Lady Gaga in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: What Critics Are Saying

There’s a new villain in town.

Joker: Folie à Deux premiered at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival this week, with stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga as well as director Todd Phillips in attendance to celebrate the film, which officially hits theaters on Oct. 4.

Unlike the first Joker film, for which Phoenix won an Oscar for best actor and Hildur Guðnadóttir won for best original score, Joker: Folie à Deux follows Phoenix’s return as Arthur Fleck, a.k.a the Joker, who is now confined in Arkham Asylum. There, he meets Gaga’s Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, and they form a powerfully chaotic bond with the goal of causing mayhem across Gotham City. Unlike the first Joker film, the sequel includes a series of musical numbers, which is where fans see Gaga in her element.

While critics generally applauded Gaga’s subtle yet conniving Lee, many were actually hoping to see her more in the music-filled film, deeming her “underused.” See what critics had to say about Gaga’s performance in Joker: Folie à Deux below.

“Gaga is smartly low-key, not the Harley Quinn we associate with Margot Robbie, but her own person, dressed down and believably showing affection and connection with Joker and, more important, the man behind the makeup.” – Deadline

“The casting of Lady Gaga certainly sounded promising, because she’s a great actor, and was put on earth (among other things) to make musicals. But Gaga, who has a lovely unforced presence in Folie à Deux, is drastically underused. Her Lee never quite takes wing.” – Variety

“Lady Gaga brings a sly and manipulative malice to her role: Harley is secretive, smart and genuinely disturbed in a way that Arthur/Joker perhaps isn’t. Is she to be the Lady Macbeth of DC supervillainy?” – The Guardian

“Gaga is a compelling live-wire presence, splitting the difference between affinity and obsession, while endearingly giving Arthur a shot of joy and hope that has him singing ‘When You’re Smiling’ on his way to court.” – The Hollywood Reporter

“Gaga looks as if she’s a Manson girl who’s wandered off the set of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and plays Harleen with an appealingly feline cruelty.” – The Independent UK

“Phillips’ decision to cast a generational superstar in a role that seems designed to maximize both her supreme talents as a singer and her all-consuming screen presence as an actress just so he can sit her in the background of a courtroom whenever he’s not cutting her musical numbers off at the knees… well, it’s a lot more criminal than anything Arthur Fleck ever does in this movie.” – IndieWire

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