Madness as Joker joins up with Harley

In Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to Joker (2019), Joaquin Phoenix returns as Arthur Fleck, aka Joker. He is joined by Lady Gaga as Harleen Quinzel, or Harley Quinn. The psychological thriller is radically different from the original by embracing the musical genre.

A difficult act to follow

This startling pairing of genres was one way the sequel sets itself apart.

The first film set a high bar, grossing over $1-billion at the global box office and becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. It earned the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and received 11 nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards—breaking the record for the most nominations for a comic book-based film.

Phoenix took home the Oscar for Best Actor, while Hildur Guðnadóttir won Best Original Score, becoming the first woman to earn the award since 1997. The film also won several awards at the British Academy Film Award. It received recognition at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Love and madness

In the sequel, Fleck discovers love and music through his meeting with Quinzel, while struggling with his dual identity at Arkham Asylum.

Folie à Deux is a French term which means madness of two. It refers to a rare psychiatric syndrome where two closely connected individuals share the same delusions or mental illness, also known as shared psychosis or shared delusional disorder.

The embrace of a French phrase, too, set this movie apart, and those who enjoyed its predecessor will not want to miss it.

Where to watch

Joker: Folie à Deux, directed by Todd Phillips and co-written with Scott Silver, is screening in Ster-Kinekor cinemas from today (4 October 2024), coinciding with its global release.