Joker | Canadian First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Movie Review | Movie Commentary 

There are a million Joker origin stories. None of them are canon, at least more than any other one. It's part of the mystery and allure of Joker.

Joaquin deserved this Oscar. this performance was one of his best.

"The worst part of having a mental illness is people expect you to behave as if you don't" Arthur Fleck/Joker 2019

About Sophie's final destiny, Lawrence Sher, Joker cinematographer, said in an interview: "We wanted to make the interpretation of the real versus what’s not real, a part of the viewer’s experience. For instance, his relationship to Sophie is a fantasy to him. Some people have asked me, ‘Was she killed?’ [Director Todd Phillips] makes it clear she wasn’t killed. Arthur is killing people who’ve wronged him in a certain way, and Sophie never wronged him"

One of the few times I'm satisfied with the academy award decision. Joaquin Phoenix NAILED IT

In that comic you were talking about at the start, bruce wayne dies in the alley, thomas wayne becomes Batman, and Martha Wayne goes insane over the death of her son and becomes the joker

I don't think he killed his neighbor. Him not killing the short guy proves that. Joker kills people in this movie that have wrong him, he is not just killing randomly.

Not only does he not kill people who are nice to him, but he never has his laughing seizure after killing someone. He’s calm

You guys nailed one thing about this movie to a tee - it feels like you're intruding on something deeply personal in the beginning to the point of being uncomfortable. Amazing writing/acting/directing! ... not a movie to break out for a movie night, though 😅

I think it's pretty much confirmed that he spared the neighbor. She never did anything mean to him and barely engagaged small talk in the elevator. Remember why he spared Gary? Because he was the only one at his work who treated him nice.

I love that the Joker has always been an unreliable narrator/storyteller. You don't know if he's telling the truth or not. Both this movie and The Dark Knight (different stories of how he got the scars). Amazing movie and great reaction!

i love the subtle detail of the use of stairs in this film. at the beginning, we witness Arthur climb UP many stairs, and slowly through the course of the movie, the director decides to only show Arthur descending those same stairs, as if to showcase his mental state -- UP when trying to be an upright, moral citizen.. DOWN when he is spiraling into chaos. and in the final act Arthur is literally dancing down them. super clever.

From a storytelling perspective, making him wayne's son would be cliche and super weak (soap opera stuff, really)... but leaving it ambiguous whether it's real or not, just to get the audience in the character's shoes with that messed up doubt, that makes it pretty good.

The script has some interesting details: "This story takes place in its own universe. It has no connection to any of the DC films that have come before it. We see it as a classic Warner Bros. movie. Gritty, intimate and oddly funny, the characters live in the real world and the stakes are personal. Although it is never mentioned in the film, this story takes place in the past. Let's call it 1981." So, a sequel may be in the works, but don't expect it to tie into any of the other DC movies.

Wow you guys are so empathetic, it's actually really endearing. You guys are awesome. 👍🏼

Joaquin: all i have are negative thoughts Leto: All i have are negative reviews

The director stated that the neighbor was not dead. By the way, I think at that point, Arthur still killed people who were mean to him.

This movie hit suprisingly hard. It bothered me for a loong time after I watched it. Which is a hallmark of a great movie. One of the best depictions of a deep mental illness in cinema, imho.

The comic book your referring to George is called The Flashpoint Paradox. Barry Allen Flash goes back in time to save is mom from dying, but makes a different future/present. Bruce is killed. Thomas becomes Batman and Martha becomes The Joker.

The sad part about this film, more than anything, is this is a reflection of how things work with mental health in the USA in real life.

I cannot fathom how Simone doesn’t go insane having the earphones over her hair over her ears. Lol

That fridge scene was Phoenix going full method acting. He was supposed to create a mess in the kitchen, but when he threw the stuff out of the fridge, he just decided to step inside. It looked good, so they kept it in.

Phoenix was phenomenal in the role. Never would have expected this movie from Todd Phillips, but also makes me want to see CineBinge react to his comedies, which is what he's known for.

