Paul Schrader, the renowned filmmaker, recently made headlines when he walked out of the movie Joker 2 after watching just 15 minutes, stating that it was “enough.” Schrader, known for his work on Taxi Driver, shared his candid thoughts on the film, revealing that he left the cinema, returned for another 10 minutes, and then decided to call it quits.
In a conversation with playwright Jeremy O Harris for Interview Magazine, Schrader described Joker: Folie à Deux as a “really bad musical.” He went on to express his disapproval of the film’s stars, Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, stating, “I don’t like either of those people. I don’t like them as actors. I don’t like them as characters. I don’t like the whole thing.”
Joker: Folie à Deux, directed by Todd Phillips, has not performed well at the box office compared to its predecessor, Joker, which grossed over $1 billion. The sequel reportedly struggled to recoup its production budget of $190 million to $200 million, making only $120 million to date. The film has received mixed reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 33 percent from critics and a 32 percent audience score.
Despite the overall negative reception, some critics have found merit in Joker: Folie à Deux. The Independent’s film critic, Geoffrey Macnab, awarded it four stars, praising Joaquin Phoenix’s performance and the film’s psychological depth. Macnab noted that the movie’s dark tone and brutal ending set it apart from conventional comic book adaptations.
While Schrader’s swift exit from Joker 2 may have stirred controversy, it reflects the diversity of opinions within the film industry. The ongoing debate surrounding the film’s quality and critical reception demonstrates the subjective nature of art and the varying tastes of audiences worldwide.