5 Innocent Movies That Became Toxic

Joker is a film about Arthur Fleck, a man who feels cast aside by society, turning to violence. It's brutal and bloody, and it feels strange to call it "innocent."

However, before its release the media were afraid that it could lead to mass shootings. After all, they worried the film's cinematic violence could lead to some real world violence. Or so they said. Again, and again, and again.

There were so many major articles published about how Joker could cause some kind of mass shooting that, before the film came out, it seemed almost inevitable. As it happened, the film came to be remembered more for Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar-winning performance than for the story others anticipated around its release. It also made a tourist attraction out of a staircase in New York City.