Unexpectedly, an actor from the highly anticipated Joker sequel has harshly criticized the film, referring to it as “the worst film ever made.” Tim Dillon, who had a small role as an Arkham Asylum guard in Joker: Folie à Deux, didn’t hold back in a recent interview on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. “It’s not even hate-watchable. Dillon bluntly stated, “That’s how terrible it is,” without holding back.
The comedian continued by explaining that even during filming, he and his co-stars were aware that the sequel was “We would sit there, myself and the other guys dressed in security outfits because we were working at the Arkham Asylum, and I would turn to one of them. We’d hear this crap, and I’d go, ‘What the f— is this?'” the f— is this?’ And they’d go, ‘This is going to bomb, man. I go, ‘This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen.'”
Dillon believes the decision to take the sequel in a more musical direction, with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga “tap dancing,” was a critical misstep. “I believe that following the release of the first Joker, there was a lot of discussion about its popularity among incels. This was loved by the wrong kinds of people.’ And then I think, ‘What if we went the other way?’ And now they have Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga tap dancing to the point of madness.
The actor also criticized the lack of a coherent plot, recalling conversations with his co-stars where they struggled to even describe what the story was about. “We were talking about it at lunch, and we’d go, ‘What is the plot? Is there a plot? I’m uncertain; I believe he develops feelings for her while incarcerated.
Dillon’s scathing review is in line with the overwhelmingly negative critical reception Joker: Folie à Deux has received. The film currently has a dismal 32% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is significantly lower than the 68% earned by the original Joker in 2019.
That first Joker film was a massive critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with over $1 billion in worldwide box office. The sequel, however, has stumbled out of the gate, earning just $200 million globally before quickly exiting theaters.
“Even in an industry of hits and misses, we must acknowledge that our studio business must deliver more consistency,” said David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, in a statement addressing the sequel’s poor performance.
Variety also reported that Zaslav expressed disappointment, saying, “Inconsistency also remains an issue at our motion picture studio, as reinforced recently by the disappointing results of Joker 2.”
It seems the high expectations set by the first Joker film were simply too much for the follow-up to live up to. Dillon’s scathing review, coming from an insider who witnessed the production firsthand, is a damning indictment of the creative choices that led to the sequel’s downfall.
“It’s not even hate-watchable. That’s how terrible it is,” Dillon declared, leaving little room for interpretation. With both critics and now a member of the cast panning the film, the legacy of the Joker franchise may have taken an unexpected and inglorious turn.