Well, well, well. It appears that Joker: Folie a Deux is at the very least challenging. It has split critics.
According to a report at Dark Horizons it received a twelve minute standing ovation at its premiere in Venice.
However, outside of this, the critical response is decidedly mixed. A scan of the headlines at review sites like Rotten Tomatoes throws up some interesting opinions…
“Joker: Folie à Deux is absolutely not what you expect it to be, but that’s not a bad thing. […] the story of a man who refuses to be anything but himself right till the very end, and that’s what makes this Joker sequel so deliciously subversive.”
Serena Seghedoni, Loud And Clear
“It’s a sad, pensive, and impressively odd motion picture that uses the theatricality of movie musicals to undermine its hero’s ambitions instead of elevating them.”
William Bibbiani, The Wrap
“Folie à Deux can’t quite match its predecessor for dizzying impact. But it matches it for horrible tinderbox tension: it’s a film you feel might burst into flames at any given moment.”
Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph
“Gaga is a compelling live-wire presence, splitting the difference between affinity and obsession, while endearingly giving Arthur a shot… Their musical numbers, both duets and solos, have a vitality that the more often dour film desperately need.”
David Rooney, THR
“As sweet and beguiling a musical romance as it’s possible to have between two murderous psychopaths. Its kooky approach won’t suit all stripes of comic-book fan, but it finds a strange, tragic hopefulness all of its own.”
John Nugent, Empire
“Depending on how you look at it, this demythologising exercise is either daring or it’s irritatingly smug, but it’s definitely not much fun.”
Nicholas Barber, BBC
“‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ may be ambitious and superficially outrageous, but at heart it’s an overly cautious sequel. Phillips has made a movie in which Arthur really is just poor Arthur; he does nothing wrong and isn’t going to threaten anyone’s moral sensibilities”
Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Joker: Folie a Deux opens from October 2nd to October 4th in cinemas worldwide.