Lady Gaga's 'Joker: Folie À Deux' Slammed by Critics—Concerns Grow Over Impact on Her Career

Critics are dubbing "Joker: Folie À Deux" the most disappointing sequel to an Academy Award-winning movie, as it didn't manage to win over fans and raised some worries about Lady Gaga's acting career.

Reviews suggest that this new chapter feels like a recap of the original 2019 "Joker" movie, but with a musical twist.

Some also believe director Todd Phillips didn't effectively use Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, in the highly-anticipated movie.

Gaga takes on the role of Harley, alongside Joaquin Phoenix who portrays Joker.

With a rating of 39% on the popular American review-aggregation platform for movies and TV shows, the movie's standing is quite clear. Rotten Tomatoes' score reflects the percentage of favorable reviews a movie has received.

IndieWire called the movie a "boring, flat, and such a criminal waste of Lady Gaga that we should demand a public hearing."

Critics expressed dismay at the missed opportunity to feature the "Poker Face" singer's exceptional talents in the movie.

Alison Willmore of Vulture expressed disappointment, deeming the movie unworthy of Gaga's participation.

"In its relentless gloom, 'Folie à Deux' plunks Gaga in a visitation booth where she tries to pretend she couldn't blow the plexiglass walls off the place with her rendition of '(They Long to Be) Close to You.'"

Despite everything, Vanity Fair found Gaga's role shockingly lackluster.

"Her presence suggested something big and gregarious and more broadly accessible, inviting in those who were maybe alienated from Joker's grim vision of lonely straight male rage," they wrote.

"She is woefully underused, her character acting as mere emissary of Arthur's acolytes, there to prove that the attention of women is fleeting and conditional."

"Phillips sneers at the idea that Lee could ever truly love someone like Arthur. She ultimately comes across as a fickle creature who can't abide the real truth of a man."

On X, @ninewontmiss said, "Me after watching Joker 2. They just wanted Lady Gaga to sing. The film had no plot, just vibes. I want my 3 hours back."

@Jxxxxx024 tweeted, "They made a sequel to a movie that shouldn't have one, and they did it in musical form. Its like a messed up, overly expensive PR stunt to relaunch Lady Gaga's music career."

"That's the problem with casting Gaga. They probably felt they had to make it about her and singing and music. What a waste of what could have been an incredible sequel," @McOorah stated.

"Lady Gaga ruined Joker 2 movie pushing her musical," @sjdelaslajas said.

Opinions on the "A Star Is Born" actress' performance in the DC sequel have been all over the place. Most critics weren't taking shots at Gaga's acting itself; instead, they were more concerned with how her character was written and the number of musical numbers featured in the movie.

This comes amid the 38-year-old is hitting an incredible milestone in her music career, boasting 99.54 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Gaga is nearing the 100 million mark, just about 500,000 more listeners, and she'll join a few artists who have achieved this impressive feat.

Tags

Lady Gaga, The Joker