Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga are coming to cinemas in one month and as per reviews from Venice Film Festival, the Tod Phillips helmed sequel is going to capture everyone just like the original. Joaquin Phoenix, who played the Joker in the first film, will return to the role of the unsuccessful comedian Arthur Fleck. Lady Gaga has joined the cast to play Harley Quinn, the Joker’s love interest. And, while the sequel features frequent musical performances, Gaga explained in a new interview that Joker 2 is actually not a musical.
Lady Gaga Insists Joker 2 Is Not A Musical
Joker 2. Image Credit: Warner bros. Pictures
When Joker: Folie à Deux was first announced, it created a wave of curiosity and confusion among fans. A sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Joker, which grossed over a billion dollars, was expected to follow its dark, psychological tone. However, the announcement that the film would be a musical left many questioning how this genre would blend with the gritty world of the Joker. Director Todd Phillips and his team seemed to be weaving musical elements into the narrative, but as more details emerged, it became clear that the film wasn’t positioning itself as a typical musical. Even Lady Gaga, has expressed some reluctance to call it a full-fledged musical.
The trailers suggested a musical aspect to the movie, with songs interspersed throughout, but the portrayal seems more nuanced. Much of Joker: Folie à Deux’s story will be told from the perspectives of its key characters. As Lady Gaga mentioned in an interview (Via Deadline), “In a lot of ways, it’s very different.”
This subtle statement hinted that the musical numbers are not the kind of showy performances audiences may expect. Instead, they reflect the inner dialogues and emotional landscapes of Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, and Harleen Quinzel, portrayed by Gaga herself. As she explained, “The way that music is used is to give the characters a way to express what they need to say because the scene and just the dialogue is not enough.” This approach allows music to serve as an emotional outlet, rather than just a narrative device.
Interestingly, the idea of performing the musical parts live on set came from Lady Gaga. Joaquin Phoenix revealed that it was Gaga’s insistence on authenticity that drove them to sing their parts live, without heavy post-production refinement. As Phoenix told Vogue, “I encouraged her to sing poorly,” suggesting that stripping away technique was key to unlocking the raw, vulnerable emotions of their characters. He noted that Gaga’s usual vibrato, a signature element of her singing, had to be minimized. “I remember asking her to sing without her vibrato. She has a beautiful vibrato—too beautiful. I think she felt naked without it,” Phoenix reflected, underlining how this decision played a pivotal role in shaping her character.
Todd Phillips, too, has distanced himself from labeling the film a musical in the traditional sense. While there are musical sequences, Phillips emphasized that these moments are extensions of the characters’ thoughts rather than standalone performances. As Phillips previously remarked in an interview with Variety, “Most of the music in the movie is really just dialogue. It’s just Arthur not having the words to say what he wants to say, so he sings them instead.” This distinction is critical, as it suggests that the film uses music more as a tool for character exploration than for entertainment.
Set two years after the events of the first film, Joker: Folie à Deux picks up with Arthur Fleck as a patient in Arkham State Hospital, where he encounters Harleen Quinzel, a music therapist. The two characters, both suffering from their own delusions and psychosis, quickly bond over their shared mental states, leading them down a path that could spell Arthur’s liberation. Their twisted love story becomes the central theme of the film, and the way their psychoses manifest through music adds a complex layer to their relationship.
Blend Of Psychological Drama and Musical Expression
Lady Gaga. Image Credit: Warner Brothers
The 2019 Joker film was a deeply psychological portrayal of Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness, as he was continually rejected by society and isolated in his own suffering. His transformation into the Joker, an anti-hero, struck a chord with audiences, and the film’s commercial success broke records, earning Joaquin Phoenix an Academy Award for his portrayal. Though the R-rated Joker held the title of the most profitable movie of its kind, that distinction has since been overtaken by this year’s Deadpool & Wolverine.
Joker: Folie à Deux promises to offer something fresh. With a cast that includes not just Phoenix and Gaga but also Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, and Zazie Beetz, the film is expected to build on the psychological intensity of its predecessor. However, it will do so in a way that allows music to act as a voice for the unspoken thoughts and emotions of its characters, making it an unconventional musical that stays true to the spirit of the Joker’s chaotic world.
In her preparation for the role, Lady Gaga reflected on the challenge of singing in a way that stripped her usual technique, emphasizing that this was not the polished performance of a singer but rather an expression of a character lost in her own mind. “I worked really hard on that, kind of trying to undo all my technique,” she said in the same Vogue interview, contrasting her experience with her previous role in A Star is Born. Unlike that film, which focused on musicians and the craft of performance, Joker: Folie à Deux is a deep dive into the psyche of its characters, and music becomes a medium for exploring their mental states.
This unique blend of psychological drama and musical expression sets Joker: Folie à Deux apart, making it one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Whether it fully embraces its musical elements or not, the film is sure to captivate audiences with its raw emotional performances and innovative storytelling techniques.
Joker: Folie à a Deux hits theaters on Oct. 4.
