Movies Why was Joker Popular

I’m about to say something that might be a little unpopular. I’ve recently watched the Joker, and I did not care for it much.

I realize this is subjective experience, but I was downright miserable watching it. The entire movie is just uncomfortable to me in both tone and context of the story itself.

In terms of tone and visuals, it’s a remarkable piece. Gotham feels like a complete and total shitpile. It’s dark and grungy, filled with filth and garbage on every street corner and is a perfect set piece for the overall movie. I honestly think this is how a realistic Gotham would look.

As to the story itself, it’s just fucking miserable. It’s a constant downward spiral from minute one and I remember thinking how much I’d rather be anywhere else than watching this movie.

For the record, I’m not calling it a bad movie. It apparently struck a cord with a lot of people and is a good art piece as things go. But why?

Why did it strike such a cord, and why would someone want to sit through a story that is about nothing but the abject, total, and complete misery and degradation of another human being?

I just don’t understand why someone would want to watch such a movie, and I’m a huge fan of the horror genre.

Help me out guys. Am I missing something here?

I knew it would be like that and so didn't even watch it. Although I heard its got a commentary of sorts against the woke crowd which is nice I guess.

I pay to go to the movies to be entertained. I can always get depressed for free.

I don't think the film was depressing. It wasn't like a Requiem of a Dream style sadathon.

It was entertaining not in the action or excitement but just as beung engaged with the story and themes. It's like Taxi Driver or Falling Down. Its an interesting character journey with relevant themes not often explored in a major film but it's not artsy or preachy but its not so dreary as to be depressing either.

The Joker character had a spiraling downward journey through the film but I never felt depressed by his character arc. No more then I would watching some other drama with themes of loss.

It is a throw back to the 1970's and 1980's and the problems on the inner city. There is a reason that movie basically looks like 1970's New York. So with older audiences it rang with what they grew up with and the problems they lived though.

For a lot of younger people they see it as how the goverment is failing and life is getting worse. This is not necessarily correct but there is a bunch of younger people that feel like they left behind in today's world.


There is also the fact that it captures what Joker is. He is the worse impuses of people.

One of the best lines about Joker is from the Batman Begins movies. "some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn." is a perfect summary of the Joker.

As charater study this movie captures that and does so in anew way with an old charater.


Overall I do agree that the movie is not really one I will rewatch like Ironman. Joker is very much not your standard Marvel superhero movie. Instead DC tried something else and it worked.

It also helped that the the Joker had plotlines that where believable. The sideline about being a bastard is some thing that could be true or false and the main character being crazy only throws everything farther into the air.

So while Joker is popular it is more like Schindler's List. A classic that people see once but do not rewatch like A New Hope.