In order to cater to wide appeal, most cinematic releases are led by righteous protagonists. Within the comic book genre especially, the majority of movies have focused on heroes. Attempting to break the mould, Joker is a film that takes us on the journey of a troubled man descending into total madness. What we have here is perhaps best described as a character study created for mainstream audiences.

The narrative is positioned squarely on the shoulders of Arthur Fleck, a disturbed man suffering from psychological disorders. A street performing clown living with his mother, we witness the road he takes to become the iconic villain known as Joker. Joaquin Phoenix portrays this lead character with Frances Conroy, Zazie Beetz and Robert De Niro supporting.

Completely separate from the rest of the DC Universe, this is a film that manages to be successful in its pursuit of being a dark look at how badly things can go for a person dealt the wrong cards in life. Although he is not a good person, Arthur is a very interesting one. Viewers will go from feeling pity for him in one scene to being revolted by him in the next. These varied reactions occur without pause as his path to destiny takes many twists and turns, leaving us on the edge of our seat throughout. In truth, all this would not be possible without the truly incredible performance by Joaquin Phoenix.

Phoenix is an acting powerhouse in this role. He elevates everything around him and allows us to feel every emotional beat from Arthur Fleck. Fully committed by way of a huge weight loss, we are presented a deeply layered version of the man to become Joker. Using his entire body to show insanity taking over, this film is proof that Joaquin Phoenix may be the best actor working today. As he propels the story forward, it becomes abundantly clear that this is a personal tale that has been crafted for an audience most familiar with blockbusters.

Unlike some of the movies it pays homage to, this release progresses at a quick pace and is quite clear in its presentation. We don’t dive too deep into the psyche of the characters and most of the choices are easily understandable. To some, it may be disappointing how surface-level the plot points are, as this is not a complex narrative. Although, a slow pace with abstract themes would not have worked for the average film watcher. As is evidenced with the mixed reception to Ad Astra earlier this year, a lot of people find character studies to be boring. With this in mind, Joker must be commended for still being able to be such a darkly, determined piece of cinema.

The direction and script co-written by Todd Phillips work extremely well for the way this movie has been constructed. Perhaps another director could have provided a more nuanced approach but what he has given us is an effective end product. However, true praise must be given to those responsible for other technical aspects. The film is shot with a vision of beautiful despair, thanks to cinematographer Lawrence Sher. Accompanying these visuals is the incredibly haunting score by Hildur Guðnadóttir, the perfect underpinning element for this twisted affair. 

Added to the legacy of DC stories, the movie that has been given to us is a special one indeed. Targeting very specific goals and reaching them with success, the experience offered here is one that will be discussed for years to come. Above it all, one thing is undeniable, Heath Ledger is no longer the definitive cinematic version of Joker.