Five years after the first film earned over $1 billion at the box office,Joker: Folie a Deuxhas hit theaters, but audiences are not responding well to the sequel. When the firstJokermovie released in 2019, it was somewhat divisive, but overall well-liked, and even earned an Oscar for star Joaquin Phoenix. However,reviews ofJoker: Folie à Deuxhave skewed much more negative, with critics pointing out flaws of how the movie continues the story of Arthur Fleck, its handling of Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn and the direction of Todd Phillips.
OnRotten Tomatoes,Joker: Folie à Deuxcurrently holds a critics score of 39%, making it rotten, and an even lower audience score of 37%. This is 21 percentage points below the DCEU movie with the lowest audience score: 2016’sSuicide Squad, which has 58%. No other DCEU movie holds a rotten audience score, with the next highest beingBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’srespectable 63%.
What Joker: Folie À Deux’s Audience Score Means For The DC Sequel
The Movie Seems Set For A Grim Run At The Box Office
SinceJokerintroduced a new DC continuity, it wasn’t mired in the often negative conversations surrounding the DCEU.Jokerholds a 68% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 89% audience score. Further,Joker’s$1.07 billion box office secured it as thehighest grossing R-rated movieof all time, until this summer’sDeadpool & Wolverineunseated it. However, the sequel has seemingly undone all the goodwill earned by the first movie, becauseJoker: Folie à Deux’saudience score is worse than every DCEU movie and the third lowest of any DC movie released in the last 20 years.
2005
85
94
2008
2021
71
93
2023
77
91
2012
87
90
2019
68
89
2022
39
88
49
86
2017
83
63
82
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
33
81
2020
79
78
2013
56
75
58
73
46
72
2018
65
2009
40
67
2016
29
2006
74
60
26
2011
25
45
2024
37
2010
12
20
2004
8
18
The fact that the only DC movies with worse audience scores areCatwomanandJonah Hexreally highlights how farJoker: Folie à Deuxhas fallen after the success of the first film. To make matters worse,Joker: Folie à Deuxcost $200 million, which means it needs to earn between $400-$500 million to be considered a box office success. However, the movie is projected to make a meager $55-$60 million at the domestic box office this weekend, and $140 million worldwide. Given the audience score for theJokersequel, it seems unlikely to reach these numbers.
Our Take On Joker: Folie À Deux’s Audience Review Score
The Movie Begs the Question: Who Is This For?
Joker: Folie à Deux’slow audience score isn’t surprising considering the movie doesn’t seem to be for any audience that might be interested in aJokersequel. It blows up the premise of the first movie so completely, it won’t appeal to fans of the 2019 film. It rejects any kind of comic accuracy, so it’s not for DC fans. Its musical numbers are so morose and low energy, the movie cannot be for fans of musicals - and while Lady Gaga is a highlight, even she is restricted by the material.Joker: Folie à Deuxseems to be the rare movie that very few people will actually enjoy, which is made clear by the film’s audience score.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Cast
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.
