‘Didn’t Even Use Her Right’: Fans Question If Lady Gaga's Potential Was Wasted In Joker Folie à Deux

Joker: Folie à Deux arrived in theatres, bringing back Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and introducing Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. While fans were excited about Todd Phillips directed sequel, the film’s musical approach has left many divided. Some viewers felt the musical numbers slowed down the action, with opinions clearly split.

Before the film even hit screens, it was already receiving disappointing reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie currently holds a 39% approval rating based on 166 reviews. The critics’ consensus review on Rotten Tomatoes can be read as, “Joaquin Phoenix’s eponymous Joker takes the stand in a sequel that dances around while the story remains still, although Lady Gaga’s wildcard energy gives Folie á Deux some verve."

In a recent interview on Good Morning Britain, a moment between Phoenix and Gaga caught the internet’s attention. When host Richard asked the duo if the movie met their expectations, both stars exchanged a glance before breaking into quiet laughter. Gaga playfully pretended to hand Phoenix a microphone, encouraging him to speak and steer away from the question. Phoenix, after a few awkward pauses, responded vaguely, saying, “Well I was there, I made the movie. So, I did know what was going to happen. Oh God, it’s so hard to talk about, because look, I think that, uh, I feel like we achieved what we set out to do and very early…" He then shifted the conversation to the film’s musical aspect, smoothly avoiding a direct answer.

The interview got people wondering if the cast was disappointed with the film’s final version. Online fans didn’t hold back, joking about the heavy focus on musical numbers. Much of the chatter is about Gaga’s role, with many feeling she was cast mainly for her singing. However, some argue that her vocal talent wasn’t fully showcased in the film.

One user expressing disappointment wrote, “I like Gaga, they didn’t even use her right man, just a bad movie too meta idk what else to say."

Another fan chimed in with, “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."

“It had a plot for sure, but overall meh. like if they were gonna do a musical they shoulda gone all out with it, like have characters dance have songs where everyone joins in. instead every song is joker and gaga just singing whilst everyone kinda blankly stares at them," someone else pointed out.

Apart from Phoenix and Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux features Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Zazie Beetz in prominent roles. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September and received a standing ovation.