‘Joker 2’ Reviews Are Out: What Critics Are Saying

According to early fan reviews that surfaced online on Wednesday—just a day before the film’s official U.S. release—it appears that the “Joker” sequel may not be meeting audience expectations.

Following its debut at the Venice Film Festival, where it received a mixed critical response, “Joker 2,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, is now facing similar mixed reactions from viewers after fan-first advanced screenings on Monday night.

“Joker 2” currently holds a 53% approval rating from professional critics on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 74 reviews.

Officially titled “Folie à Deux,” one fan called it a “folly of a movie,” giving it a 2 star. “[Phoenix and Gaga] are spectacular with the material they’re given.”

Another reviewer, per ComicBook, called the movie “a beautifully filmed middle finger to the fans,” giving it a half-star review.

“If you’re a ‘Joker’ fan, a Harley fan, or even a DC or comic book fan, then skip this,” a third said.

“I wanted a ‘Joker’ movie and not a musical,” one verified audience review read, rating the movie 1.5 stars out of 5 stars, adding the ending is “completely disappointing.”

“It’s more [of] a musical than a movie,” another review read.  “If you enjoyed the first movie, then you shouldn’t watch this one.”

The original film went on to earn over $1 billion at the global box office and received 11 Oscar nominations, winning two: Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Best Original Score for composer Hildur Guðnadóttir. It received a 69% “fresh” at the time of release.

One notable scene features Gaga applying Harley Quinn’s makeup in the mirror while singing “I’ve Got the World on a String” to herself. However, the challenge for Lady Gaga lay in finding a way to sing like an everyday person, despite possessing a voice that has garnered her 13 Grammy Awards.

“Yeah. I worked really hard on that, kind of trying to undo all my technique. I mean, Ally Maine in ‘A Star Is Born’ is a singer and it’s a movie about people who make music,” she said. “That is not what this film is about at all.”

She didn’t navigate this journey alone, though. Her co-star, Joaquin Phoenix, was there to support and encourage her throughout the process.

“I encouraged her to sing poorly. I remember asking her to sing without her vibrato,” the actor told Vogue. “She has a beautiful vibrato—too beautiful. I think she felt naked without it. But as soon as she moved away from technique she unlocked her character’s voice.

Renowned for her powerhouse vocals and electrifying performances, the Grammy-winning artist is embracing a new challenge by entering the chaotic and unpredictable realm of the infamous anti-hero.

In an interview with Variety, Lady Gaga reflected on the connection between the film and her personal life, stating, “Harley Quinn is a character people know from the ether of pop culture. I had a different experience creating her, namely my experience with mania and chaos inside—for me, it creates a quietness.”

“Sometimes women are labeled as these overly emotional creatures and when we are overwhelmed we are erratic or unhinged. But I wonder if when things become so broken from reality, when we get pushed too far in life, what if it makes you…quiet?” the “Born This Way” singer added.

She pauses for a moment, becoming emotional, before continuing, “I would say that I worked from a sense-memory perspective: What does it feel like to walk through the world and be…braced, in an intense way? And what happens when you cover up all of the complexities beneath the surface?”

“Joker 2,” officially titled “Joker: Folie à Deux,” is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 film Joker, directed by Todd Phillips.

Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the first film. For this movie, he is joined by Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, marking her first major acting role in a film of this scale.

“Joker: Folie à Deux” is set to be released on October 4, 2024.