10 Best Superhero Films Of The 2010s

The film that no-one wanted until it was given to them. And oh boy, did everyone eat their words after this one.

The Joker is an enigma in many comic book stories in that no-one knows who he is or why he does what he does. Fans love this about him to the point that nobody wants to know the story behind the fabled Clown Prince of Crime. DC, however, gave us an origin story that not only won fans over, but terrified everyone for being so convincing it could happen at any time in real life.

Arthur Fleck, a clown-for-hire with a series of mental health issues, runs through one bad moment after another, wanting nothing more than to make people happy and look after his ailing mother.

Talking too much about the plot would spoil the film for those who haven't seen it, but it's truly a haunting tragedy about the neglect of mental health services and what might happen if vulnerable people are left to fend for themselves in a broken system.

At the heart of all this though is Joaquin Phoenix, who does a phenomenal job portraying the Joker and depicts his downfall from failed comic to anarchist idol to perfection, never quite knowing what he will do, or worse, what he's capable of doing. You just watch the scene in the children's hospital and see if you don't get nervous, because you will.