Is Joker: Folie à Deux secretly a masterpiece? Metal Gear Solid directly Hideo Kojima gives his review for the controversial sequel.
Hideo Kojima is a name that even cursory followers of the games industry should be intimately familiar with. He’s one of the most acclaimed developers in history, creating truly eclectic masterpieces like the Metal Gear Solid series alongside surreal passion projects like Death Stranding and the cancelled P.T. game set in the Silent Hill universe. He’s often considered one of the first true auteurs in the gaming sphere, especially given his passion for truly thought-provoking storytelling.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Hideo Kojima is also a fan of films, often sharing his review of any given movie on social media. The latest project to get this treatment is Joker: Folie à Deux. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the auteur developer seemed to enjoy the widely panned sequel, musing on its philosophical underpinnings while speculating that it’ll only be truly understood years down the line.
“I watched ‘Joker: Folie à Deux.'” Kojima wrote in a recent social media post. “The beginning of the film is an animation sequence, reminiscent of the nostalgic ‘Looney Tunes,’ depicting a story of Joker and Joker’s shadow. In the trial that follows, the question of his multiple personality is argued from beginning to end. Is the Joker Arthur? Is the Joker another personality (his shadow)? Who exactly is Arthur? This revelation eventually transforms into a meta-perspective.”
“In the previous film, ‘Joker,’ was it really Joker who captivated audiences around the world? Or was it Arthur? This question is constantly raised to Lee and even to the people of Gotham City within the film. We live in an age of mass production of ‘poetic justice’ heroes, a battle between good and evil. Lately, many spin-off films with a focus on the villains have been made.”
“Can villains be superheroes too? Is this question posed on the big screen as a DC movie, too avant-garde? Was it the Joker that audiences around the world loved? Was it Arthur? This is where the reviews have diverged. Over the next 10 or 20 years, this film’s reputation will likely change along with the permeation of hero movies to come. It may take some time for it to become a true ‘folie à deux.’ But there is no doubt that everyone in the audience loved Joaquin and Gaga in this film”
Are The Joker: Folie à Deux Reviews Wrong?
Hideo Kojima isn’t the only beloved auteur to love Joker: Folie à Deux. Quentin Tarantino infamously shared his review on the sequel last week, stating that the project made director Todd Phillips into the closest thing there was to a real life Joker. This has left many casual fans scratching their head and wondering if the film was actually better than they thought.
It’s certain that Joker: Folie à Deux has its redeeming qualities. However, even Quentin Tarantino and Hideo Kojima can’t deny that the film isn’t without its shortfalls. In many ways, the sequel is becoming just as Joker is in the film: a warped, flawed reflection of something. It’s just up for every individual to determine what that something is with their own review, and to decide if that something is worth anything to them at all.
Joker: Folie à Deux is now available for digital download and streaming. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the sequel and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
