Dave and Richard have been to see Joker. What did they think of it? Tune in!
Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver. The film, based on DC Comics characters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker. An origin story set in 1981, the film follows Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian who turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Marc Maron appear in supporting roles. Joker was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, and Village Roadshow Pictures, and distributed by Warner Bros.
Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion, and was released in the United States on October 4, 2019. The film polarised critics; while Phoenix’s performance was praised, the dark tone, portrayal of mental illness, and handling of violence divided responses. Joker also generated concerns of inspiring real-world violence; the movie theatre where the 2012 Aurora, Colorado mass shooting occurred during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises refused to show it.