Joaquin Phoenix was absolutely phenomenal in this film. Plus the soundtrack is so unsettling and brilliant. A sequel was just announced and I can't fricken wait

For me, this movie was incredibly showing how we as humans need connection with other people, relating and interacting with them. In the beginning of the movie, we see that due to his injuries as a child, he just never developed the skills to normally interact and connect with people on a social or emotional level. He's taking notes, trying to dissect and piecemeal what that is so he can have it, so he can seem more normal. But it just doesn't work for him - we're watching someone who wants to but can't. He's so desperately searching for that interpersonal relationship but is unable to do it. Seeing him as we do and knowing everything he's going through, his attempts at being "normal" with the finger gun to the head, going to the comedy club, etc. just shows that he's not mean, he's not evil, he's just trying to fit in, he's trying to learn how to be a person. But he just can't make it stick and because of that, it comes across as creepy and unsettling to everyone else around him, further ostracizing him from what he needs most.

This is one of my favorite films that I never want or need to watch again. Very rare for a movie to make me feel so depressed and uncomfortable yet still love it.

the uncontrollable laughter is a real disease which I learned off of grey's anatomy and that show never lies lol

Me and my good friend sat outside the theatre on the curb next to his car for an hour and a half just discussing this movie after coming out of it. If that doesn't show anyone how brilliant this movie is I don't know what would.

"Let me believe what I want to believe!" Oh Simone...so awesome. One other comment: While it's left ambiguous, I think George is wrong about Arthur murdering his neighbor Sophie. Think about how he let Gary live after murdering Randall. He only kills those who have hurt him. Even though a fantasy, at that moment she asks him to leave, just as Gary needed help opening the door.

The sad part is if you look closely when he's on Murray's talk show, he's crying the entire time.

"Don't stare at a guy while he's peeing!" The Joker is a horrifying villain.

8:33 that “ don’t you have to be funny to be a comedian “ line was golden

7:15 Arthur's face here is actually a sign of Childhood Trauma. Often children who have been abused will smile and appear friendly even when under the stress of criticism or verbal abuse. Basically to appear as non confrontational as possible to avoid a situation similar to the abuse they sustained from happening. It's essentially a coping mechanism the body learns to avoid danger. This can make its way into adulthood as most coping mechanisms or reactions of a mentally or physically abused child do.

As a person who has been hit by multiple cars, the immediate response is to get away from the danger area. After that you assess the situation and then the pain sets in so you assess what is wrong with you. Thankfully the worst I got was a sprained wrist and an untreatable dent in my upper right thigh, but you are right with your reaction. Getting hit by a car at any speed is no walk in the park.

When Arthur is on the payphone, you can see one of the beagle-sized "super rats" in the alley.....

This is a brilliant social commentary on mental health and how we deal with it as a society. I think it's about as close to a perfect movie as I remember ever seeing and I'm glad to see it on your channel.

You guys need to appreciate how much of this story was real and how much was in his mind? Was he in the Asylum the whole time? The girl, love, the comedy show - did anyone of this happen?

Great reaction. The movie is hauntingly fantastic. I am not gunna lie the fact that Simone legit argued that the mom had any credibility was pretty frustrating. They spell it right out. But still great job guys, fun watch.

woah George was right, its the same handwriting and he got that in his first watch, woah again

Same composer as Chernobyl. And the mirror dance was improv. It's when genius meets genius really. What a movie.....

11 Academy Awards nominations, 3 Acadamy Awards wins, inlcuding Best Actor, Joaquin Phoenix. A masterpiece.

@ 36:15 Simone says "...and they are also brothers...crazy!!". I freaking lost it LOL. Simone, i adore you. George, you are the reactor I need in my reaction watching. love you two!

What makes this amazing is it creates a realistic and believable version of a comic villain.

I like how George sum's up the entire movie at the beginning - "ok so we have a sad clown"😅

One thing that's easy to miss: the first time Bruce sees Arthur he slides down a pole before walking over. This is a reference to the Batpole in the old Batman TV series. I don't think he killed Sophie. It's not his style. He killed people for revenge, and in the end, to create chaos. He wouldn't kill people just for the sake of it. Remember that he let Gary go after killing Randall. One thing I like about this movie is that it shows evil coming from somewhere. Arthur didn't start off evil. He was driven to it by a combination of mental illness and a toxic society. It's not just the lack of social services. So many people were cruel to him, sometimes for no reason other than their own amusement. I also like how the movie turns on its head the cliche of the guy with a girlfriend who's way more attractive than him.

