A very well done dark movie about a man's descent into madness

Rating: 9/10 (27 January 2020)

I had to stop watching this movie the first time I tried watching it, I wasn't in the mood for a super dark movie. So glad I came back when I was in the right frame of mind. This had me captivated from the beginning. Jaquin Pheonix's acting is the best I have ever seen from him here.
The story is simple, it's the back story of The Joker. You watch as this poor guy suffers with mental health issues and just can't get a break. He seems like a guy who wants to do good and be good but the world around him just keeps beating him down. He goes through a transformation the we are along for the ride. It is a devestating portrayal of a character we know from previous iterations but never seen in this kind of light.
This is not an action movie, so don't expect lots of action. There is some and there is some pretty intense violent scenes but overall its a drama. I would recommend this to anyone but I am not sure if it fits into the Batman Universe of movies. It is definitely a stand alone movie.