In 2019, Todd Phillips pushed the boundaries of comic book adaptations with Joker, a coming-of-age character study inspired by Martin Scorsese’s work in Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. The controversial film received considerable acclaim, including an Academy Award for Joaquin Phoenix as the titular protagonist. The film’s ambiguous ending would have sealed a stunning standalone entry in an oversaturated market of cinematic universes.

But every movie that makes over $1 billion at the box office needs a sequel. And — let’s be honest — who better to make a sequel than the man who made The Hangover Part II and III? Nothing can go wrong here. I present to you Joker: Folie á Deux.

How do you follow up that first film? Phillips hits the mark here by turning it into a musical. Unfortunately, he forgot to make it a good one. Music sensation Lady Gaga has had a stellar acting career of late in A Star is Born and House of Gucci , and she's a genius casting choice for Harleen "Lee" Quinn. While this film's portrayal is different from Margot Robbie's interpretation or anything from the cartoons, Gaga has a lot of screen presence as the character. Phoenix won an Oscar for his work as Arthur Fleck the first time around, and while he won't be taking home the gold medal this time around, his performance feels like an excellent continuation of the first film.

But Joker: Folie á Deux is the rare film that truly feels like it wasn’t made for anyone. The target audience for the first Joker is generally not music fans. Music fans and Gaga fans might come to this film only to be shocked by how bad the music is. Phoenix isn’t a singer and can’t always keep up with Gaga’s talent. It’s a fascinating choice at first because Arthur first sees Lee singing, so he sings to communicate with her. An early dance number is excellent because it starts off as this twisted whirlwind romance between two psychopaths who are perfectly suited for each other.