Joker is a 2019 psychological thriller directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a struggling clown and aspiring comedian in Gotham City. It runs 122 minutes, carries an R rating in the United States, and opened in theaters on October 4, 2019. This joker movie information guide covers the story, the cast, the awards, and the sequel.
What the Joker Movie Is About
Arthur Fleck lives in a decaying Gotham City in 1981. He works as a party clown, cares for his ailing mother Penny, and depends on a city counseling program that is being shut down. A condition that causes sudden, uncontrollable laughing fits makes ordinary life difficult for him. After a series of humiliations and violent encounters on the subway, Arthur moves toward the identity that gives the film its name.
The movie plays as a character study rather than a superhero action film. Critics often compared its tone and its lonely-protagonist structure to 1970s and 1980s New York dramas, and Phillips has said those films were an influence on the look and pacing.
Joker Movie Basics
- Director: Todd Phillips
- Writers: Todd Phillips and Scott Silver
- Lead actor: Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck
- Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures with DC Films
- Runtime: 122 minutes
- Rating: R in the US for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language, and brief sexual images
- Setting: Gotham City, 1981
- US release date: October 4, 2019
Main Cast and Characters
- Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck
- Robert De Niro as talk show host Murray Franklin
- Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, Arthur's neighbor
- Frances Conroy as Penny Fleck, Arthur's mother
- Brett Cullen as Thomas Wayne
- Marc Maron as Ted Marco, Arthur's booking agent
- Shea Whigham and Bill Camp as Gotham detectives
- Douglas Hodge as Alfred Pennyworth and Dante Pereira-Olson as young Bruce Wayne
Release, Rating, and Awards
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion, and it reached US theaters about a month later. It went on to gross more than one billion dollars worldwide, a first for an R-rated release. The Academy nominated it in eleven categories, and it won Best Actor for Phoenix and Best Original Score for composer Hildur Gudnadottir. It also collected two Golden Globe awards.
Critical response was divided. Some reviewers praised Phoenix's performance and the score while others questioned the film's portrayal of violence and mental illness. Audience interest stayed high through the theatrical run and the home video release.
Is There a Sequel?
Yes. Joker: Folie a Deux arrived in theaters on October 4, 2024, again directed by Todd Phillips with Phoenix returning as Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga playing Harley Quinn. The sequel takes on musical elements and is set partly inside Arkham State Hospital. It received largely negative reviews and earned far less at the box office than the first film. Phillips has described the two movies as a closed story rather than the start of a larger franchise.
How It Connects to Other Batman Movies
Joker stands apart from the main DC film continuity. It is a standalone origin story set in its own version of Gotham, with its own Thomas Wayne and Bruce Wayne. You do not need to watch any earlier Batman film to follow it, and its events are not treated as canon for other DC releases.
How to Watch the Joker Movie
Streaming rights for the film move between services over time, so check your local listings or a rental storefront for current availability. It is also widely available on Blu-ray and DVD, often in a two-film bundle with the sequel. For viewers who want the full picture, watching the 2019 film before Folie a Deux keeps the character arc in order.