The hits keep coming for Joker: Folie à Deux. After generating negative reviews and poor word of mouth, and flopping at the box office, an Oscar-nominated director is offering his two cents on the film, and let’s just say he wasn’t interested enough in the Joker sequel to stay and finish it.
Paul Schrader, the director of First Reformed and the screenwriter of such films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and American Gigolo, sat down with playwright Jeremy O. Harris for a feature in Interview Magazine. During their chat, the conversation shifted to Joker: Folie à Deux. In an almost offhanded fashion, Schrader mentioned that he attempted to watch the movie, but it simply didn’t work out. “I saw about 10 or 15 minutes of it,” Schrader said. “I left, bought something, came back, saw another 10 minutes. That was enough.”
Schrader wasn’t done with his comments on the Joker sequel, even after the interview began to touch on other topics. Eventually, the conversation turned to musicals, and that’s when the director returned to the Todd Phillips sequel to comment on its quality. After saying the film was a “really bad musical,” Schrader was asked why, and he didn’t hold back on Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s performances:
“I don’t like either of those people. I don’t like them as actors. I don’t like them as characters. I don’t like the whole thing. I mean, those are people who, if they came to your house, you’d slip out the back door.”
The First Joker Drew Comparisons to Paul Schrader’s Taxi Driver
The interesting thing about Schrader’s comments is that the first Joker film consistently drew comparisons to Schrader’s Taxi Driver, in terms of its tone, look, and narrative execution. Perhaps what Phillips attempted with Joker: Folie à Deux wasn’t to Schrader’s liking, or he wasn’t a fan of critics and audiences comparing the 2019 film to the Martin Scorsese classic that he wrote. Schrader isn’t shy about sharing his opinions, even when they’re controversial (see also: his thoughts on Kevin Spacey), though they’re typicaly posted to his Facebook page.
Related 10 Reasons Fans Are Justifiably Angry With Joker: Folie a Deux
Since the movie was released, numerous complaints about Joker: Folie a Deux have popped up. The following are the most valid ones.
For all involved with the sequel, this might be another example of kicking the film while it’s down. Joker: Folie à Deux opened below expectations following a so-so reception at the Venice Film Festival. The movie was tracking to open in the $65-70 million range but once reviews cratered to a low 33 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the debut weekend slid to $37 million, way below expectations when its predecessor opened to $96.2 million back in 2019.
The news only got worse during the film’s second weekend when it tumbled a staggering 81.4 percent, claiming the not-so-great honor of having the biggest second-weekend decline for a comic book film. To date, the movie has grossed $51.5 million domestically and $164.9 million worldwide, and it was just reported that the studio could lose $150-200 million on the project thanks to its considerable $200 million budget.
This is a far cry from its predecessor, which cleared $1 billion globally and even became an awards season contender, despite polarizing reviews. Also, in another sign that the film’s box office run will be ending shortly, it has been reported that the movie’s digital release is set for Oct. 29, mere weeks after its theatrical opening. According to reports, Joker: Folie à Deux will be lucky to hit $65 million domestically and $215 million worldwide by the end of its run.
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips’ critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the 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 this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
Release Date October 4, 2024
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