Insanity is catching in the feverishly anticipated Joker sequel Joker: Folie a Deux. Joaquin Phoenix reprises his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck, the former clown turned supervillain turned political symbol who embodies all the vice, corruption and turbulence of his home, Gotham City.
Director Todd Phillips, who helmed the first movie, stages the new film as a jukebox musical in which escapist fantasy acts as a reprieve from brutal, gritty reality. If you need a refresher on the story so far, scroll down and bring yourself up to speed.
JOKER (2019)
- Arthur Fleck is an aspiring stand-up comedian eking out a bleak existence on the crime-infested streets of Gotham City
- He earns a living as a sign twirler and idolises late-night talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro)
- Arthur's attempts to break into the stand-up business are often derailed by a neurological condition that causes him to laugh uncontrollably
- Arthur lives with his bedridden mother Penny (Frances Conroy) and strikes up a friendship with his neighbour Sophie (Zazie Beetz)
- After an attempt to host a kid's party at a hospital goes disastrously wrong, Arthur loses his job and later finds himself assaulted by three men on the subway
- He then executes each of them in turn and hastens his transformation into more than just an unfunny clown
- It's revealed that the men are employed by Wayne Investments head Thomas Wayne, the father of Bruce Wayne (later to become Batman)
- Arthur becomes convinced that he's Thomas Wayne's illegitimate son and visits Wayne Manor where he has a brief conversation with young Bruce Wayne
- Arthur is also insulted on air by Murray Franklin who refers to Arthur as a "joker"
- Confronting Thomas Wayne, Arthur is punched to the floor and threatened with death if he ever speaks to Bruce again
- 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
- Penny developed an imaginary intimate relationship with Thomas Wayne, which included Arthur being their biological son
- In reality, Penny raised Arthur with an abusive boyfriend who abused Arthur severely, leading to his laughing disorder
- Arthur sees Sophie again but he appears as a stranger to her, revealing that their relationship is a delusion in Arthur's mind
- Arthur experiences a mental breakdown, killing his mother and his bullying ex-colleague Randall
- Arthur incites a riot on the subway and one of the detectives pursuing him accidentally shoots a protester, which leads to the cop and his partner being beaten by the mob while Arthur escapes
- Arthur manages to secure an appearance on Murray Franklin's chat show where he insists on being introduced as 'Joker'
- Now regarded as an emblem of the brewing tensions in Gotham City, Arthur rails against society's injustice and how it pushes the poor and needy to one side
- Arthur shoots Murray dead live on air and embraces his alter-ego as the Joker while the streets of Gotham burn in a large-scale riot
- While the riot occurs, Thomas Wayne and his wife are shot dead in an alleyway with young Bruce left as the only survivor
- Arthur is arrested by the police and incarcerated in Arkham Asylum
JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX (2024)
- The Joker sequel begins with Arthur as a patient at Arkham Asylum where he is mocked by the guards including lead guard Jackie (Brendan Gleeson)
- There he meets and falls for Lee (Lady Gaga), a member of the asylum's community choir, and later to become his twisted partner-in-crime Harley Quinn
- Arthur and Lee cement their union through a series of make-believe musical reveries
- Arthur is also preparing for his day in court when he will be put on trial for his earlier crimes
- Arthur is being prosecuted by crusading journalist Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) while his defence lawyer is Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener)
Now that you're up to speed, click the link below to book your tickets for Joker: Folie a Deux. It's released at Cineworld on October 4th.
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