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Joker: Folie à Deuxis a 2024 American musical psychological thriller byWarner Bros. It’s the long-awaited sequel to 2019’sJoker, directed by Todd Phillips, and it sees Joaquin Phoenix reprise the role of Arthur Fleck (aka Joker). It also stars Lady Gaga, who plays his love interest Harley Quinn, with Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Steve Coogan also joining the cast.
Jokerwas originally planned to be a standalone film, but everything changed when it made over $1 billion at the global box office. Phillips was keen on making a sequel, and it went into development in June 2022.Joker: Folie à Deuxpremiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on July 24, 2025. Early reviews have been negative, with a critics' score of 33% onRotten Tomatoes, and a 33% rating by audiences.It is projected to earn between $50-60 millionin its opening weekend, which is massively down on the first movie’s $96 million opening weekend in 2019.
Joker: Folie à Deux
Starring
Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Catherine Keener, Brendan Gleeson, Harry Lawtey, Steve Coogan, Leigh Gill and Zazie Beetz
Todd Phillips and Scott Silver
Directed By
Todd Phillips
It’s been two years since Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) committed six murders, and he is incarcerated atArkham State Hospitalawaiting trial. His lawyer,Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener), intends to argue that Arthur has dissociative identity disorder and that the “Joker” is actually responsible for the string of murders.One of the guards, Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson), suggests that Arthur go to a music therapy session to help with his disorder, and this leads to a meeting withHarleen “Lee” Quinzel(Lady Gaga), who confides in him over a troubled background growing up in the same neighborhood as he did.
Joaquin Phoenix Key Facts
Turns out, she had an abusive father who perished in a car crash, and she was imprisoned after burning down her parents' apartment building. Lee also claims to be a fan of the Joker’s crimes. During a movie screening, Lee starts a fire, which results in the pair trying to escape, but they are caught and Arthur is punished with solitary confinement. Lee pays him a visit to tell him she is being released to break them up. However, she promises to attend his trial, and she applies his signature Joker makeup, and they have sex.
Next, Arthur has an interview with television personality Paddy Meyers (Steve Coogan) which Arthur sings his way through, while Lee watches on through the television screen from the street.
On the day of the trial,Familiar Batman villain,Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) calls witnesses to try and dismiss Arthur’s claims of insanity.Maryanne reveals that Lee was a psychiatry student who grew up in the Upper East Side, and her father, a doctor, is still alive. And, to add to that betrayal, she voluntarily committed herself at Arkham and subsequently checked herself out, and the story about burning down her apartment building was also a lie. Arthur confronts Lee, and she confesses that she lied as a way of getting close to Arthur. She also tells him that she is pregnant with his baby, and she is setting up a home for them in his old apartment.
How does Joker: Folie à Deux End?
It’s the next day, andArthur decides to fire Maryanne and represent himself. He is also now wearing his Joker makeup while cross-examining witnesses,including former co-worker, Gary Puddles (Leigh Gill) and his neighbor Sophie Dumont (Zazie Beetz). Harvey Dent rests the prosecution’s case and Arthur offers no defense. However, during his speech, he criticizes the guards at Arkham, which results in a beating and subsequent rape by head guard Jackie Sullivan along with two other guards as a punishment. When Arthur returns to his cell, a fellow inmate, Ricky, confronts the guards, and this results in Jackie strangling him to death.
You can do anything you want. You’re Joker
During closing arguments the next day,Arthur denounces the Joker persona and takes full responsibility for his crimes.Lee leaves and the jury finds Arthur guilty of first-degree murder. As the jury foreman is reading out the verdict, a car bomb explodes outside the courthouse, killing and injuring numerous people and scarring half of Dent’s face. In all the chaos, Arthur escapes the courthouse and is helped by two strangers. However, Arthur leaves them and walks aimlessly through Gotham and finds Lee outside his old apartment. She rejects him and admits to lying about her pregnancy. She leaves as the police apprehend Arthur and return him to Arkham. The following day,a young patient stabs Arthur while telling him a joke.Arthur dies while the patient carves a smile onto his own face.
