Joker: Folie à Deux - Taxi Driver writer slams the film, calls it ‘a really bad musical’; blames Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga

Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader has now given his review for Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga starrer Joker: Folie à Deux and it's brutal.

Paul Schrader Slams Joker 2

The way things have gone downhill for Joker: Folie à Deux (aka Joker 2) is not just disappointing but also unsettling. A movie that was placed on a pedestal as high as this one, starring the likes of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, has gone so wrong that it's raising alarms across the industry. If a film projected as a straight Oscar contender and box office juggernaut can flop this badly, no one is safe. The movie, which was expected to make waves, struggled to even pass the test of its first weekend, let alone sustain a decent box office run over the following days. Now, as Joker 2 continues its free fall, a well-known Hollywood figure has decided to weigh in. Legendary screenwriter Paul Schrader has harshly criticized the film, labeling it a "really bad musical."

Paul Schrader Slams Joker: Folie à Deux

For those unfamiliar, Paul Schrader is a writer-director behind some of Hollywood's most iconic films. He wrote Martin Scorsese’s classics Taxi Driver and Raging Bull as well as Rolling Thunder by John Flynn. Schrader has now shared his brutally honest review of Joker: Folie à Deux, and it’s clear he is unimpressed. In fact, he appears to be outright frustrated, attacking the film from all angles.

As reported by Interview Magazine Schrader spoke about his experience watching Joker: Folie à Deux, saying, "I saw Joker: Folie à Deux. I watched about 10 or 15 minutes of it. I left, bought something, came back, saw another 10 minutes. That was enough. It’s a really bad musical." When asked to elaborate on what he disliked about the film, he didn't hold back, blaming the movie’s lead actors. "I don’t like either of those people," Schrader remarked, referring to Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. "I don’t like them as actors. I don’t like them as characters. I don’t like the whole thing," he added. "I mean, those are people who, if they came to your house, you’d slip out the back door."

Also Read: Joker: Folie à Deux Review - What if Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga danced through Gotham in an Imtiaz Ali tale?

Is Paul Schrader Interested in the MCU?

Paul Schrader has long distanced himself from the superhero genre. When asked if he had any interest in directing a Marvel movie, his answer was a firm "No." He elaborated, "No, no. The closest I got to it, and I realized it really wasn’t for me, was when I tried to do the prequel to The Exorcist with Stellan Skarsgård." Schrader explained, "That was supposed to be a big-budget commercial film, and it didn’t sit well with me. I had problems with the producers, problems with everything. More and more, I realized it was a bad fit."

You can watch Taxi Driver streaming on SonyLIV, and it’s also available with your OTTplay Premium subscription. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more updates on the world of streaming and films.

Also Read: Joker: Folie à Deux Ending Explained: Is this Joaquin Phoenix’s last time as Arthur Fleck?

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