Paul Schrader, the legendary screenwriter behind the 1976 classic Taxi Driver, knows his way around dark, complex characters. Recently, the iconic '80s director set his sights on critiquing a dark entry on the 2024 movie schedule: Joker: Folie à Deux. Having helped shape the gritty, introspective style of American cinema—not only through Taxi Driver but also through writing Raging Bull and directing Hardcore, American Gigolo, and Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters—the auteur is no stranger to tough critiques. His latest target? He had some scathing words for Todd Phillips' Joker sequel.
During a chat with Slave Play playwright Jeremy O. Harris for Interview Magazine, Schrader opened up about his feelings on big-budget commercial films. He didn’t mince words when asked about his impression of Joker 2, which, to mixed effect, pushed boundaries with a musical twist and the addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. The Affliction screenwriter’s critique, as blunt as you might expect, left little doubt about his view on the film, as he said:
I saw about 10 or 15 minutes of it. I left, bought something, came back, saw another 10 minutes. That was enough.
To those familiar with the Auto Focus filmmaker’s raw honesty, this might not come as a surprise. However, his dismissal of the film doesn’t stop at the content itself. The 77-year-old director went on to criticize not only the movie’s structure as a musical but also its two main stars. He continued:
I don’t like either of those people. I don’t like them as actors. I don’t like them as characters. I don’t like the whole thing. I mean, those are people who, if they came to your house, you’d slip out the back door.
Ouch. Schrader’s sharp criticism of Joaquin Phoenix, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker, and Lady Gaga, who received acclaim for her performance in A Star Is Born, cuts right to the core of his frustrations with modern cinema. His remarks on Joker: Folie à Deux reflect a broader critique of contemporary Hollywood and seem to align with the negative response the Jokeer sequel has received from audiences. As you may have heard, the movie has struggled with disappointing box office numbers and harsh reactions from critics.
Paul Schrader’s thoughts seem particularly pointed, given how the original Joker film drew heavy inspiration from Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, both of which he had a significant hand in creating. Despite Joker's success, the There Are No Saints writer’s disdain for its sequel suggests that for him, Folie à Deux is far from the gritty, subversive cinema he once helped define.
However, perhaps the criticism from the former UCLA film student is less surprising when considering his broader views, as expressed in the same conversation. The director of the Dominion revealed his disinterest in mainstream, high-budget filmmaking, reflecting on his own brief encounter with the genre while working on the prequel to The Exorcist. He added:
That was supposed to be a big-budget commercial film, and it didn’t sit easy with me... More and more, I realized it was a bad fit.
Hey, fair enough, big-budget spectacle isn't for everyone, and that’s okay.
Paul Schrader is no stranger to harsh criticism, even for his own work. His erotic 2013 thriller The Canyons—written by American Psycho novelist Bret Easton Ellis and starring Lindsay Lohan alongside real-life porn star James Deen—was torn apart by critics upon its release. Thankfully, that didn’t stop him from creating more films, or we wouldn’t have First Reformed, The Card Counter, and The Master Gardener—three films that, in my opinion, form an unofficial trilogy and are nothing short of incredible.
Schrader’s latest film, Oh Canada, is set for release on December 6. As for Joker: Folie à Deux, if you’re curious to make up your own mind about it, it’s still playing in theaters. Check your local listings, and don’t forget to take a peek at our 2025 movie schedule for other upcoming releases!
