Joker: Folie à Deux made John Waters’ annual High 10 record, with the director defending it in opposition to any and all “dumbbells”.
John Waters’ annual prime 10 films record is all the time an eclectic one, full of films on the perimeter that we could have by no means even heard of, ever a champion for the maligned. However probably the most fascinating addition this 12 months is one which received loads of consideration this 12 months – only for all of the mistaken causes.
Taking the #6 spot on his record of the highest 10 films of 2024 for Vulture, John Waters picked Todd Phillips’ much-derided Joker: Folie à Deux, which had all the hype attainable behind it however flopped with critics and audiences. In his write-up, Waters instructed us simply what labored for him: “Finally, a love story I can relate to. So insane, so well thought out, so well directed, so much smoking! It’s Jailhouse Rock meets Busby Berkeley with a 9/11 That’s Entertainment! ending that will make you shake your head in cinematic astonishment. Stupid critics. Gaga so good. Joker so right. Die, dumbbells, die!”
Supporters of Joker: Folie à Deux are few and much (we gave it a 5/10 in our overview), however John Waters naming it to his prime 10 of 2024 does put him within the firm of Quentin Tarantino, who completely liked it and mentioned Joaquin Phoenix’s performances is likely one of the greatest he’s ever seen. What, you suppose Tarantino is ever hyperbolic?
Becoming a member of the Joker sequel on John Waters’ prime 10 record could be Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding at #1, Luda Guadagnino’s Queer at #2, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist at #3, Mike Leigh’s Arduous Reality at #4, Alexi Wasser’s Messy at #5, Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s Femme at #7, Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez at #8, Halina Reijn’s Babygirl at #9, and Truong Minh Quy’s Viet and Nam on the backside. In 2019, Waters put Joker within the #10 spot, whereas final 12 months he picked Beau Is Afraid as his favourite movie, so Waters is most positively a fan of Joaquin Phoenix.
For those who skipped Joker: Folie à Deux in theaters – and there have been loads of us, because the sequel made a couple of sixth of the primary – it is going to be hitting Max on December thirteenth.
