Joker
Movie, 2019, Joker, Set in 1981
Joker is #22 of 26 in release order and #14 of 26 in chronological order in the Batman.
The story
During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.
Joker recap
In 1981, Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill party clown and aspiring comedian, lives with his mother Penny in a run-down Gotham apartment. He has a condition that makes him laugh uncontrollably, and city cuts end his counseling and medication. A coworker gives him a gun, and when three drunk Wayne Enterprises employees beat him on the subway, Arthur shoots them dead. The killings spark protests against the rich, with crowds wearing clown masks. Penny's letters claim Thomas Wayne is Arthur's father; Thomas says Penny is delusional and Arthur was adopted, and hospital records show she let a boyfriend abuse him. Arthur smothers his mother in the hospital. He discovers that the romance he imagined with his neighbor Sophie was a fantasy, and a late-night host, Murray Franklin, mocks his stand-up act on air and then invites him on the show.
Joker ending explained
Arthur goes on the show as Joker, confesses to the subway murders and shoots Murray dead on live television. Gotham erupts in riots. Rioters free him from a police car and cheer as he dances on its hood, while one of them shoots Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of young Bruce. In the last scene Arthur, laughing, sits in Arkham State Hospital and walks away leaving bloody footprints.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Joker
Joker is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 68%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Lego Batman Movie, before The Batman.
- Chronological order: after The Lego Batman Movie, before Joker: Folie à Deux.
What to watch before Joker
Nothing. Joker (2019) doesn't continue an earlier version, so it stands on its own.
Cast
- Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck
- Robert De Niro as Murray Franklin
- Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond
- Frances Conroy as Penny Fleck
- Brett Cullen as Thomas Wayne
- Shea Whigham as Detective Burke
- Bill Camp as Detective Garrity
- Glenn Fleshler as Randall
- Leigh Gill as Gary
- Josh Pais as Hoyt Vaughn
- Rocco Luna as GiGi Dumond
- Marc Maron as Gene Ufland
Directed by Todd Phillips.