Joker (2019), directed by Todd Phillips, stars Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Shea Whigham, Brett Cullen, Bill Camp, Glenn Fleshler, and Leigh Gill. The film takes place in 1970s Gotham City and follows Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a down-on-his-luck party clown who aspires to be a stand-up comedian. After experiencing a series of unfortunate interactions that frame the world as a careless and brutal place, Arthur’s mental health begins to decline. As his actions become more and more unhinged, Arthur finds a newfound fame with the lonely and destitute population of Gotham City. Adopting the alias of “The Joker,” Arthur sets out to prove that the world should have never turned their back on him. 

As Arthur Fleck aka Joker, Phoenix is top-notch. This is even more impressive considering that every portrayal of the character has to live in the shadow of Heath Ledger. Instead of trying to recapture the criminal mastermind archetype of Ledger’s version of the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), Arthur Fleck is written to be a much more sympathetic character. While Ledger’s portrayal of the character is mysterious and “fun”, Phoenix’s is exposing, heartbreaking, and occasionally childlike. The script intelligently ties Arthur’s downfall to many issues faced by men in the real world. These include struggles with mental health, the feeling that nobody cares about your problems, and just general feelings of loneliness. Because most men (and I would assume a fair amount of women) have faced one or multiple of these issues in their lives, it’s easy to understand his pain (even if he reacts to it in the worst possible ways). Arthur is clearly a psychopath, but we can’t help but root for him. This is because we truly want Arthur to find help, get better, and find some kind of redemption. Throughout the story, there are multiple instances where it’s implied that just a little bit of goodwill from those around him might save him from his ultimate fate. Even when he’s shown goodwill, the script finds a way to rip it away. This only amplifies the tragedy when Arthur finally reaches the point of no return. 

It’s good that because the film so often glorifies Arthur’s behavior, it also gives us small nuggets that hint at the self-destructive nature of his outlook on the world. The film opens and ends with Arthur talking to a therapist. She asks him what he’s laughing about and he responds “You wouldn’t get it.” People with outlooks similar to the Joker often fall so deeply into their pain/angst that they won’t even allow themselves to accept the human connection (which is initially what they seek). It’s a self-defeating thought process that is so easy to fall victim to. When a person gets hurt one too many times, they can decide to close themselves off to everything, even the good things in life. 

The movie succeeds so much because of a really strong script that only gets better on rewatch. The 70s setting feels entirely authentic and emulates a gritty, 70’s NYC. It perfectly parallels Arthur’s dark and declining psyche throughout the film. The story is alo well-paced and consistently provides the audience with satisfying twists and reveals. So much great set up is achieved in the first half that the second half feels like it’s payoff after payoff after payoff. On top of all this, this is one of the few comic book films that I think can appeal well to non-comic books fans. 

Overall, this is easily the best villain-focused comic book movie to hit the big screen and features a lead performance that I won’t say is better than Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the character, but it’s at least on par. It’s thematically resonant, emotionally deep, intelligently written, and ripe for passionate discussion. It’s exactly the kind of elevation comic book films need and will easily be remembered as a classic of the genre. Not to mention, there’s tons of awesome inspiration from Scorsese as well as 70’s noir films. Check this out as long as you’re not afraid of some darker subject matter. A-