'Joker: Folie à Deux' Trailer Review: Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Is Back To Wreak Havoc, This Time With Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn

Joaquin Phoenix, with his manic laugh, is back as Arthur Fleck, more popularly known as The Joker in the highly anticipated sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 psychological thriller. But this time, he has a new partner-in-crime as Lady Gaga takes over the role of Harley Quinn, a character who shares his eccentricities and is also his love interest. Warner Bros released the first teaser trailer for the sequel on Tuesday, offering DC fans an exciting glimpse of the magic that’s about to unleash in front of them.

The 2 minute 24 second teaser trailer opens with Arthur behind prison bars, taunted by guards demanding he crack a joke. Soon after, he’s visited by Harley, who playfully mimics a gun with her hands, playfully shooting herself and that’s what catches Arthur’s attention. She admits that she looks up to him, almost like a role-model figure, seeing herself as a ‘nobody’ compared to everything he has achieved in life. Their romance slowly blossoms in the Arkham asylum’s shadows as they plan to create chaos in Gotham and plan to flee. Harley urges Arthur’s escape, and together they embark on a wild, musical escapade, set against the backdrop of their shared madness. In addition to this, the trailer hints at on-stage moments as well.

Take a look at it here at the teaser trailer that was unveiled at the CinemaCon on April 9 (local time):

The trailer confirms that ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ takes place shortly after the events of the 2019 film. Looking at the trailer alone, it’s easy to see why anticipation for the film has skyrocketed.

Per the National Library of Medicine, Folie à Deux refers to “an identical or similar mental disorder affecting two or more individuals,” which aligns well with the dysfunctional relationship between the two characters, which is the central focus of the entire movie. The trailer does indicate that most of the movie can be filled with delusions or the events are taking place in the minds of these two, but that only appears to be so. The idea alone that their hallucinations can take the form of musical compositions is so fresh and unique. Their delusions can also serve as a reminder that not all realities are beautiful; some are horrifying, and disturbing.

And those ugly delusions seem to be shown with the help of dark and gritty footage, which promises to captivate audiences. From the trailer alone can one tell the camerawork is mind-blowing, especially the lipstick scene towards the end - that will get you goosebumps. The cinematography is just top-notch and it’s guaranteed the entire movie would be a visual feast as well. Although details about the plot of this sequel remain scarce, it does seem to be a jukebox musical. The trailer subtly hints at the musical element of the film, but hasn’t disclosed its best beats yet.

While it would be amazing to see the chemistry between Gaga and Phoenix flesh out, the rest of the cast also includes Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lotte with Zazie Beetz set to reprise her role. The film has been directed by Todd Phillips, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver.

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ aka Joker 2 is set to unleash chaos on October 4, 2024.