Lady Gaga Addresses the Backlash Against 'Joker: Folie à Deux'
Pop icon and actress Lady Gaga has finally addressed the mixed reception to her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. Following the film's release, Gaga remained largely silent on the matter, despite releasing a companion album, Harlequin, to coincide with the movie. In a recent interview with Elle, she shared her perspective on the negative criticism.
Gaga explained that she navigated the negativity, as she does with any challenging project, by managing her expectations beforehand. She stated simply, “People just sometimes don’t like some things. And I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it. And you keep going even if something didn’t connect in the way that you intended.”
AnswerSee ResultsReleased last October, Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to Todd Phillips' highly successful 2019 film, received underwhelming reviews from critics and audiences alike. Currently holding a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film's theatrical run was short-lived, leading to a swift digital release. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav even described the film's performance as "disappointing."
Gaga acknowledged the challenges of facing such criticism, stating, “When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of. It’s part of the mayhem.”
Despite the less-than-stellar reception of Joker: Folie à Deux, Gaga is focusing on future endeavors. She recently announced the release of her new studio album, Mayhem, in March 2025, marking the culmination of a five-year wait since her previous album, Chromatica. For further perspectives on the film, you can explore opinions from Quentin Tarantino, who expressed his appreciation for the sequel, and Hideo Kojima, who believes its reception will evolve over time. A list of 2024's biggest cinematic disappointments is also available.
