10 Intense Upcoming Movie Performances You're Not Ready For

9. Joaquin Phoenix - The Joker

For all of the concerns about the idea of a Joker origin movie and the potential demystification of one of Hollywood's most prized character brands (it happened with Solo, after all), Todd Phillips strange Joker project actually looks pretty phenomenal.

It helps, of course, that they cast Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. He's a character actor well-versed in deep, intense immersion and everything we've seen from the marketing materials suggests that his descent into madness and villainy is going to be totally captivating.

There's a quiet creepiness to his performance as Arthur Fleck, but it will be his triumphant, grotesque blossoming into The Joker that will offer the most intense element of his double-role. And honestly, it could be astonishing.