Why are critics bashing Joaquin Phoenix sequel ‘Joker: Madness for Two’?

Todd Phillips’ sequel, “Joker: Double Madness,” opened at the worldwide box office last week, September 4, but the controversy surrounding it still lingers. Suffice it to say that after the premiere, the expectation score on the Metacritic website dropped from 100 to 54, on IMDB it has a score of 6.1 out of 10, and on Rotten Tomatoes the film has a 60% overall score (remember the first “Joker” was a part of the box office, with a score of 8.4). We tell you why critics’ opinions were divided after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Why is the sequel “Joker: Madness for Two” being criticized?

IndieWire’s David Ehrlich generally called Todd Phillips’ blockbuster “a deliberately unbearable bore” and a “form of collective punishment” that wasn’t designed to entertain. He found it odd to bring Harley Quinn into the story only to appear in a few scenes and then push her into the background. It’s also unclear why they brought in a singer to play the part, since she’s sitting far away in the courtroom most of the time. The director also seems to be making fun of the entire fandom that adores the Joker. Ehrlich believes the Joker should be seen as a symbol, not a pathetic person.

Likewise, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described the narrative of Joker: Madness for Two as disorganized and dull, apart from the musical numbers and beautiful visuals, adding that there was nothing sad, funny or unexpected about the main character, thus evoking any emotion in the audience.

Nicholas Barber of the BBC and Owen Gleiberman of Variety called the sequel boring and its main character “toothless”, less threatening and conflicted than the first part. Gleiberman did not hide his disappointment that the sequel’s Joker was presented as an ordinary maniac who accepted his criminal persona and allowed himself to go beyond the limits.

“There are many scenes in the movie where the Joker is defending himself in the courtroom and singing about himself, which makes it unclear whether this is all happening in his head or in reality. But the truth is, there is no danger from the hero’s presence: He’s not trying to kill anyone or start a revolution anymore. He’s singing and dancing to get into the Joker’s dreams,” he explained.

What are the expectations from the box office?

It’s too early to draw conclusions, but according to preliminary data from the Boxoffice Pro website, the sequel grossed 115-145 million in its first weekend against a budget of 200 million, of which 20 million went to Joaquin Phoenix and 12 to his on-screen partner. For comparison: the filming of “Joker” (2019) cost 55 million, and the film itself collected 1.074 billion dollars.

Despite mixed reviews from critics, Joker: Madness for Two has a shot at being one of the highest-grossing R-rated movies of 2024 (so far, those include Deadpool, Wolverine, and Inside Out 2). Critics have similar expectations for Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice in September.