While I'm never one to knock the talents of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, I personally feel like <em>Joker: Folie à Deux</em> was not needed. I'm still somewhat interested in learning more about where they took the story, but the plot of <em>Joker </em>was self-contained and wrapped up nicely. Arthur Fleck, Phoenix's character, obsesses over the talk show host, Murray Franklin, to an unhealthy degree. His obsession continues to peak as he becomes more separated from reality. Ultimately, his breaking point is the climactic finale of the movie, and provides closure with a clear indication that his psychosis is not resolved. Additionally, though I do tend to love musicals, adding a musical theme to <em>Folie à Deux </em>feels disted from the original, especially considering it is a jukebox musical without original numbers. It seems the reviews confirm the lack of value added by this sequel.
