred his face in a familiar manner
One of the biggest questions hanging over the ending of Joker: Folie à Deux Is Arthur Fleck’s killer supposed to be a younger version of Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker from The Dark Knight. The fact that he can be seen cutting a smile into his own face with the same knife used to kill Fleck is impossible to ignore. Given the obvious allusions to Ledger’s version of the character. It’s also hard to ignore that Connor Storrie – a relatively unknown actor until now – even resembles the late Heath Ledger.
The unique nature of Ledger’s Joker sporting a Glasgow smile makes it hard to argue that this was not the intention. if not, It then begs the question of why Phillips chose to let the killer make this particularly recognizable change to his face.. On the other hand, if this is the case, it would open up a lot of plot holes mostly regarding the ages of Joker and other DC characters featured in Joker: Folie à Deux.
1
Why is Joker: Folie Á Deux so controversial?
Does Joker: Folie Á Deux really deserve all this flak?
The sequel to Todd Phillips’ favorite Joker has big shoes to fill, but the consensus on whether it achieved this is far from unanimous, if not noticeably leaning towards it failing. Detractors took aim at the frequency of musical numbers, slow pacing, and the shocking revelation that Joker was never the real Joker.. Proponents, on the other hand, celebrate the reasons and the bold direction the movie took in flipping the script on expectations and establishing a new kind of comic book movie.
It also continues to portray a much more cerebral take on Joker and his mental illness, as exemplified by the movie’s admittedly hard-to-follow oscillation between reality and delusions.
A generally negative reaction to floated expectations is not surprising, although such things as Joker: Folie à Deux Being a musical were relatively well telegraphed in the years leading up to its release. It also continues to portray a much more cerebral take on Joker and his mental illness, as exemplified by the movie’s admittedly hard-to-follow oscillation between reality and delusions. Whatever the case, it is clear that Joker: Folie à Deux‘s creative liberties haven’t landed particularly well – but whether it truly deserves the hate it’s received is another matter.
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips’ critically acclaimed comic thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in the DC Universe’s standalone continuity.
- Director
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Todd Phillips
- Release date
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October 4, 2024
- studio(s)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
- Figure
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Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, Harry Lawtey, Leigh Gill, Jacob Lofland, Sharon Washington, Troy Fromin, Bill Smitrovich, John Lacy, Ken Leung.
- runtime
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138 minutes
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