ALMOST Heath Ledger worthy

Rating: 9/10 (6 October 2019)

The movie is depressing from the first scene when Arthur gets jumped trying to make a the bare minimum of a living. Already being depressive, every interaction with other people is driving him further into a corner.
In the train scene he is trying to look away as the three bankers start harassing the young woman but his uncontrollable laughter draws their attention to him. Again, he's the one being attacked but this time he's being pushed over the edge and commits his first kill(s).
He doesn't feel remorse or guilt, which makes every following kill easier. Philipps sets the joker up as an anti hero out for revenge, killing people who harmed him in the past but letting the ones nice to him live. The scene in his apartment when his little colleague tries to open the door chain is one of the tensest moments I've seen in a movie.
Without spoiling too much, Arthur trancends more and more into madness, realizing his whole life he has been lied to and abused.
The increasing violence shows his decreasing respect for human life. He starts to hurt innocent people (he's suddenly no longer living in his apartment but in his "girlfriends") but the movie leaves open what has happened to her and her daughter.
My only complain would be that the genius of the joker is missing. He acts impulsive and emotional, getting caught by police and not planning in advance. This for me is the biggest caveat as it makes it difficult tounderstand how the joker will become the crimal mastermind portrayed in the Batman movies.
Phoenix performance is absolutely brilliant, but does not beat Heath Ledger