ShortList is supported by you, our amazing readers. When you click through the links on our site and make a purchase we may earn a commission. Learn more

The Joker reviews are in: this movie means serious business

It looks like good news for fans of the iconic character

02 September 2019

Fans around the world were slightly nervous when it was announced there'd be a new Joker film – the last person to really steal the show as the character was Heath Ledger, with Jared Leto's performance in Suicide Squad leaving something to be desired. How would Joaquin Phoenix, controversial as he is, fare in the role?

Well, the first reviews are coming in, and they're looking seriously (geddit?) good.

The trailers had already gotten our hopes up – with their incredibly high production values and cinematic mood, you'd be forgiven for not realising it was a superhero movie at all.

>

And now it seems those hopes were not misplaced. At the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, where the film debuted, it got an eight minute long standing ovation and shouts of 'Bravo!', and rumblings that Phoenix could even be in the mix for Best Actor at this year's Oscars.

Reviews have also started coming in, and they're just as excited about the film – Rotten Tomatoes puts its 'fresh' rating at 88%.

The Hollywood Reporter notes Phoenix's performance, which it describes as 'must-see': "Phoenix's riveting performance alone — it's both unsettling and weirdly affecting — will be significant" it wrote in a review of the film's premiere.

Time Outdescribes it as a "truly nightmarish vision of late-era capitalism - arguably the best social horror film since Get Out - and Joaquin Phoenix is magnetic in it", and Deadline asks whether Phoenix might be the second Joker to win an Oscar for the role.

The film is out on the 4th October in the UK, when we'll be able to see for ourselves just how convincing Phoenix's Joker is.

  • Big DC fan? Vote in our list of the best Batmans ever - oh, and you might want to have your say on the best Joker actor, too.

Today's Best Deals

1. Disney+ 7 day free trial
£5.99 p/m after trail
2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
£14.99 BluRay
3. Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Complete Box Set [Blu-ray]
£64.99
4. Nintendo Switch Console - Neon
£279.99
£300.00
5. Sony PS4 500GB Console & FIFA 20 Bundle
£249.99
6. Apple AirPods with Charging Case
£139.00
7. Sony PS4 Official DualShock 4 wireless Controller V2
£49.99
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Nintendo Switch Game
£42.99
9. Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote
£39.95
10. Nintendo Switch Lite Handheld Console
£199.99
11. Lay-Z-Spa Cancun 2-4 Person Hot Tub - HOME DELIVERY
£320.00
12. Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch Game
£49.99
13. Argos Home 43cm Kettle Charcoal BBQ
£25.00
14. Wahl Colour Pro Styler Hair Clipper 9155-2417X
£12.99
15. Argos Home 4 Burner Gas BBQ with Side Burner
£120.00