Joker · FILM
Joker2019 · 2h 2m · ★ 8.1 ★ ESSENTIAL PICK
During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.
Joker
2 titles · 2 films · 0 TV series · 4h 20m
2Total titles
4h 20mRuntime
1Essential
2Films
0TV series
Todd Phillips’ Joker films narrow Gotham to an unsettling study of Arthur Fleck and the identity that gathers around him. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance connects the films more strongly than conventional superhero mythology does. Their distinctive territory is the relationship between private experience and public spectacle, inviting viewers to question how a person becomes an image that other people interpret.
Watch Joker before Joker: Folie à Deux, and allow the sequel’s musical passages to change the rhythm of the experience. These films reward attention to performance, perspective, and the gap between recognition and understanding. Approach them as a separate dramatic interpretation of DC material, with no expectation that another Batman’s history will explain Arthur or resolve the films’ ambiguities.
STORY SEQUENCE
Suggested viewing order
Joker · FILM
Joker: Folie à Deux2024 · 2h 18m · ★ 5.4
While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur Fleck not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.
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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Frequently asked questions
Is Arthur Fleck the Joker from The Batman or The Dark Knight?
No. Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck belongs to Todd Phillips’ separate continuity. He is not the earlier life of Heath Ledger’s Joker or a character whose history automatically carries into Matt Reeves’ Batman setting.
Which Joker film should I watch first?
Begin with Joker, then continue to Joker: Folie à Deux. The sequel responds directly to Arthur’s experiences and public identity from the first film, so reversing them sacrifices both context and the intended progression.
Do I need the sequel or any Batman movies to understand Joker?
Joker stands on its own as Arthur’s initial story, and no Batman film is prerequisite viewing. Continue with Folie à Deux if you want to follow the consequences and reconsider the identity established in the original.
How much does music change Joker: Folie à Deux?
Songs are a substantial part of the sequel’s storytelling, including intimate performances and fantasy passages. Expect a different rhythm from Joker’s crime drama; the music contributes to characterization and perspective rather than functioning only as background accompaniment.
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