SPOILER ALERT!

If you like movies that make you tense and uncomfortable for a full two hours, or if you like movies that leave you at the end with few positive revelations, then Joker is for you!

The latest movie to hit #1 at the box office is Joker: directed by Todd Phillips, and Joaquin Phoenix is the absolute star of the show (as if it could be anyone else): he does an awesome job of leaving you uncomfortable and uncertain the entire run-time. His laughter makes your skin crawl, and his comedy leaves you with nervous laughter, and for good reason: he drives the feeling of the whole movie into tense and uncomfortable territory.

You’ll have this overwhelming feeling throughout the movie that you know what’s going to happen, but you have to sit in anticipation and wait for it to happen. At one point, you’ll also feel like you can’t trust anything or any one, not even the Joker himself (but who would trust the Joker??).

There was only one part of the movie that felt like it didn’t belong; the “romance”, but even that was resolved well with the reasoning that he made it up. So it made sense that it didn’t fit seamlessly with the rest of the story.

It’s a full two hours of tense and being uncomfortable, with only one or two comedic relief moments. But by the end of the movie, even the comedic relief feels out of place.

Seriously, it’s a fantastic movie and super well done: the soundtrack is beautiful, the cinematography is awesome, and the acting is phenomenal.

It seems like the DC Universe hit their stride with dark and intense movies.

You’ll just have to unclench your teeth and relax your shoulders after.

9/10

@katie