A month ahead of its global release, the upcoming Joker movie made its debut at Venice Film Festival. The film has been met with exceptional praise, with Phoenix’s performance being tipped for an Oscar win.
The feature tells the origin story of DC’s infamous villain in a way we have never seen before. His backstory is one of tragedy, social injustice, and disturbed mental health. Here’s what the critics have said.
Variety
“Joker manages the nimble feat of telling the Joker’s origin story as if it were unprecedented. We feel a tingle when Bruce Wayne comes into the picture; he’s there less as a force than an omen. And we feel a deeply deranged thrill when Arthur, having come out the other side of his rage, emerges wearing smeary make-up, green hair, an orange vest and a rust-colored suit.”
Collider
“From the way the opening credits play, to the final frames of the movie, Phillips has taken the colorful comic book movie to the dirty, gritty streets of the late 1970s with fantastic results. Trust me, you have never seen a comic book movie like Joker, and I’m not sure we will ever get one like this again.”
Empire
“It’s a sad, chaotic, slow-burn study of someone who isn’t visible; who doesn’t even exist to the world around them. But your empathy, sympathy even, isn’t guaranteed, and it begins to dissolve as Arthur somehow moves even further to the edges.”
