Pop music superstar and actor Lady Gaga has recently opened up about the negative reception to her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. The Grammy-winning artist, who portrayed a more grounded version of the classic DC comics villain Harley Quinn, had remained relatively silent about her involvement in the movie since its release. Gaga also released a companion album titled Harlequin to deepen her ties to the project. In a candid conversation with Elle, she finally shared her thoughts on the film's reception, explaining how she navigates the challenges of negative feedback by managing her expectations.
"People just sometimes don’t like some things," Gaga stated. "It’s that simple. And I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it. And you keep going even if something didn’t connect in the way that you intended."
Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to director Todd Phillips’ highly successful 2019 film, premiered last October to mixed reviews. Critics and fans alike were less than enthusiastic, resulting in a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from both audiences and critics. Our own review rated it a 5/10, describing it as a "mediocre" film that "wastes its potential as a movie musical, a courtroom drama, and a sequel that has anything meaningful to say about or add to the first Joker." The film's theatrical run was underwhelming, leading to a quick transition to digital release. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav later described the film’s performance as "disappointing."
Gaga spoke about the impact of such feedback, acknowledging the difficulty of dealing with the fear of failure. "When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of," she said. "It’s part of the mayhem."
Despite the setback with Joker: Folie à Deux, Gaga is looking forward with excitement. She recently announced that her latest studio album, Mayhem, will be released this March, marking the end of a five-year hiatus since her last full-length record, Chromatica. For those interested in more insights on Joker 2, you can explore why Quentin Tarantino says he loved the sequel, and why Hideo Kojima believes the movie’s reception will change over time. Additionally, our list of the biggest disappointments of 2024 can be found here.
