"...you wouldn't get it."

Rating: 10/10 (11 February 2020)

It has been quite awhile since I have seen a movie in cinemas that is absolutely horrifying, thought-provoking, and could be considered an overall great film. JOKER kicks the door down and takes all of these accolades, as well as multiple Oscars hostage, with no Batman, or films of this caliber in sight to stop it.
Enter the gritty, decrepit, and timeless city of Gotham, where the rich keep getting richer, the poor keep getting poorer, and violence is at an all-time high.
"Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?" asks Arthur Fleck, our central character played by Joaquin Phoenix. He lives in a small apartment with his aging mother, who reassures him that he was meant to "bring joy and laughter to the world" as he pursues a career in stand-up comedy.
You will not be waiting long to see this man's downward spiral begin, as his poor living conditions and mental illnesses are on full display, to devastating effect for the audience. Couple that with rampant crime, corrupt politicians, and the overall hatefulness of Gotham, and we begin to see the twisted, pained grin of the greatest comic-book villain of all time form on this seemingly kind-hearted man's face.
"They don't give a $#&% about people like you Arthur", his psychiatrist tells him as she reveals that due to budget cuts, he will no longer receive his medication he so desperately needs. Scenes like this provide a constant tension, as the audience have some idea going in as to what we can expect from the title alone.
You will be right alongside him for the ride as his life and mental health deteriorate to the point that neither he, nor we, can decipher who to trust, what's real anymore, or if we even exist at all. Are his recollections accurate? What is wrong and what is right? Where is the line between justice and vengeance? It is these questions that are the strengths of JOKER, and where it truly shines.
By the time the credits roll, you will be left with these questions, but also answers that are beautifully weaved into the classic storyline by director Todd Phillips. Most important though, you will have a comic-book movie that steps outside the norm to remind you that sometimes the most diabolical villains are created, maybe by you...
The final punchline of JOKER is a solid 10/10.
"Goodnight, and always remember... that's life!"