Lady Gaga is offering her thoughts on the negative reception of Joker: Folie à Deux. The sequel to the 2019 Oscar-winning film features Gaga, 38, portraying Harley Quinn, alongside Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. Following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, Joker: Folie à Deux—a gritty musical courtroom drama—received mixed responses from critics and fans alike upon its release in theaters this past October.
Presently, the film holds a mere 31 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the soon-to-be held 2025 Razzie Awards labeled it one of the “worst” movies of the year, even nominating Gaga for “worst actress.” During an interview on January 28, Gaga addressed the film's harsh criticism, stating, “People just sometimes don’t like some things. It’s as simple as it is.”
Gaga continued, “I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it. And you keep going even if something didn’t connect in the way you intended.” These remarks highlight the often fickle nature of audience reception and the vulnerability faced by artists when their work is not well received.
The film, directed by Todd Phillips, premiered on September 4, 2024, and is now available for streaming on Max. Gaga, who is also busy preparing for her upcoming album titled Mayhem, set to release on March 7, is keeping her future projects on the forefront. She reflected on the difficulties of managing the fear of failure, expressing, “When fear makes its way onto your life, it can be hard to get control of. It’s part of the mayhem.”
Despite the rough reception, Gaga previously praised Phillips for his bold storytelling approach. “Todd took a very big swing with this whole concept and with the script, giving the sequel to Joker this audacity and complexity,” she noted. Her comments suggest admiration for the artistic risks taken, even if they did not pan out as expected.
By comparison, the first film not only garnered 11 Academy Award nominations but grossed over $1 billion at the global box office. Unfortunately, the sequel's box office figure fell short, totaling just $207 million worldwide, which brings the narrative back to industry expectations. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav mentioned during an investors' call in November, “Consistency also remains an issue at our motion picture studio, as reinforced recently by the disappointing results of Joker 2.”
This statement reflects the internal analysis of the film's underperformance and how it fits within the company's broader strategy.
The mixed reactions to Joker: Folie à Deux have sparked conversations about the risks of creative storytelling within established franchises. While the first film's extraordinary success set high expectations, its sequel's unique approach may have created friction with audiences desiring something more straightforward within the superhero genre.
Yet, for Gaga, the experience has been one of growth and artistic exploration, and she remains hopeful for the future. “The truth is, not everyone is going to love what you create, but if you stay authentic and true to your vision, you’ll find those who do resonate with your work,” she concluded, echoing the sentiment shared by many artists confronting harsh receptions.
While the sequel to Joker may not have captured the acclaim of its predecessor, it certainly opened up discussions on the creative paths available to filmmakers willing to step outside the traditional narrative confines. Gaga’s involvement as Harley Quinn offers fans of both her and the franchise refreshing performances, regardless of the mixed critique.