Take a black piece of paper. Use a black magic marker to cover every inch of it. Envelope that paper in a black blanket and shoot it off into space. That is how dark Todd Phillips’ Joker is.
The first half is a magical ride to stardom on the back of charm and earnestness. The second half is the juxtaposition of spirals upward and downward that both feel unsatisfying. The end result is a movie that is likely to divide, but unlikely to be forgotten.