Breaking records by earning millions and arguably being one of the most talked about movies of the season, Joker has sparked a debate online. While people are appreciating the cinematic experience and artistic elements it encapsulates, the dark theme the movie portrays, is disturbing some.
‘Loved it’
Box office numbers that just seem to exponentially increase by the hour highlighted that many people are enjoying the movie. Social media users expressed their appreciation online.
Twitter user @Ludford78 admired Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the iconic character and wrote: “#JoaquinPhoenix is phenomenal, absolutely loved it. #Joker.”
Then there were those who highlighted that the film might be too violent but overall good.
User @IM_CARL0S tweeted: “Joker was so intense, beautiful, dark, violent and twisted. It’s so many things packed into such a well delivered film. Joaquin Phoenix absolutely brings forth a demented and empathetic character that really makes for a rare cinematic experience. Absolutely brilliant #JokerMovie”
Tweep @kpop_viralz had similar thoughts: “Today I watched The Joker. Gosh. This movie was everything I expected and more. I think this is the best movie I’ve ever watched in my generation. Too violent. Too cold. And at the same time too beautiful.”
Mental health discussed
As the movie progresses, it deals with the idea of mental health and how it affects one. Netizens appreciated that and chose to see the ‘positive’ lessons one can derive from it.
Tweep @DianaxBravo posted: “#Joker described perfectly how your biological make-up is affected by your direct environment. His character development from beginning to end was phenomenal! You never know what someone is going through on the inside. Let alone know if you hit the very last breaking point!”
Similarly, @DefinetlyMaybeM tweeted: “I know Joker has been deemed as ‘dangerous’ because it could inspire violent acts, but if you want to rescue anything positive from it (besides it’s quality), I think it would be as simple as: Be a nice person towards others, you don’t know what they are going through.”
There were those who resonated with the personal and social struggles the movie highlights.
Twitter user @ThatBoyFlores wrote: “When the Joker said: ‘I haven’t been happy one minute of my entire […] life.’ I low-key [somewhat] felt that.”
‘Too violent’
However, there is a group of people who believe the movie is too violent and inappropriate for the big screen.
Tweep @JarvisDupont thought it should be banned: “I haven’t seen the new Joker film but I find it needlessly violent and I sincerely hope it gets banned.”
Whereas, @Debo71100644 thought that Joker should not be treated as any other superhero movie: “Some people were cheering and laughing in the audience at very inappropriate parts. I’m almost positive this movie isn’t a comedy, and I know for a fact we shouldn’t treat Joker as a hero.”
Mixed feelings
Despite the mixed reactions the movie has gotten, one thing is for sure, it has had an impact on those who have watched it.
User @angewwie shared her thoughts online after watching the film and expressed how she was left with contradictory emotions. However, like many, the Twitter user warned movie lovers to refrain from romanticising violent behaviour: “I saw Joker today and I was left empty and perplexed for a while after leaving the cinema. Had a quite intense internal battle with myself. At one point, I didn’t want to sympathise with a criminal. But on the other side, he was reasonable, although could never be justifiable.”
The movie also has an official account on Twitter, @JokerMovie, with over 140,000 followers currently.
