Top 10 Movies to Watch if You Loved Joker
#10: “American Psycho” (2000)
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Before he was Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale played Patrick Bateman, another wealthy, good-looking businessman with a double life. Behind closed doors, however, Bateman has much, much more in common with Batman’s arch-nemesis. You wouldn’t assume that this charming investment banker is a psychopath at first glance. This makes it all the more shocking and upsetting when he breaks out a nail gun, chainsaw, or axe. And just as “Joker” leaves much open to interpretation, the ending of “American Psycho” also invites endless analysis. Without giving anything away, it’ll have you seeing this dark and disturbing thriller in a whole new light.
#9: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)
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With his interpretation of the Joker back in 1989, Jack Nicholson further proved that nobody plays madness better than him. But in “Cuckoo’s Nest” Randle Patrick McMurphy isn’t “crazy”. He’s a criminal who assumes that he’ll have it better at a psychiatric institution than a prison farm. But McMurphy forms a strong bond with his fellow patients, finding that many of them could improve if only they were treated with respect, understanding, and basic human dignity. Nurse Ratched has the opposite viewpoint, treating her patients like lost causes who should be broken down and cut off from the world. Like “Joker,” this Best Picture winner shined a spotlight on what can happen when society turns its back on the vulnerable.
#8: “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975)
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Todd Phillips singled out “Dog Day Afternoon” as one of the films that inspired “Joker,” saying that both explore “how the anti-heroes become embraced.” Whereas “Joker” is a work of fiction that eerily mirrors our culture, this crime drama was inspired by the true story of John Wojtowicz. Renamed Sonny Wortzik in the film and brilliantly portrayed by Al Pacino, Wojtowicz is a Vietnam war vet who robs a bank to pay for his wife’s gender reassignment surgery. Taking place after the Attica Prison riot and during a time when the Vietnam War was being heavily protested, many felt the film brilliantly exemplified a relevant anti-establishment message. Given the current political and social climate, it’s hard not to get a similar feeling from “Joker.”
#7: “Fight Club” (1999)
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From Jack Napier to Arthur Fleck, the Joker has adopted a few aliases throughout his storied history in popular media. Likewise, the protagonist in “Fight Club” goes by several different names. To us, though, he’s the Narrator, an aimless misfit sleeplessly going through life full of pent-up rage. The Narrator is finally given somewhere to unleash that anger upon meeting Tyler Durden. Together, they start a fight club, bringing together more social rejects. What starts off as a few guys throwing punches escalates into an anarchistic uprising against society. Like Fleck, the Narrator’s own insanity proves contagious, amassing a following known as Project Mayhem. Also, just like “Joker,” “Fight Club” is a twisted, humorous, and powerful film that taps into hidden inner troubled emotions.
#6: “Psycho” (1960)
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Imagine “Joker” if the first thirty minutes were told from the perspective of Sophie. You’d get a film that’s narratively similar to Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece of psychological suspense, “Psycho.” When Marion Crane first meets Norman Bates, he seems like a mild-mannered man who lives with his mother. The deeper Marion pries into Norman’s life, she starts to see a side of him that’s lonely and tortured. Nevertheless, Norman seems like a harmless soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly. As the curtain is pulled back, however, Marion and the audience come to realize that the Bates Motel is truly a madhouse. “Psycho” and “Joker” both polarized audiences with their depictions of violence. Yet, that audacity is part of what made both films instantly iconic.
#5: “The Dark Knight” (2008)
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It’s safe to assume that Warner Bros. never would’ve given “Joker” the green light if it hadn’t been for the success of “The Dark Knight.” Batman had seen his fair share of dark incarnations over the years, but Christopher Nolan was the first filmmaker to answer the question, “What if Gotham City existed in the real world?” With his follow-up to “Batman Begins,” Nolan introduced the Joker into his version of Gotham. In a performance that won him a posthumous Academy Award, Heath Ledger molds a colorful comic book villain into a chilling domestic terrorist. To compare Ledger’s Joker to Joaquin Phoenix’s is apples and oranges, but the grit and sense of realism Ledger brings to the role undoubtedly paved the way for Arthur Fleck.
#4: “You Were Never Really Here” (2017)
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Of all the characters in Joaquin Phoenix’s filmography, Joe from “You Were Never Really Here” perhaps shares the most similarities with Arthur Fleck. Both are lost souls who look after their mothers and struggle with trauma. The difference between these two characters is that Arthur’s been stripped of his humanity, becoming a merchant of chaos. Joe, however, attempts to find purpose in this mad world by saving trafficked girls. When one job takes an unexpected turn, Joe is torn whether to keep fighting or to give into his suicidal thoughts. Even if Joe does rise up as a hero, his deeds are likely to go unnoticed. Writer/director Lynne Ramsay crafts a brutal psychological thriller with echoes of Martin Scorsese.
#3: “Network” (1976)
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In another performance that won a posthumous Oscar, Peter Finch forever changed cinema with his “Mad as Hell” monologue in “Network.” Finch plays Howard Beale, a news anchor who decides to say exactly what’s on his mind. Viewers love what Howard has to say and the network loves his ratings even more. Much like how the citizens of Gotham start wearing clown masks, it isn’t long until people are following Howard’s example, calling him “the mad prophet of the airwaves.” In a world run by corporations, though, Howard finds that there’s only one higher power: the almighty dollar. Both Howard and Arthur have their unstable minds exploited for ratings. Of course, where one becomes the media’s victim, the other turns the tables on the TV gods.
#2: “Taxi Driver” (1976)
Speaking of Martin Scorsese, Todd Phillips made it no secret that the legendary director’s works had a major influence on him. It’s not a coincidence that Phillips chose to shoot “Joker” in New York, the same city that provided the bleak backdrop of Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.” Both Phillips and Scorsese paint the Big Apple as a sleazy urban playground overrun with crime and debauchery. At the center of everything is a frustrated outcast who becomes obsessed with a politician, a beautiful woman, and finding meaning in life. Had “Joker” been made in 1976, Robert De Niro probably would’ve been the only actor dedicated, ambitious, and unpredictable enough to play Arthur. As Travis Bickle, however, De Niro gave us an antihero for the ages. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: “Christine” (2016) “One Hour Photo” (2002) “Logan” (2017) “The Master” (2012) “Falling Down” (1993)
#1: “The King of Comedy” (1982)
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Scorsese and De Niro reteamed for this very dark comedy, which is arguably the spiritual successor to “Joker.” Before playing Murray Franklin, De Niro starred as Rupert Pupkin, a standup comedian who believes he’s destined for greatness. Rupert has his career all mapped out, with a talk show host played by Jerry Lewis being integral to his plan. When things don’t go as he envisioned, Rupert takes drastic measures to make his fantasies come true. By the time he finally gets to tell jokes in front of an audience, neither Rupert nor the audience can decipher what’s real anymore. “Joker” also chillingly blurs the lines between reality and madness, but this time De Niro assumes the Lewis role.
