A deep, dark, refreshing character study

Rating: 9/10 (23 October 2019)

Personally, I am tired of the constant superhero-related movies being churned out as of late. But as soon as I saw the trailer for Joker I knew this would be different. It turned out, I was right. We follow Arthur Fleck, a deeply troubled man, alienated from society due to his mental instability. Most notably, his spontaneous fits of laughter.
We watch a man grow unhinged, further and further into insanity, and we understand why. We even, maybe, feel bad for him. Arthur was constantly ridiculed, beat, thrown under the bus, just because he was an easy target. I think most of us can emphasize in this sense, at one point or another in our lives.
This film is undeniably depressing, a portrayal of the depraved corners of the mind. It also, ironically enough, has plenty of comedy intertwined, which is wonderfully balanced.
This is probably one of the best movies of the year, bar none. Nobody is wrong to say it's gory and over-the-top violent, but it's not all for nothing. See it for yourself.