Love it or hate it, 2019’s Joker was a global phenomenon. Todd Phillips’ origin story for Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), aka the Joker, became a critical success — it won two Oscars and one Golden Lion — and a financial juggernaut with a worldwide gross of over $1 billion. Five years later, Phillips and Phoenix reteamed for the sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, while also recruiting the services of Lady Gaga to play Harley Quinn.
Like its predecessor, Joker 2 will be extremely polarizing. Folie à Deux has already received more negative reviews than Joker, and its box office haul will be significantly less than the billion-dollar mark reached by its predecessor. However, there will still inevitably be many fans of the agent of chaos. If you’re looking for more films like Joker 2, try one of these three movies below.
Nightcrawler (2014)
Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Arthur Fleck have much in common. The two mentally ill sociopaths are fed up with societal norms and standards. Louis and Arthur shape their own narratives, refusing to trust the media that has continuously lied and let them down. While Arthur becomes Joker as a coping mechanism, Louis transforms into a nighttime stringer, aka a freelance journalist.
After witnessing the aftermath of a car crash, an inspired Louis buys a camcorder and police scanner in hopes of becoming a successful journalist. While on the nocturnal beat, Louis learns from a fading news director (Rene Russo) that her station wants coverage of more graphic incidents — violence, car chases, and murder — to boost the network’s ratings. Louis complies, even if how he achieves his goals comes through unethical means. Phoenix won his Oscar for Joker. The same should have been true for Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler.
Stream Nightcrawler on Starz.
American Psycho (2000)
Two deranged men, after suffering psychotic breakdowns, resort to anarchy and violence to get by in their lives. They feed their minds with so many lies that, eventually, they believe them to be true. While Arthur dresses in a clown suit, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) prefers an impeccable three-piece suit, an expensive watch, and a pristine business card.
The time? 1987. The place? New York City. In American Psycho, Bateman is a handsome and wealthy investment banker who obsesses over his image. During the day, Bateman is a successful young professional. At night, Bateman lives a double life as a serial killer — a delusional soul who copes with his anger through murder and violence. The more Patrick murders, the more his life spirals out of control. He’ll have to watch his every move, though, with an inquisitive detective (Willem Dafoe) tracking his movements.
Stream American Psycho on Netflix.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Arthur isn’t the first tortured man Phoenix has played. In 2017, Phoenix starred in You Were Never Really Here, Lynn Ramsay’s underrated crime thriller. Joe (Phoenix) is a mercenary for hire who specializes in rescuing trafficked girls. Like Arthur, Joe is a victim of abuse who was forced to take care of his mother. Arthur kills because he embraces chaos, while Joe murders for vengeance.
Joe is hired by a New York State senator (Alex Manette) to find his daughter, Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov), who will likely be trafficked. He is encouraged to secure Nina through any means necessary. Upon rescuing Nina, Joe doesn’t want to make only her captors pay; he wants to bring down the entire organization.
Stream You Were Never Really Here on Prime Video.
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