The new teaser trailer for the upcoming Warner film Joker dropped on Wednesday, and got the internet a-flutter with its gritty depiction of Joaquin Phoenix as the Batman baddie.
The movie is set to come out on October 4, 2019, is directed by Todd Phillips, and stars Phoenix, Zazie Beets, Robert De Niro, Brian Tyree Henry, Marc Maron, and many more.
In the trailer, there were sweeping shots. There was “Smile” by Nat King Cole played ominously on the soundtrack, and lots of creepy laughter. There was a lot in just two and a half minutes.
So let’s break down everything we saw. Here are five things we learned from the trailer.
1. They’re leaning on “The Killing Joke” backstory
“The Killing Joke” was a graphic novel by Alan Moore that depicted The Joker as a failed comedian and, if this trailer’s couple scenes set inside a comedy club are any indication, Joker will do the same.
Couple that with the “weird, older guy who lives with his mother” thing channeling Psycho vibes and we got a good old fashioned villain creation myth cooking.
2. I … did not know Todd Phillips had this in him
Todd Phillips is the director of Joker. He also directed Road Trip, Old School. The Hangover movies, etc. When I think of Todd Phillips, I do not think of a sweeping, ambitious, gritty period character study. Who knows, though? Maybe he had it in him all along.
3. Joaquin Phoenix does that weird skinny guy back thing that’s sort of freaky
Phoenix will have to hold his performance up to Heath Ledger’s masterpiece in The Dark Knight, and I will say he’s one of the few people alive who can play that damaged, earnest, broken character and do it convincingly. (See: The Master.)
For this he also does the thing where he lost a bunch of weight and awkwardly flexes his back with the camera on him from behind that’s been done effectively in a whole bunch of movies and still manages to give me the willies.
4. The laugh at 1:05 is delightful
Great, weird laugh. Well done, Mr. Phoenix.
5. There isn’t going to be a lot of Batman
This is a backstory, and it sure looks like they’re leaning all in on the backstory. There is a risk in doing this, of course. The Joker is only as interesting as who he’s playing off of, and by only focusing on his background, you run the risk of turning the movie into a boring slog of an unhappy guy not quite, and then finally, reaching his breaking point.
That can be interesting, I suppose. But you know what else is interesting? Watching Batman and Joker beating the snot out of each other.
