I really wanted this to suck.

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2020)

I really REALLY felt like I wanted this movie to be garbage, as selfish as that sounds. I just knew way too many people who were over hyped, seen too many things in the media, and I just assumed it was overblown. I'm not a DC fan by any means and find the Joker as a character overused, from Hot Topic merch to gamertags and everything in between.
So I will be the first person to eat all my words and say this movie was amazing. This film hit home to me in a way that I can understand. This wasn't just a film about a comic book character, this was a case study about a man who has depression, who has mental illness, who is going through life like any other person out there and getting kicked when he's down. Phoenix was amazing. I felt this movie and I thought about it and the thought provoking messages. Does it have some goofy moments that felt a little too "out there"? Yeah - okay. Maybe a little but god damn was this movie a gut punch. I've seen it at least five times in theaters and each time I am on the edge of my seat. Knowing what I know of the film, the plot, the ending - it continues to pull me in.
If you expect to see the Dark Knight of Aquaman from this you'll be left lacking. If you expect to see the Joker so often shown that thinks fifteen steps ahead of everyone - you'll be let down. But if you want to see a character study of a person who's been handed a crap deal in life and what happens (even knowing who he'll become by the end) then maybe you'll end up watching it once or twice.