THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
As October rolls in, so does one of the most anticipated movies of the year: “Joker” by Todd Phillips. It is the next installment in the DC movie lineup but it is not canonically connected to any of its previous movies that are all among the DCEU (DC Extended Universe). But that’s not to say that it’s not one juggernaut of a film. Here’s a little summary for those who don’t exactly know what this film is about.
Directed and written by Todd Phillips, “The Joker”is also co-written by Scott Silver. This film is a psychological-crime-drama-thriller, and it’s about how a man can go mad with just one bad day. It deals with Arthur Fleck (played by Joaquin Phoenix), an average man living/taking care of his mother in Gotham City in the early 1980’s. He works as a party clown, lives in an old apartment with a somewhat caring neighbor, Sophie Du Mont (played by Zazie Beetz), and watches/idolizes a late-night show host, Murray Franklin, on the Murray Franklin Show. He also has a condition that he thinks he’s had for as long as he can remember, which is where he bursts out in a fit of outrageous laughter at moments in which he is nervous or, at any given time. But this film shows how just one ordinary man can go mad with just one bad day, and delve into madness to become the Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker!
This movie has action, drama, a bit of romance, comedy, and definitely a horror aspect to it. I wouldn’t recommend this film to kids that are younger than 14 but I would highly recommend this film to anyone 14+. But on a serious note, this movie is definitely not for the faint of heart, as it has gore, strong language, and mild nudity. But in total, with Todd Phillips’s amazing direction, and Joaquin Phoenix’s mind-blowing, character indulging acting, this movie is a strong contender for the Academy Awards season and I would highly recommend giving this movie a watch. If you don’t, you will definitely be missing out on a new achievement for comic book movies, a height that it has never seen before. I give it 10/10 stars, definitely a must-watch!