I assumed anyone who watches this movie and doesn't cry at least once is either heartless, or has never known anyone with mental illness. As someone who struggles with a diagnosed anxiety and depressive disorder, just watching Arthur's struggles, even though this abridged reaction video seeing it for the umpteenth time, has me in tears. "The worst part of having a mental disorder is people expect you to act as though you don't" -- too fucking true. "Just go outside and take a walk if you're depressed, you'll feel better. I've been depressed before for like a month but I ate well and exercised and I got over it, so just get over it. Don't talk to me about it, it's so depressing!" Like, really, my depression is depressing? No fucking shit, genius! I'm looking for support, not for people to be trite and inaccurate and confuse sadness with depression in order to minimize my struggles. ...anyway. Good movie.

"Let me believe what I want to believe." - Simone Haha

Joaquin lost 52lbs for this role and “Joker” was set in 1981

When I saw this in the theater a lot of people complained about it. I was just happy that I had seen a great film that could bring mental health into the forefront of conversation. Great film

Had my own emotional roller coaster watching you guys react. Started off 😊 but then drop news that they are making a sequel to film that really feel like should stay in its own isolated story to this 😔 Hollywood just can't leave things alone.

The stairs that Joker walks on is located in the Bronx, NY. There was a time when I used to pass them everyday. Since the movie, people pose for pictures on the stairs doing Joker's "dance" just as they pose on the street in London where the Beatles took their iconic picture found on the cover of the album Abbey Road.

Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy (especially) were both big influences on this film.

Lol I like how Simone latched onto the idea of Arthur as a Wayne and never let go 😆

I remember seeing this in the theater and just sitting there at the end with all sorts of thoughts going through my head. And eventually I just had to get out of there and find something I could actually laugh at to feel better. Such a great performance and film, even if it did feel pretty bleak.

I love how you associated his dancing with his metamorphosis. Love it!

The mirror dancing scene gave me chills!

