One of the actors Joker 2 alias Folie à Deux didn't mince words when talking about the film, calling it “unwatchable.” »
The future will tell if the world has been too harsh with Joker 2 or if this one really deserved the immeasurable critical violence that he has suffered since his release. In any case, the rise of Todd Phillips (after the first film) was matched only by his fall. And his diptych of Joker will undoubtedly mark history as a two-headed monster, revered in one era then reviled in another.
Although some originals still tried to defend Joker 2 (like Tarantino or Kojima), the direction of the wind remains today in favor of the detractors. And once the first stone has been cast, everyone can have a field day joining in on the rampage. The latest terse critic to date being bluntly one of the actors in the film Folie à Deux.
Joker 2: the worst film ever made?
Perhaps Tim Dillon's comments on Folie à Deux are a bit exaggerated when he asserts on the microphone of Joe Rogan's podcast (last November 6) that this is the ” worst film in history. » And definitely, the actor and stand-up comedian seems to have a grudge against his stage colleague, Arthur Fleck. Since he played an Arkham Asylum guard, Dillon was able to speak about his feelings about the film from inside the production. And according to him, absolutely nothing is to be saved in this Joker 2 :
“This movie is so bad that it's impossible to even watch it out of unhealthy curiosity. […] It is a failure on every level. He's not even worth watching to make fun of. »
The reasons for the failure
Tim Dillon's verdict is irrevocable and final. And coming from an actor who has played in some masterpieces, such as Thanksgiving by Eli Roth in 2023, it's clear he knows what he's saying. In his analysis of the failure of Joker 2he thus blames the radically different turn that this sequel took compared to the first film and a lack of narrative cohesion:
« I think after the first Joker, many felt that this film appealed to bad people, to incels, to those who harbor male rage and nihilism. This sequel wanted to get around this controversy, and the result is a disaster. […] Between the supporting actors, we looked at each other, in safety gear for our scenes in Arkham, wondering what we were filming. At lunch break, we even wondered if there was a plot. 'He falls in love with her in the prison? Is that all?«
If the first Joker had shattered Warner's expectations with more than one billion dollars in revenue and won an Oscar for Phoenix, Joker: Folie à Deux disappointed both critics and spectators. Since its release, the film has only grossed $264 million, very little for with a budget of 200 million dollars (compared to the 60 million of the first opus).
It is a vast disappointment which above all underlines the vanity of the studios' project in wanting to bid on the enormous success of a feature film which was perhaps quite sufficient in itself. Now, does Tim Dillon's explanation of what would make Joker 2 worst movie ever is it fair? We leave the answer to everyone's discretion.
