An abstracted prologue addition to the DC superhero universe, it stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, the man who will become known as Joker. He becomes the iconic villain not by falling into a vat of acid, as is the usual Joker lore, but through a life of unending misery. Joker deals with the themes of mental illness and its effects.
Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion, and was released in the United States on October 4, 2019. The film polarized critics; while Phoenix's performance was praised, the dark tone, portrayal of mental illness, and handling of violence divided responses.
Joker also generated concerns of inspiring real-world violence; the movie theater where the 2012 Aurora, Colorado mass shooting occurred during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises refused to show it. The film set box office records for an October release and has grossed over $853 million worldwide, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 2019 and the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
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