Pop music superstar and actor Lady Gaga has recently addressed the negative feedback surrounding her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. Since the movie's release, the Grammy-winning artist had remained relatively silent about her role. Gaga portrayed a more grounded version of the iconic DC comics character, Harley Quinn, and further connected with the project through her companion album, Harlequin. After months of silence, she finally shared her thoughts on the film's reception in an interview with Elle. She explained that she navigated the negativity by setting realistic expectations beforehand.
"People just sometimes don’t like some things," Gaga stated. "It’s that simple. And 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 that you intended."
Joker: Folie à Deux, a follow-up to director Todd Phillips’ monumental 2019 film, premiered last October and received less-than-stellar reviews from both critics and audiences. The movie currently holds a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for both audience and critic scores. Our own review rated it a 5/10, describing it as a "mediocre" film that "wastes its potential as a movie musical, a courtroom drama, and a sequel that has anything meaningful to say about or add to the first Joker." Its theatrical run was so disappointing that it transitioned to a digital release within weeks, leading Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to label the film's performance as "disappointing."
"When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of," Gaga remarked on the fear of failure. "It’s part of the mayhem."
Despite the underwhelming reception of Joker: Folie à Deux, Gaga is forging ahead with new projects. She recently announced that her latest studio album, Mayhem, is set for release this March, marking the end of a five-year hiatus since her last full-length record, Chromatica. For more insights into Joker 2, explore why Quentin Tarantino says he loved the sequel and why Hideo Kojima believes the movie’s reception will change over time. Additionally, you can check out our list of the biggest disappointments of 2024 here.
