Pop superstar and actor Lady Gaga has opened up about the mixed reception to her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. Since the film's release, Gaga, who portrays Harley Quinn, has largely remained silent on the matter, though she did release a companion album, Harlequin. In a recent interview with Elle, she finally shared her perspective. Gaga explained that she navigates negative feedback, as with any challenging project, by managing her expectations beforehand.
“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.”
AnswerSee ResultsJoker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 hit, premiered last October to a less-than-enthusiastic response from critics and audiences. It currently holds a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with some reviews criticizing its uneven execution as a musical, courtroom drama, and sequel. Its theatrical run was short-lived, leading to a swift digital release. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav later described the film's performance as “disappointing.”
Gaga acknowledged the impact of this less-than-stellar reception, stating, “When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of. It’s part of the mayhem.”
Despite the mixed reception of Joker: Folie à Deux, Gaga is moving forward with other projects. Her new studio album, Mayhem, is set for release this March, marking the end of a five-year hiatus since her last full-length album, Chromatica. For further perspectives on Joker 2, you can read about Quentin Tarantino’s positive review and Hideo Kojima's prediction of a changing critical consensus over time. You can also find our list of 2024's biggest disappointments [here].
