“Joker” is an okay film that sandbags itself by not living up to the expectations for its namesake.
The film as a whole may have been okay had it not been set in the world of Batman. This film proves that we don’t need a Joker backstory. It also proves that the filmmakers have no idea how to handle mental illness.
Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, Marc Maron, Shea Wigham, Bill Camp, Brian Tyree Henry, and Frances Conroy star. Todd Phillips directs.