10 Movies That Tried To Subvert Expectations (But Still Sucked)

3. Joker: Folie A Deux

"Subversive in all the wrong ways" would be the best way to sum this one up. Joker: Folie a Deux doesn't subvert on an interesting thematic or formal level, but rather it subverts the rules of good filmmaking and storytelling, not to mention how to make a successful musical.

Joker: Folie a Deux is a film that goes out of its way to defy expectations, but never has the good storytelling or commitment to character to back this up. For example, towards the end of the movie, Arthur Fleck/Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) dramatically renounces his Joker persona and confesses to his crimes. 

This was surprising, sure, but since it wasn't built up properly by the script, it feels totally unearned. Most of all, it's a complete regression of Arthur's character, and a good sequel should move their characters forward, not backward. 

Similarly, it's supposed to be a musical, and yet it never quite commits to being a musical, seeming to feel insecure about it if anything. It's a film that does several out-there things, but it's all bark and no bite, with this sequel ultimately doing little more than going over the events of the first movie in a crushingly dull courtroom drama. The ending is good, not to mention overhated, but that's the one thing that really works here. 

Fans of the first Joker have absolutely loathed Joker 2, and while fans often hate on movies excessively, in this case, the fan backlash couldn't have been more deserved.