0:26 Yeah you're actually correct in the Flashpoint storyline that was created when Flash tried to go back in time to save his mum which created a new timeline in which Bruce died in Crime Alley instead of his parents. Martha with the lost of her child went mad and became the Joker while Thomas Wayne became Batman one who used guns and killed. Thomas Wayne wore a pretty cool suit one I highly recommend looking up. Unlike other DC Universe's that are disconnected from the main Earth the Flashpoint Earth was an alternate timeline closer to what happened in Back to the Future. Once Flash fixed this timeline this created a whole new universe starting the New 52 Comic's pretty much a reboot. Earth-2 which is the Golden age Earth a classic rendition of characters before the 1950s Sliver Age. This was the mainstream DC universe from the 1930s to the 1950s being replaced by a new Earth. DC introduced the Silver Age hero's like Barry Allen as Flash and Hal Jordan as Green Lantern but as they already had counterparts in the comic's DC decided to set them on a new Earth called Earth-1 while the Goldarn Age hero's were from Earth-2 where The Justice League of America existed while Earth-1 had The Justice League which would come later. Earth-1 is pretty much the version of these characters most people know of along with where the mainline DC stories take place becoming the mainstream DC universe. Earth-2 the universe in which the 1939 Batman is from a universe was kept alive by writers throughout the years even when the Main Earth-1 comic's were being pointed out Earth-2 stories were still being told. Funny enough there was a time when DC didn't inform readers what comic's took place in which universe as both Earth-1 and Earth-2 had Batman and Superman with the same designs with comic's releasing jumping between both universes. This change in September 1961 with Flash of Two Earths when older Golden Age Flash Garrick meet Silver Age Flash Barry Allen's when Flash crosses over into the different Earth. Another funky aspect is Jay's Flash from Earth-2 is a comic book character in Earth-1 a character Barry knows and looks up too which is strange as if Jay is a comic book character wouldn't that mean that Superman and Batman are comic book characters as well even though they exist in Earth-1 as year hero's. Anyways this is the first time Earth-1 or Earth-2 are mentioned. Earth-2 has many differences to the more mainstream such as Batman marrying Catwoman retiring as Batman and having a daughter who would later become Huntress, Helena Wayne. Dick Grayson is also the only Robin in this universe no Jason Tod or Tim Drake just Grayson. Wayne would only return to the role one last time after learning he was dying of cancer in order to stop Bill Jensen, who had been granted super-powers by the sorcerer Frederic Vaux. Having failed to arrest Jensen, Wayne took a Batman costume from the Gotham Museum and decided to attack Jensen directly as Batman. The two fought until Jensen realized that he could not deter Wayne in his attempt to stop Jensen. Jensen decided to destroy Batman and himself with a mystical blast which succeeded in killing Wayne, revealing to the world that he was the original Batman.After tracking down and defeating Vaux with the aid of the Justice Society, the Earth-Two Doctor Fate erased completely from all people on Earth-Two the knowledge that Batman and Bruce Wayne were one and the same person. Wayne's daughter Helena and Grayson would continue protecting Gotham City as the Huntress and Robin until they were killed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.Robin of Earth-2 actually met a younger Dick Grayson from Earth-1 along with Red Son Batman a universe where Batman was Russian which convinced Robin that Batman wasn't a person but a symbol leading to him taking up the mantle of Batman. Earth-2 was recreated after Crisis on Infinite Earth's which also created a Prime Earth which was pretty much Earth-1 but with elements from other universes such as characters and cities from comic's DC bought and wanted to add them to the DC universe. With the new canon post Crisis on infinite Earth's Batman and many of the Earth-2 hero's died during Darkseid's invasion but alot of the past I mentioned like Batman getting married to Catwoman and having Helena Wayne this all still happened it's just how Batman died that was changed along with the events themselves and the outcome. Now we get to our point on Thomas Wayne. So in Earth-2 it's revealed that Thomas actually survived the mugging all those years ago and took up the mantle of Batman to honor his son and attempt to atone for his own failures after Bruce's death. So yeah there's been two cases of Thomas being Batman in the Alternated Flashpoint Timeline of Prime Earth (Main DC Earth) and Thomas Wayne of Earth-2 who secretly survived.

I had goosebumps when the clowns lifted him onto the car in the theatre. The crowd actually cheered for the blood smile.

I'm genuinely surprised you guys knew so little about this movie before going in. I can understand when it's an older film, but this was only from 2019 and it was a HUGE phenomenon; imagery from it invaded pop-culture so fast.

"He's such a method act he grew extra joints?"

Glad you guys liked this one! A very controversial movie, but I think, a great film. From what I understand, Joker didn't kill his neighbor. There was a scene cut from the film where they revealed she was unharmed and alive. Also, this film borrows from two of Martin Scorcese's films, "Taxi Driver" and "The King of Comedy" that are definitely worth seeing. In "King of Comedy" Deniro plays a struggling comedian, who kidnaps the host of "The Tonight Show" to get his act on TV. It was great that this time, he's the host.

I love the hyper realistic Joker universe, with real NYC locations as Gotham. Every aspect of this film is just incredible - including the cello-heavy soundtrack. I'm very curious about where they take it from here, if they do go ahead with Joker2 or something else in the same universe.

when the young Bruce Wayne slides down his playground pole - thats a nod to the 60s Batman TV series where Batman had a 'batpole' he'd slide down into the batcave

My reaction was so different, I rooted for him through most of the movie even when he killed the 3 dudes. Now I'm thinking something might be wrong with me 😅

You should check out "Parenthood" from the 80's. Joachim Phoenix as an adolescent, Keanu Reeves, Steve Martin, a ton of others. Excellent movie.

The lingering questions for this movie are, what was real and what was imagined. The broader message is about mental illness, yes. But as far as this story, it was purposely made vague as to which murders were actually committed and which were fantasy. Or was he always institutionalized because of his illness, and the only true murder he committed was the therapist at the end? if there is a sequel--which is the rumor--i would think some of these questions will be answered, particularly if they indeed fold it into the Batman universe.

