Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver. The film was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, and Joint Effort Productions, in association with Bron Creative and Village Roadshow Pictures.[1] It follows Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian whose descent into mental illness, nihilism and crime inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City during the early 1980s recession. The film is loosely based on DC Comics characters and stars Joaquin Phoenix as Fleck (the Joker), with Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Leigh Gill, Bill Camp and Shea Whigham in supporting roles.
 Joaquin Phoenix's performance as the Joker garnered critical acclaim and he received numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Actor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Totals[a] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 75 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nominations | 197 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation and won the Golden Lion.[2][3] It was released theatrically in several markets on October 3, and in the United States and United Kingdom on October 4.[4] Produced on a budget of $55 million, the film grossed $1.079 billion worldwide,[5] becoming the highest grossing R-rated film of all time,[6] the first R-rated film to surpass $1 billion at the box office,[7] and the sixth-highest grossing film of 2019.[8] Critical reception was polarized,[7] with praise for the screenplay, musical score, cinematography and Phoenix's performance, and some criticism directed at its dark tone, portrayal of mental illness and depiction of violence. The latter also drew concerns of inspiring real-life violence.[9][10] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 69% based on 597 reviews.[11]
Joker garnered awards and nominations in various categories, with particular recognition for Phoenix's performance, Hildur Guðnadóttir's musical score, Phillips's screenplay, and Lawrence Sher's cinematography. At the 92nd Academy Awards, the film earned 11 nominations, the most of any film at the ceremony, and won Best Actor (Phoenix) and Best Original Score (Guðnadóttir). It received a further 11 nominations at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards, winning Best Actor in a Leading Role (Phoenix), Best Original Music (Guðnadóttir) and Best Casting. Phoenix and Guðnadóttir also won Best Actor and Best Score at the 25th Critics' Choice Awards, where the film earned seven nominations, as well as Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama and Best Original Score at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, where the film received. At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, Guðnadóttir was nominated for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella and won Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. In addition, Joker was selected as one of the Top 10 Films of 2019 by the American Film Institute.
