Warning: Spoilers ahead

Where do I start. This film is an absolute masterpiece. An astounding in depth character study of one of the most iconic figures of all time in popular fiction. Todd Phillip’s Joker does not pull any punches, with many brutal and shocking scenes appearing throughout the picture.

The most intriguing part however, is that the film leaves you questioning if any of it actually happened.

Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck (Joker) is the main protagonist of this movie, the film is told from his perspective, which causes us to think about which bits are real and which bits aren’t, as we are shown certain scenes to be a complete figment of his imagination. The final scene of the film takes place in what we assume is Arkham Asylum, which leads us to consider if any of the film was even real, or if it just took place inside his head, or of it hasn’t actually happened yet and it is part of a plan he has to take down Thomas Wayne. Phoenix’s performance is outstanding, and may very well be nominated for some prestigious awards next year.

This is the definitive version of the Joker. More than Heath Ledger’s in Dark Knight.

There. I said it.

Although Dark Knight portrayed the Joker incredibly well and is still one of the stand out films and performances of the century, we never truly got to know why the Joker acted and behaved as he did. This is the Joker that we needed. We see how he became the clown prince of crime, but we are still left with the sense of mystery as we never truly know if what we saw is the truth. As the Joker said in Batman: The Killing Joke “If I have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice.” Although the film is an original story and is not based on any comic, it is definitely inspired by the 1988 title.

Gotham is presented as a city in decay in this film, the rich only care about getting richer and maintaining their status in society, and are not bothered about what happens to the people below them. The way Gotham looks in the film is reminiscent of New York in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Just like the 1976 classic, the city itself is almost a character in the film, playing a crucial role in the story of the protagonist. It also seems that the ambiguity surrounding the ending was inspired by this film.

Personally, one of my favourite aspects of the film besides Phoenix’s once again impressive performance and the brilliant story, is the cinematography. Every single scene in Joker looks fantastic, it is shot beautifully and the way the film begins and with “Joker” written in a yellow typeface and ends with “The End” in a cursive, yellow font adds to the overall feel to the movie and makes it feel like a classic.

People have called for the film to be banned from cinemas and some have even walked out of the film, because it is so unnerving and creepy, but that is what this film is about. It is not a superhero movie. It is not about a charming hero who comes and saves the world from evil. It is about a mentally unstable person who sinks deeper and deeper into madness due to a crumbling society that has been ignoring him his whole life.

Joker is the only time I have ever been in a cinema and the whole audience gave a round of applause once the film finished.

If this is the beginning of a new series of what is being referred to as “DC Black Label” films, similar to the comic books of the same name, we are in for a treat.

Joker gets a 10/10