The journey to finding one’s self is an emotional roller coaster faced with near  insurmountable obstacles. In another outstanding film, Todd Phillips’ “Joker”, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) takes this journey. 

Fleck is a man in a constant dark cloud who is never happy. He aspires to be a professional comedian but lacks the skills and sense of humor for the job. Instead, he is a hired clown who gets paid little to nothing. If that was not enough, he also has a condition which makes him laugh uncontrollably to the point where he begins to choke. All in all, his is a story of tragedy. While the audience may sympathize with Fleck at the beginning of the film, they begin to see his inner darkness emerge throughout the film.

Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is unmatched in most movies today. Phoenix is almost unrecognizable due to his skinny stature, as he lost 52 pounds for this role. Phoenix himself almost went mad due to the amount of weight lost in such a short time.

Todd Phillips’ choice of the score and cinematography maintain an eerie and unsettling tone. It leaves the audience uncomfortable at times, but also brings the movie together. Each piece of music fits perfectly with the scenes they accompany. 

If you are expecting to see a Joker from the comics, you won’t be pleased. Although Phillips chose to stray away from the comic book origins, there are plenty of references and Easter eggs to Batman. 

Overall, Joker will keep you guessing throughout the whole movie and is very hard to predict what will happen after each turning point in Fleck’s life. This film is not for a young audience.