Translated to the “madness of two,” “folie à deux” is a rare disorder characterized by a shared delusion between two mentally unwell individuals. In the case of Arkham State Hospital inmate Arthur Fleck and Harley Quinn in Todd Phillips’s sequel to 2019’s Joker, this delusion can be viewed as an escape for two lost souls who found each other in the dark abyss…and possible peril for anyone in their way.
It’s been a few years since Mr. Fleck and his alter ego the Joker unleashed a world of chaos upon Gotham, and since then, he’s been stewing in a state hospital awaiting his trial. But within the walls of confinement, he discovers a beauty and joy he could not find in freedom.
In Joker: Folie à Deux, Joaquin Phoenix returns to the role that won him an Oscar as the deeply disturbed Arthur. But this time around, he shares his delusions and screen time with Lady Gaga, who slips into the role of the equally unbalanced Harley.
Pulling influence from Francis Ford Coppola’s One from the Heart, as well as visual cues from many classic Hollywood musicals of yesteryear, the Joker sequel uses music as an essential element, but director Phillips is quick to state that it is not a musical, or at least not in the traditional sense. But be it a thriller, a romantic drama, or a melodic exploration into the mind of a madman, Joker: Folie à Deux promises to be a mad romp that celebrates one of DC Comics’ most notorious couples.
Image Via Warner Brothers Pictures
