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.
Acting
Phoenix's 52-pound weight loss and that laugh.
Score
Hildur Guðnadóttir's cello = impending doom.
Cinematography
Scorsese's New York, but it's Newark.
Director
Todd Phillips
Joaquin Phoenix
Arthur Fleck
Robert De Niro
Murray Franklin
Zazie Beetz
Sophie Dumond
Frances Conroy
Penny Fleck
Brett Cullen
Thomas Wayne
Shea Whigham
Detective Burke
Bill Camp
Detective Garrity
Glenn Fleshler
Randall
Leigh Gill
Gary
Josh Pais
Hoyt Vaughn
Marc Maron
Gene Ufland
Sondra James
Dr. Sally
Murphy Guyer
Barry O'Donnell
Douglas Hodge
Alfred Pennyworth
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Phoenix based the laugh on real recordings of pathological laughter disorder patients. He also improvised the bathroom dance — the original script just said 'Arthur dances'.
The US military issued warnings about potential violence at screenings, and the film became a bizarre Rorschach test for critics' political leanings — everyone saw their own Joker.
US
