Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Joker: Folie à DeuxHaving seen Joker: Folie à Deux, I finally understand why Lady Gaga wasn’t considering the movie to be a musical. Set two years after the events of the first Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, Joker: Folie à Deux directed by Todd Phillips is certainly a bold swing. However, just because I now have a better reference to understand Lady Gaga’s claims about the sequel and its musical status doesn’t mean I necessarily agree or like the reasons why.
Joker: Folie à Deux has already become one of the most divisive sequels of all time, having received the lowest CinemaScore of any comic book movie ever. I found the Joker sequel had elements I enjoyed more than I thought I would, but also portions that got progressively duller and eventually downright frustrating by the time the movie reached its end. While I knew the movie was going to be a “jukebox” musical going in, I had a very hard time appreciating the songs themselves. Keeping that in mind, I now realize why Joker: Folie à Deux wasn’t truly marketed as a musical to begin with.
Described Exactly Like A Musical (But Not Calling It As Such)
During September’s Venice Film Festival, Lady Gaga claimed that Joker: Folie à Deux claimed that the movie wasn’t a musical in the way that most other musicals use music, song, and dance (via Deadline on Twitter/X). However, her description certainly felt like the exact definition of what a musical is:
“I think the way that we approach music in this film was very special and extremely nuanced. I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is actually a musical; in a lot of ways, it’s very different…The way that music is used is to really give the characters a way to express what they mean to say because the scene and just the dialogue is not enough.”
Naturally, I found these comments to be very baffling, especially when similar claims were repeated by others in the movie’s cast and crew, including director Todd Phillips. For some reason, the agreed sentiment seemed to be that Joker: Folie à Deux would not be identified as a musical. That said, Joker: Folie à Deux features over 15 different songs, including “For Once in My Life”, “When You’re Smiling”, “Gonna Build A Mountain”, “The Joker”, and “That’s Life”, all sung by Phoenix and/or Gaga, many of which had large dedicated set pieces one would expect to see from a typical musical with various performances.
After Seeing Joker 2, Now I Understand Why It’s Not Really A Musical
A Very Different Approach (That’s Not Necessarily Better)
Admittedly, I can understand why Gaga, Phillips, and more had the perspective that Joker: Folie à Deux wasn’t a traditional musical and had unique distinctions. The use of song in the movie is very cerebral, either sung between Lee and Arthur between themselves, or predominantly within their own minds (explaining the much larger performances that occur during his trial). While the approach is certainly unique, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s better or distinct enough to not be considered a musical at all.
I would argue that the goal of the songs in Joker: Folie à Deux are still meant to convey what dialogue and story alone can’t (exactly what a musical is supposed to do in the first place). Regardless, execution is another matter entirely. Unfortunately, this differing approach with the movie’s objectively musical elements is far more joyless and monotonous than one would expect.
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While I found the performances to be visually captivating and interesting, the music itself was largely forgettable and arguably didn’t do much to enhance or go beyond what was being said or happening in the plot itself. A notable exception would be Phoenix’s “The Joker” near the movie’s end. It was the only song and performance that came close to feeling like the movie was actually having fun with the idea of a musical starring The Joker and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.
I Still Think The Joker 2 Musical Confusion Was A Bit Silly
It Should Have Just Been Marketed As A Musical
However, that doesn’t change the fact that the intent was still more than likely to achieve what typical musicals are meant to achieve. Again, I can understand where Lady Gaga and others were coming from. While Joker: Folie à Deux frustrated me in other ways beyond its musical elements, I’d argue that this unwillingness to treat the film like a genuine musical likely harmed its overall quality in terms of execution. Likewise, Joker: Folie à Deux should have just been marketed as a genuine musical from the start. The ongoing confusion was silly and fairly unnecessary.
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While the songs do connect to Joker: Folie à Deux‘s overall themes, they could easily be taken out and removed without damaging the rest of the (still flawed) movie. That in and of itself is pretty problematic, but it does serve as a core reason why the musical elements likely don’t work for many, as they felt more like interruptions than enhancers. They definitely didn’t work for me, despite my appreciation for musicals in general.
Joker: Folie à Deux is now playing in theaters.
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips’ critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
- Director
- Todd Phillips
- Release Date
- October 4, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Writers
- Todd Phillips , Scott Silver , Bob Kane , Paul Dini , Bill Finger , Bruce Timm , Jerry Robinson
- Cast
- Joaquin Phoenix , Lady Gaga , Brendan Gleeson , Catherine Keener , Zazie Beetz , Steve Coogan , Harry Lawtey , Leigh Gill , Jacob Lofland , Sharon Washington , Troy Fromin , Bill Smitrovich , John Lacy , Ken Leung
- Character(s)
- Arthur Fleck , Lee Quinzel , Jackie , Maryanne Stewart , Sophie Dumond , Paddy Meyers , Harvey Dent , Gary Puddles , The Jokester , Social Worker , E Ward Inmate (Troy Larkins) , Judge Herman Rothwax , Arkham Guard
- Runtime
- 138 Minutes
- Franchise(s)
- Joker
- prequel(s)
- Joker