There was a comic where Bruce dies and Thomas becomes Batman and Martha becomes Joker, but on the anniversary of his death they meet in the alley to remember him and how they went their separate ways. Its actually heartbreaking.

For a dark movie this was pretty comedian friendly. Gary Gulman was on stage at the club. Sam Morrill was on the TV and Mark Maron was DeNiros assistant. There may have been others that I missed.

Robert Deniro is in this movie because he starred in a 1983 movie called "The King Of Comedy" where he actually had dillusions of being the host of a late night show that Jerry Lewis hosted. Deniro's character also lived with his mom and his love interest was a black woman as well. The paralles in both movies are uncanny.

There's been rumblings of a sequel, given the reception of Joker (and rightly so!) I also heard somewhere (really unreliable don't take my word for it) that the sequel would introduce Harley Quinn and would be a musical! Now I love Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street (put on react list pls 😁) so I'm all for it myself!!!

This movie is a good litmus test for what your own personal jumping off point is. You’re allowed to empathize with Arthur to a point. But the director intended to push that to the extreme so that people will question when enough is enough.

To me the best idea of this movie is that the jokers laugh is an illness and he can't control it. Awesome!

Such a fantastic film, easily my favourite DC content in years!

the laughter is an actual medical condition called a pseudobulbar affect which can happen when brain injury is sustained. Phoenix (according to what I read) watched people with the actual condition and tried to recreate it as best he could. This movie is primarily about mental illness and a poignant (albeit visceral and gruesome) portrayal of what happens when we let people slip through the cracks.

Neighbour isn't dead. There is a cut-scene, where she is sitting in Front of the TV watching Arthur in the Show. It was cut, because Todd Philips wanted every Scene in the Movie presenting Arthur's View.

24:00 it's not hiding from the world, old fridges have mechanical latches. People used to kill themselves by locking themselves in the refrigerator because unless someone opens it from the outside you cannot get out. Which makes this scene not necessarily make sense, unless you consider that it is another of Arthur's fantasies; what he was thinking about/planning before he got the call and the opportunity to go do it on the show.

Loved how you 2 reacted to this movie, one of the better reactions out there to one of the best movies ever made, with a rather small budget. Can't wait for part 2, although it was meant as a stand alone movie, it will never be as good but that doesn't stop my curiosity in finding out where the author is gonna take this!😃 PS: The neighbour girl(s) aren't dead, he never killed nice people or people he liked which are usually both (except his mother that he realised both not his mother as well as the source of his mental illness), 4 example Garry.

Nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture but won for: Best Actor Joaquin Phoenix Best Original Score It was the first DC Movie to be nominated for all categories. It was also the highest grossing R rated movie of 2019, $1 billion dollars. A Sequel, Joker: Madness For Two, is in development and will be turned into a musical with Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.

Best moment: The look on her face when she realizes she has the same teapot as The Joker. Lol

What's that old saying? "When you're young you want to be the hero, when you're old you understand the villain."

For the people who are familiar with Scorcese's "King of Comedy", you realize how much of an inspiration that Scorcese had on this film (De Niro was in that movie as well). If you haven't seen it, and you like Joker, I can't recommend that movie too highly. One thing I will say is that while New York State, and NYC in particular has excellent mental health programs, as compared with almost anywhere else in the country, when you have to deal with government institutions like Social Security, Snap, Medicare, Medicaid, etc., as well as the various housing services, if you were not mentally ill beforehand, you'll likely be driven crazy simply by all the bureaucracy. There can be so many roadblocks to getting and maintaining necessary help, and when you have a mental illness, as bad as it is for anyone, it's far worse to deal with. If you can get some kind of a case worker to help you, that CAN be incredibly helpful. Unfortunately, I know that not all case workers are created equal. Years ago, I got a case worker, and I could never get her on the phone when I actually needed help. I also know people who've had really horrific experiences with the system. I know one person who literally lost ALL his benefits because his employer asked him to work a little overtime, and that put his income just a tiny bit over the limit. He worked one hour overtime, and lost everything. That said, fortunately, MOST people do not have as bad an experience as the character in this film.

