First impressions of The People's Joker

Vera Drew's fantastical truth-telling will discomfort those who are terrified of trans individuals. What's more — it will challenge Batman fans.

Sorry, DC Comics fans — you’re not likely to get a review of Joker: Folie à Deux from me anytime soon. The reviews from trusted friends have convinced me that I’m not likely to become one of its very few fans. I’m always open to surprises, and I’ll probably give it a look on a streamign service someday, but right now there are plenty of other movies I’m eager to see and likely to find rewarding.

And, as it seems like supervillains have succeeded in taking the U.S. Presidency, the House, and the Senate, I’m not excited about watching movies that seem to increase the fanbase of cruel psychopaths.

The fact is that I rarely feel compelled to see superhero movies anymore. If you’ve been reading my film reviews for long, you know that I burned out on the genre about, oh, 20 years ago — even before anyone used the term “MCU” for Marvel movies. And I haven’t regained an appetite or appreciation for it since.

Here, actress Vera Drew tries on the expression you’ll get from me if you invite me to a movie based on DC Comics. [Image from the Altered Innocence trailer.]

I’ve admired a few special exceptions: Doctor Strange and Black Panther, for example. But The People’s Joker introduces a spectacular exception to the list. It’s the most exciting variation on anything related to Marvel or DC that I’ve seen in ages.