Earlier this weekend, one of 2024’s most highly anticipated movies arrived in theaters – Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux . Once again, Joaquin Phoenix stars as the troubled Arthur Fleck, but this time, he’s got Lady Gaga as Harleen “Lee” Quinzel by his side at Arkham State Hospital. After committing murderous acts in 2019’s Joker , the musical sequel follows Fleck as he prepares to stand trial before a jury. When he meets Lee, a fellow patient at the institution, the infamous clown finds it easier to make it through his legal proceedings while fantasizing about the potential of a romantic future together. At the core of the Joker franchise is Fleck’s deep-rooted loneliness, which initially seems to fade away thanks to Gaga’s character. However, the rose-colored haze wears off as he realizes her obsession with his killer persona could be more of a problem than a compliment. Fleck first sees this when some of Arkham’s guards murder a young inmate who had been defending himself in...
