August 31, 2019 (Venice)
October 4, 2019 (United States)
Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Silver. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix and is loosely based on DC Comics characters, including the Joker. It follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comedian whose descent into mental illness and nihilism culminates with the emergence of an alter-ego known as "Joker" and inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy appear in supporting roles. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Joker was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative and Joint Effort.
Phillips conceived Joker in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese, particularly Taxi Driver (1976) and The King of Comedy (1982); Scorsese was initially attached to the project as a producer. The film loosely adapts plot elements from Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) and The Dark Knight Returns (1986), but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration, nor did he wish for it to be connected to any prior Batman film continuity. Phoenix became attached in February 2018 and was cast that July, while the majority of the cast signed on by August. Principal photography took place in New York City, Jersey City and Newark, from September to December 2018. Joker is the first live-action theatrical Batman film to receive an R rating from the Motion Picture Association.
Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 4. The film was a box office success and set records for an October release. It grossed over $1 billion, becoming the first R-rated film to do so, and it was the highest-grossing R-rated film until being surpassed by Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024. It was also the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2019. The film received numerous accolades, including two Academy Award wins at the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Actor (Phoenix) and Best Original Score out of 11 nominations including Best Picture, becoming the first DC film to do so. A sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, was released on October 4, 2024.
Storyline[]
Arthur Fleck is a professional clown and aspiring stand-up comedian who lives with his mother, Penny, in the crime-and recession-ridden city of Gotham, New York. He suffers from a neurological disorder that causes him to have random, uncontrollable laughing fits, requiring medication for which he depends on social services to obtain. One day, after Arthur is attacked by street youths while on the job, his co-worker Randall gives him a revolver for self-defense. Arthur pursues a relationship with his neighbor, single mother Sophie Dumond, and invites her to see his routine at a comedy club.
Arthur drops the gun on the floor while performing at a children's hospital, leading to his firing. While riding home on the subway and still wearing his clown make-up, he is mocked and assaulted by three drunk businessmen from Wayne Investments. He fatally shoots two of them in self-defense and murders the third as he attempts to flee. Their employer, billionaire mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne, condemns the killings but protesters begin sporting clown masks in Arthur's image. Budget cuts shut down the social services program, leaving Arthur without his medication.
Sophie attends Arthur's stand-up routine, which fails due to his disorder and his jokes falling flat. Arthur intercepts a letter from Penny to Thomas, revealing that he is Thomas's illegitimate son, and berates his mother for hiding the truth of his parentage. He goes to Wayne Manor, where he meets Thomas's young son Bruce, but flees after a scuffle with family butler Alfred Pennyworth. Penny suffers a stroke and is hospitalized. Arthur's idol, popular late-night talk show host Murray Franklin, presents clips of Arthur's failed performance on his show and mockingly calls him a "joker".
Arthur confronts Thomas at a movie theatre. Thomas denies being his father, claiming that Penny is not his biological mother. In denial, Arthur visits Arkham State Hospital and reads Penny's file, which states she was a delusional narcissist who adopted Arthur while working as a housekeeper for the Waynes. She developed an imaginary intimate relationship with Thomas, which included Arthur being their biological son. At the same time, Penny raised Arthur with an abusive boyfriend who physically and sexually abused him, which Penny ignored, leading to his neurological disorder. A distraught Arthur enters Sophie's apartment unannounced. Frightened, she kindly asks him to leave, revealing their relationship to be a figment of Arthur's imagination. The following day, Arthur smothers Penny with a pillow at the hospital.
Arthur is soon invited to be on Murray's show. He subsequently plans to kill himself with his revolver during the broadcast. While crafting a clown-inspired persona, he is visited by Randall and another ex-colleague, Gary. Arthur fatally stabs Randall, but spares Gary for being kind to him in the past. Two detectives investigating Arthur's involvement in the subway murders pursue him onto a train filled with clown protesters. Arthur incites a brawl, during which one detective accidentally shoots and kills a protester. The other protesters, in turn, beat the detectives while Arthur escapes.
At the studio, Arthur asks Murray to introduce him as "Joker", a reference to his earlier mockery. As the show goes live, Arthur tells morbid jokes, confesses to the subway murders, rants about societal neglect on the downtrodden, and berates Murray for ridiculing him. After a final joke, Arthur shoots and kills Murray during the broadcast. Arthur is arrested, and riots erupt across the city. Looters in an ambulance crash into the police car carrying Arthur and free him. Meanwhile, one rioter corners the Wayne family in an alley and murders Thomas and his wife Martha, sparing Bruce. Arthur stands atop the police car, dances to the cheers of the crowd, and smears blood on his face into the shape of a smile.
At Arkham, Arthur laughs to himself about a joke during a session with his new therapist. He declines telling it to her, affirming she would not understand it. After the session, he leaves behind a trail of bloodied shoeprints as an orderly chases him down.
Also See[]
Sound Effects Used[]
- Censor Bleep (Heard from the television.)
- Crowd Gasp
- Hollywoodedge, Baby Crying Slowly PE144001
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN, DIESEL - PASSES BY, HORN BLASTS