'Joker: Folie à Deux' Might Be the Worst Comic Book Adaptation of All Time

Fans, it seems, are not dancing out of Joker: Folie à Deux.

Director Todd Phillips’ film, which features the return of Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and the addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, was highly anticipated, especially after the success of the first chapter, released in 2019. Following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, however, there was no shortage of criticism from film reviewers and the audiences who saw it in Italy. Since its US release this past weekend, during which the movie brought in a lower-than-expected $40 million at the box office, that chorus of discontent has grown louder.

Take, for example, Joker 2's CinemaScore, which is currently a resounding D, the lowest ever for a comic book movie. Before Folie à Deux, the worst comic adaptation CinemaScore—a measure of the opinions of American theatergoers—belonged to 2015's much-derided Fantastic Four, which got a C– upon release.

Joker: Folie à Deux's current score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, meanwhile, sits at a meager 33 percent.

Many have pointed out that this second installment is far too ambitious but also not very cohesive in its desire to bring together the psychological exploration of these famous villains. On social media, particularly on X and on TikTok, many people are merely annoyed that the film is a musical.

While Folie à Deux's box office missed projections by about $10 million in the US, it still hit the top spot. It also came in No. 1 worldwide, bringing in a little more than $81 million in international box office for a grand total of $121 million. Still, the original Joker made more than $96 million in its domestic opening weekend and went on to become one of the highest-grossing R-rated movies of all time.

There is another front on which Joker: Folie à Deux could save face, at least in terms of image and prestige: film awards. There is speculation that Lady Gaga could earn an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category, particularly because the pop star's role in the film is limited in terms of her screen time. Gaga could also have a fighting chance in the music categories. She just released an album, Harlequin, which contains her songs from the film as well as unreleased pieces inspired by her Harley Quinn character. Phoenix could also get into the Academy Awards race, though competition is at an all-time high this year.

Joker, which tapped into a much different cultural moment when it hit theaters in 2019, earned 11 nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director. (Phoenix won a Best Actor trophy, and Hildur Guðnadóttir also took home a prize for his original score.) It is unlikely that this sequel could perform as well, but hope—like the Joker's laugh—is the last to die.