I got to see Joker early and now that it's been some time since seeing the film I have to say I have mixed feelings about the film!
From the perspective of a "film" and performance the movie is incredible and Joaquin Phoenix does an amazing job, but from the perspective of someone wanting to see a movie and be entertained it kind of fails on that front and leaves you kind of disturbed at the conclusion of the movie. You should NOT take your kids to this movie because there are A LOT of adult subjects and brutal violence. It is NOT a comic book movie!
Here are some of my initial, SPOILER-FREE, thoughts on the film and what stood out to me:
- Joaquin Phoenix really DESERVES a nomination for an Oscar based on his performance alone
- Zazie Beetz and Brian Tyree Henry both really aren't in the film that long, which was kind of disappointing based on the buzz I kept hearing
- There are some threads to potentially connecting to Batman, but I doubt they will follow through with them
- NO END CREDITS SCENE!
- If you get queasy easy then just be ready for the second hour of the film
- One of the divisive topics about the film is how it portrays mental illness in the film: I'll leave that up to you on how it portrays it
Watch my full review for Joker below:
I'm giving Joker 7.9 out of 10 clown masks and just a final reminder to not bring your kids to the movie because it is aimed towards adults and it can be very disturbing at times. However, it's a performance that is unlike anything I'e seen before by Joaquin Phoenix! Joker is in theaters starting on October 4th!
Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures