After Joker was a smash hit in 2019 that set the record (at the time) for the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever and saw Joaquin Phoenix win an Oscar for his performance in the film, both anticipation and expectations for Joker: Folie à Deux were through the roof. However, it didn’t take long for the word about Joker 2 to spread like wildfire, and things are shaping up to be a disaster for the sequel. Joker: Folie à Deux has officially accomplished the rare feat of its Rotten Tomatoes, Cinemascore, and box office performances all being significantly worse than the original. Box office is usually what prevents this from happening more often, as sequels often earn more than successful originals, even with lower review scores.
Joker: Folie à Deux currently sits at a 33% score from critics and a 31% rating from general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, while the original Joker (2019) boasts much higher scores of 68% and 89% from critics and audiences, respectively, on the aggregate site. As for Cinemascore, which is considered one of the biggest industry measuring sticks for general audience’s approval for a movie alongside Rotten Tomatoes, Joker 2 earned an abysmal D rating, which is the lowest grade ever for a comic book movie and compares to a B+ from the original Joker. The final measuring stick, the box office opening weekend, was also a major failure for Joker: Folie à Deux when compared to Joker. The sequel finished its opening weekend with $40 million domestically, which is less than half of Joker‘s $96 million domestic opening. Joker 2 reportedly needs $450 million just to break even for Warner Bros.; a tough ask, as the film currently sits at only $121 million.
What Is ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ About?
Joker: Folie à Deux picks up two years after Joker and sees Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) in Arkham Asylum. Everything change for Arthur when he meets Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), who convinces him to embrace his alter ego of Joker instead of subduing it. The two bring out the worst in each other while Arthur goes to trial for everyone he murdered in the first film. Everything changes when Arthur agrees with his lawyer (Catherine Keener) to accept help and bury his alter ego for good, which leaves Harley Quinn uninterested and sends Arthur into a spiral.
Joker: Folie à Deux is now playing in theaters everywhere. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and coverage and find tickets below for a showtime near you.