This is quickly becoming my favorite reaction channel! You guys are so down-to-earth and radiate authenticity and positive energy, it puts other channels to shame. Thanks for your videos! Looking forward to more

Apparently the neighbor isn’t dead - according to Todd there was a scene of her watching The Murray Show during Arthur’s appearance that got cut cause it didn’t fit the overall tension of the scene.

The girl survived because there is a deleted scene somewhere of her watching the chaos going down on the show from her apartment at the end..

Joaquin Phonenix is great as Joker. I'm glad he won an Oscar for it. React to Batman (1989) and Batman Returns.

When this movie came out next day I obsessively started painting that Joker elevator shot with the red coat. Ignored everything and everyone for about a week and it was the best thing I ever made. ❤️ Really Love that mirror dance scene. The symbolism was perfect.

The movie plays a lot with Arthur's reality/imagination. A lot of things that we see Arthur wished would happen, but might not have happened, are lit in a pale orange light. The things that probably did happen, are lit in a pale blue light. And in some scenes they play with the strength of the lighting of each color. Lots of oranges and blues fluctuating back and forth.

I always thought that the bloody footprints at the end were just a metaphor for wherever he now treads there will be death, rather than he killed the councillor/doctor and stepped in her blood.

Simone isn't entirely wrong about them being brothers. The movie intentionally makes the viewer wonder, even with the discovery of the adoption papers. The biggest thing the movie tosses at the audience to instill doubt is the shot of the photo that Arthur looks at. It's of Penny, and it says, "Love your smile, T.W." I think you're meant to entertain the idea that Thomas Wayne used his power to fabricate adoption papers, etc. Edit: Okay, Simone brings this up at the end, so obviously you were already aware. But I personally didn't catch any similarity between the handwriting. Even if it was similar, I'm pretty sure it's STILL meant to cast doubt in the audience's mind. About George's question about the neighbor: When I saw this in the theaters, I assumed he had killed the neighbor. I've since read comments that the director definitively said he didn't - so I guess that ends that debate.

A friend that went to see it told me he actually heard some one say"this doesn't happen" but it does way too often.

When arthur was letting his small person friend out the locked door...did you catch the joke he told him? "You were the only person at work who never looked down on me." It was probably the most original joke about his size that character had ever heard. Enough that even after seeing a violently viscous murder, he was able to say, "good one Arthur." & Begrudgingly laugh a little. Undoubtedly the best character development moment after having killed his mother....the Joker's first evil villain kill quip.

When we see him laugh at the end, it's the first time we see him laughing because he actually wants to instead of laughing because he's forced to

Nothing about this movie is DC canon. Though there are a few homages and references to some stories from the comics, it is very much its own thing. The comics canon also has a habit of being altered and changed over the years, especially since they'd have to keep telling new stories over 70+ years since the character's creation. So there really isn't one definitive canon to adhere to.

He could have got away with just saying, "Oh, that wasn't a real gun. It was a water gun. I am a clown, after all!"

Simone: "I'm not saying it's Thomas Wayne... but it's ✋Thomas Wayne.🤚"

I think the entire movie was all in his mind.(with the exception of his conversation with the doctor at the end. Him killing her is in his head too IMO) His past, his condition, everything. At the beginning of the movie George said that he felt sorry for Arthur. That's what the story wants you to feel. It wants you to sympathize with Arthur. There's a lot of people that create scenarios in their head. Getting the girl, being successful, being understood. Even tragic scenarios. Mix that with a character with a great mental illness and you have what we just watched.

George, I skip those scenes, too... if I can. I'm the same way.

It was confirmed by the director that he didn't harm her, well except emotionally by surprising her by breaking into her place. Not every detail is always covered, I mean she could have called the cops but decided not too. If he would have killed her, there would be way more investigations in the building and the detectives who were already looking into him would have been all over him right away.

Amazing performance by Joaquin Phoenix.

I really love how the movie ties the story of the joker together with social commentary. I see the joker as an analogy for a riot, people who have been abandoned by society will at some point snap and turn to sensless violence. As you said, the city reflects the joker.