Joker: Folie à Deux

What’s it about?

Five years after Joker (2019), Arthur Fleck finds himself as a patient at Arkham State Hospital, where he falls in love with fellow inmate Lee Quinzel. Their shared madness turns life into a twisted musical, while Arthur's followers rally to set him free.

For a more in-depth breakdown of Joker: Folie à Deux, read our Detailed Impactful Content Guide (contains spoilers).

The facts

• Sequel to Joker (2019)
• Directed by Todd Phillips (Joker, War Dogs)
• Stars Joaquin Phoenix (Joker, Napoleon, Beau is Afraid), Lady Gaga (House of Gucci, A Star is Born)
• English language
• Runtime: 139 minutes
• Joker: Folie à Deux is based on characters from DC comics

Why did it get this rating?

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.

Violence

This film contains a lot of violence, and some parts are particularly bloody or gory. The stronger moments of violence include:

• A character is stabbed multiple times in the stomach by another inmate, with close-up shots showing the bloody wounds. He collapses against a wall, leaving a large blood smear as the camera focuses on his dying face.
• In a fantasy song-and-dance sequence, another character shoots this character in the stomach; the details are mostly hidden but still bloody. This scene is shown again later with more detail.
• Guards retaliate against this character for insulting them by throwing him against a wall and dragging him down a hallway.
• After an explosion in the courtroom, several dead bodies are seen, and sound is muted to show this character’s experience as a survivor.
• A character kills multiple people in court, including a lawyer, by hitting him with a stool, shooting others, and hitting the judge with a gavel, causing a bloody injury.
• A supportive character is strangled to death by guards. You don’t see it happen but his death is heard from this character's cell.

Sex scenes 

There’s a brief sex scene between two characters. While not explicit, it’s clear what’s happening as they partially undress, with the camera focusing on their upper bodies and movements.

It’s hinted that a character may have used sex to gain access to a prison isolation area.

A man is briefly shown naked in the background of an asylum scene, but it’s not sexual and has minimal impact.

Suicide 

There are a number of suicide references, fantasies of suicide and depictions of self-harm. These include:

• In court, a witness mentions Arthur’s mother was worried he might take his own life.
• Arthur and another character make gun-to-head gestures during a TV interview, and Arthur says he was planning to kill himself that night.
• In a fantasy scene, Arthur puts a gun to his head, pulls the trigger, and there's a brief blood splatter before the screen fades to black.
• The film shows Arthur's violent Joker persona as an alternative to suicide, which could be harmful for young or vulnerable viewers who may misinterpret this.
• In the background of one scene, a man slits his own mouth, but this is not shown in detail.

Content that may disturb 

The portrayal of mental illness may be disturbing for some viewers, especially due to the dark tone of the film and the links between mental illness and violence.

Youth Advisory Panel comments 

One Youth Advisory Panel member attended the screening with Te Mana Whakaatu staff.

They found the violence gory, especially two separate death scenes. However they felt the song and dance scenes trivialised the violence.

The guards’ abuse and Arthur’s mental state also stood out. They were concerned younger viewers might idolise Joker or miss the sadness behind the story. They also thought Lady Gaga could attract viewers who aren't ready for the dark tone.

They thought the sex scene between Arthur and Lee raised concerns about consent.

Helplines:

Scenes with suicide, violence and disturbing content could be upsetting for some viewers. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Detailed impactful guide for Joker: Folie à Deux
• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Joker 2 is "daring" and "darker" than the original, says Venice Film Festival chief - GamesRadar.com