Many people feared that this movie would give a mysterious character an unnecessary origin, but I feel like I know less about the Joker now that I've seen it.

Rating: 10/10 (5 October 2019)

Joaquin Phoenix delivers a performance that is easily on par with the late Heath Ledger's. From the opening scene to the final shot, I had forgotten that a man named Joaquin Phoenix ever existed. His performance is wildly committed and realistically disturbing. I've never seen a movie so bold, yet so utterly real and believable. Todd Philips has created a fantastic version of our favorite villain, and this movie will be stirring around in our minds for a long time.
Now that I've gotten my praise out of the way, I can get to the point. I was afraid that this movie would give too much backstory to a character that is supposed to be a demon without any past. I can put your fears to rest: I know less about this man now than I did at the beginning of the movie. His character is developed marvelously, and so much mystery is created about who he actually is. For all we know, the name "Arthur Fleck" is just another joke.