Every Joker Movie Performance EVER Ranked From Worst To Best

2. Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

There was no doubt that audiences were going to get a singular Joker with Joaquin Phoenix playing the part, and unsurprisingly, his more gritty and grounded Arthur Fleck is by far the most palpably human Joker ever committed to screens small or large.

With Todd Phillips focusing on Phoenix's villain as a protagonist for two entire hours, together they're able to deliver the most fleshed-out and psychologically provocative Joker to date.

Phoenix's performance is intensely multi-faceted, both in terms of the actor's considerable weight loss and how ably he immerses audiences in Arthur's miserable, mentally ill mindset.

His work is strong enough to surpass the film's many controversies, turning in a fully formed portrait of a human being failed by an uncaring society.

That Phoenix makes us feel immense sympathy for such a savage character is surely his true acting masterstroke.