Crime,Action,Thriller,Drama
United States of America
The movie Joker, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character, tells the origin story of the iconic Batman villain. The film is set in the 1980s in Gotham City, which is depicted as a bleak and corrupt place where the wealthy elite rule over the poor and disenfranchised.
Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) is a mentally ill, socially awkward failed comedian who lives with his mother and works as a clown for hire. He dreams of being a successful comedian and is obsessed with talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro). However, his life is full of disappointment and rejection, and he is regularly mistreated and abused by others.
After losing his job and being beaten up by a group of young men, Arthur's already fragile sanity begins to deteriorate rapidly. He starts to embrace his darker impulses and begins committing acts of violence and chaos, including murdering three Wall Street businessmen on a subway train. This act of violence sparks a city-wide movement of anti-rich sentiment and chaos, which Arthur sees as a validation of his actions.
As his infamy grows, Arthur begins to adopt the persona of Joker, a nihilistic criminal mastermind who revels in causing chaos and destruction. He becomes fixated on Murray Franklin's talk show and sees it as an opportunity to deliver a message to the world. When he finally appears on the show, he delivers a twisted monologue and ultimately kills Murray live on air.
The film ends with Arthur being institutionalized and embraced as a hero by his followers, who have taken on his violent worldview. The final shot shows him dancing alone in a white room, implying that all of his experiences may have been a delusion.
Joker was praised for its artistic and thematic depth, as well as Joaquin Phoenix's performance, which won an Academy Award for Best Actor. The film was also controversial for its portrayal of mental illness and violence.
