This Joker 2 Trailer Scene Has Everyone Losing It - Here's Why
Director Todd Phillips' "Joker" took the cinematic landscape by storm in 2019, offering up a different kind of comic book movie. It tells the tale of outcast-turned-criminal Arthur Fleck who, like the actor behind him, Joaquin Phoenix, undergoes a drastic transformation to become the Joker. Now an inmate of Arkham State Hospital, the upcoming "Joker: Folie à Deux" continues his story, and this time around, he's not alone. He's now joined by fellow Arkham resident Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) — someone who seems to genuinely care for Arthur, as well as his alter-ego.
According to the inaugural "Folie à Deux" trailer, which greatly highlights Harley, she and Arthur grow incredibly close throughout the film. This is exemplified in a moment toward the end of the teaser, where she draws a red smile on the glass separating them and asks to see the real him. He lines his face up with her drawing and smiles, evoking his Joker persona.
Numerous folks on X, formerly known as Twitter, have showered this moment with praise. "The best part of the #JokerFolieADeux trailer," wrote @tobiasnasty, with @TheFilmMaestro tweeting, "Whoever thought of this, bravo." @JarettSays, meanwhile, wrote, "Ok the shot where Joker smiles into the lipstick Harley drew on the glass is perfection."
So, why is this little moment between Harley and Arthur striking a chord with so many "Joker" fans? It's a telling moment if you read between the lines.
This moment says a lot about Arthur and Harley
Aside from the hint at Arthur Fleck's Joker face paint, the small moment he shares with Harley Quinn at the end of the "Joker: Folie à Deux" trailer says a lot about each of them and their connection. Arthur spends much of the previous film seeking acceptance. From his peers, his mother (Frances Conroy), his neighbor, Sophia Dumond (Zazie Beetz), and society at large, he yearns for admiration and love. At long last, he seems to have found all of that in Harley. He sits up straighter and smiles when she speaks to him and asks him to embrace his Joker identity, showing a more vulnerable and human side than he does with most.
As for Harley, this scene speaks to just how head-over-heels she is for Arthur. She understands that the Joker isn't a mere character for him. When he paints his face, he becomes his true self, and she doesn't want him to hide it, especially not around her. Elsewhere in the trailer, she too dons makeup of her own, likely embracing a new, twisted persona akin to his. All in all, Arthur has done terrible things and will likely do more with Harley, who seems eager to cause havoc in her own right. Thus, sweet moments like this and their overall love story have a sinister side, as one would expect for this new take on the iconic and chaotic DC Comics couple.
Moviegoers can watch Arthur and Harley's relationship flourish and see which of the biggest "Joker: Folie à Deux" fan theories come true when the film waltzes into theaters on October 4.