Joker: Folie à Deux(2024)

Submitted by Julio M

Short pooper:
Arthur (Joaquin Phoenix) assumes sole responsibility for the crimes he committed as Joker, as if it was a dissociated identity. For this, he is charged with first-degree murder, but, thanks to a car bomb attack, he is helped flee the Courthouse. Out in the street, he finds Lee (Lady Gaga), who rejects and disowns him, and, shortly after, he is recaptured and returned to Arkham, where another inmate kills him and seemingly assumes the Joker identity.

Longer version:
During the course of the trial DA Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) is heading against Arthur, Maryanne (Catherine Keener), Arthur’s lawyer, reveals that Lee has been manipulating him all along; she is a dropout Psychiatry student whose father is not dead, she did not burn down her home and had actually just volunteered to be at Arkham to get close to the infamous Joker. Arthur confronts Lee, who admits to it all, but also adds that she is pregnant and living in his old place.

Inspired by the apparent honesty of Lee, Arthur fires Maryanne and represents himself in court. Dent, in turn, further proves his case by bringing in Gary (Leigh Gill) -Arthur’s dwarf, former co-worker whom he spared from killing in the previous film- and Sophie (Zazie Beetz) -his former neighbour whom he was infatuated with-, after whose testimonies he rests. Arthur provides no defense in his favour, but shows the staff of Arkham in a negative light. Upon being returned to Arkham, a small group of guards led by Jackie (Brendan Gleeson), in retaliation, ambush him and beat him up in the bathroom, and, returning him to his cell, Jackie murders Arthur’s cellmate Ricky (Jacob Lofland), who tried to defend him. Witnessing this makes Arthur realize he had indeed created an alter-ego to cope with all the trauma inflicted in him throughout his life, and he decides to renounce the Joker persona.

The following day, as the closing statements of both parts are delivered, Arthur comes to terms with admitting to everyone being himself, not Joker, guilty of his actions, which makes Lee storm off in disgust and gets him a first-degree murder sentence. However, as Judge Rothwax (Bill Smitrovich) passes the formal verdict, a car bomb explodes and wreaks major havoc, in the middle of which two strangers bust Arthur out of the court, although he quickly ditches them and runs amok, searching for Lee. When he finds her at his previous apartment, she no longer wants anything to do with him “because he isn’t even Joker anymore” and also retorts the alleged pregnancy was a lie, leaving him cold and devastated.

The Police come around and re-apprehend Arthur, bringing him back to Arkham. The following day, a fellow young inmate (Connor Storrie) approaches Arthur as a purported admirer of his and starts telling him a joke to get his attention, only to repeatedly stab him in the stomach. As Arthur lays dying, the other guy carves a Glasgow smile in his face and laughs non-stop at it, thus suggesting he could become the new Joker, and the movie ends.