Joker: Folie à Deux Review – Masterpiece or Musical Misfire? Plot, Ending, and Analysis

Joker: Folie à Deux Review – Masterpiece or Musical Misfire? Plot, Ending, and Analysis

Joker: Folie à Deux, the highly anticipated sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 billion-dollar hit, has finally arrived, bringing with it a storm of controversy. Starring Joaquin Phoenix reprising his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga as a reimagined Lee Quinzel (Harley Quinn), the film takes a bold—and divisive—turn by transforming the gritty psychological thriller into a jukebox musical courtroom drama.

Is Joker 2 worth watching? Why is it being called a box office bomb? This comprehensive review breaks down the plot, the ending, the musical elements, and why audiences and critics are so divided.

The Plot: Arthur Fleck’s Trial and Romance

Warning: Spoilers for Joker: Folie à Deux follow below.

Set two years after the events of the first film, Arthur Fleck is now a patient at Arkham State Hospital, awaiting trial for the murders he committed, including the live TV killing of Murray Franklin. He is a shell of his former self—medicated, gaunt, and silent.

His lawyer (Catherine Keener) is building a defense based on dissociative identity disorder, arguing that "Joker" is a separate personality created by Arthur's trauma to protect himself. However, Arthur’s life changes when he meets a fellow patient, Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga), in a music therapy class.

Unlike the comic book origin where Dr. Harleen Quinzel is his psychiatrist, this version of Lee is a superfan who is obsessed with the "Joker" persona. She manipulates her way into his life, encouraging him to stop taking his medication and embrace the chaos once again. Their shared madness (folie à deux) manifests through elaborate musical fantasy sequences, where they sing classic pop standards like "That's Life" and "Get Happy" to express their twisted romance.

The film largely takes place in two locations: the gloomy halls of Arkham and the courtroom where Arthur faces the death penalty. As the trial progresses, Arthur struggles between his lawyer’s strategy (denying Joker) and Lee’s desire (embracing Joker).

The Musical Controversy: Why Fans Are Divided

The most significant point of contention in Joker: Folie à Deux is its genre shift. The 2019 original was praised as a Martin Scorsese-inspired character study (drawing from Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy). The sequel, however, is fundamentally a musical.

Does the Musical Format Work?

For many viewers, the answer is no. Critics have pointed out that the musical numbers often halt the pacing rather than advancing the plot. While visually stunning, these sequences effectively pause the tension of the courtroom drama to indulge in fantasy.

• The Defense: Supporters argue that the music represents Arthur’s fractured psyche—he can only express his true feelings through song.

• The Criticism: Detractors feel the songs are repetitive and lack the "showstopping" quality expected from a production starring Lady Gaga. The film deliberately avoids being a "fun" musical, opting for a mournful, low-energy tone that many found tedious.

Cast Performances: Phoenix and Gaga

Despite the backlash against the script, the acting remains a highlight.

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck

Phoenix once again commits fully to the physicality of the role. His Arthur Fleck is painfully thin, vulnerable, and terrifyingly unpredictable. He captures the tragedy of a man who just wants to be loved but is trapped by his own mental illness and the violent persona the world has projected onto him.

Lady Gaga as Lee Quinzel (Harley Quinn)

Lady Gaga delivers a restrained, grounded performance. This is not the cartoonish, baseball-bat-wielding Harley Quinn played by Margot Robbie. Gaga’s Lee is quieter, darker, and more manipulative. However, many fans were disappointed that the film underutilizes her musical powerhouse vocals and gives her limited screen time compared to Phoenix.

The Ending Explained: A Controversial Deconstruction

The ending of Joker: Folie à Deux is perhaps the biggest reason for its 'D' CinemaScore and negative audience reception. It serves as a direct rejection of the fandom that idolized the Joker after the first movie.

The Twist

In the final act, Arthur Fleck takes the stand and renounces the Joker. He admits there is no split personality; it was always just him. He confesses to the crimes and tells the jury—and his followers—that there is no "movement." He is just a sad, broken man.

This confession devastates Lee, who was only in love with the idea of Joker, not Arthur. She leaves him. Arthur is found guilty, but a car bomb explodes outside the courthouse (planted by followers), allowing him to briefly escape. He finds Lee, begging her to run away with him, but she rejects him because he gave up the Joker persona.

The Final Scene

Arthur is returned to Arkham. In the final moments, a young, unnamed inmate (played by Connor Storrie) approaches Arthur to tell him a joke. The inmate then stabs Arthur to death, laughing maniacally. As Arthur bleeds out on the floor, the inmate uses the knife to carve a smile into his own face—implying that he is the "real" Joker (or the inspiration for the Heath Ledger version), and Arthur was merely a precursor.

Why this angered fans: The film essentially tells the audience that Arthur Fleck was "nobody." It strips him of his anti-hero status and kills him off unceremoniously, deconstructing the mythos established in the first film.

Box Office Analysis: Why Did It Bomb?

Joker 2 had a budget of nearly $200 million—almost four times the budget of the original. Yet, it opened to less than $40 million domestically, a catastrophic drop from the first film’s $96 million opening.

Several factors contributed to this financial failure:

1. Alienating the Core Audience: The first film attracted fans of dark, gritty crime dramas. Pivoting to a musical alienated the "incel" and "bro" demographics that championed the first movie.

2. Toxic Word of Mouth: With a 32% Rotten Tomatoes score, casual audiences stayed away.

3. No Action: The film is a slow-burn legal drama with almost no action sequences, disappointing those expecting chaos in Gotham.

4. "Anti-Sequel" Tone: Director Todd Phillips seemingly made a movie designed to punish the audience for liking the first one, leading to a feeling of betrayal among fans.

Is Joker: Folie à Deux Worth Watching?

Whether this movie is "good" depends entirely on your expectations.

Watch it if:

• You appreciate bold, experimental cinema that takes risks.

• You are a die-hard fan of Joaquin Phoenix’s acting.

• You are interested in a psychological deconstruction of fame and mental illness, rather than a comic book movie.

• You enjoy dark, atmospheric cinematography (by Lawrence Sher).

Skip it if:

• You want a traditional Batman/Joker comic book story.

• You dislike musicals.

• You loved the first Joker because Arthur felt like a powerful symbol of rebellion (this movie dismantles that idea).

• You are looking for an entertaining, fast-paced plot.

Conclusion

Joker: Folie à Deux is a technically proficient but narratively frustrating film. It is a movie at war with itself—a musical that hates musicals, and a Joker movie that hates the Joker. While history may eventually look kinder on its audacious choices, in the current moment, it stands as a polarizing curiosity that failed to capture the lightning in a bottle of its predecessor.