Read up on the latest Joker news, reviews, features, and more from the ScreenAge Wasteland team.

Directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Silver, Joker is an R-rated alternate origin story for the iconic Batman villain, the Joker. The psychological thriller follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a mentally ill party clown and aspiring stand-up comedian whose descent into moral nihilism inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City.

Joker was released on October 4, 2019, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The psychological thriller earned over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the first R-rated film to do so. Phoenix’s performance received widespread acclaim, with the actor going on to win Best Actor at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Joker has appeared on the following lists assembled by ScreenAge Wasteland:

• #17 on The 20 Worst Oscar Best Picture Nominees Since 2000
• #22 (Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck) on The 50 Greatest Comic Book Castings of All Time
• #43 on The 100 Most Controversial Movies of All Time
• #80 (Arthur Fleck) on The 100 Greatest 2010s Movie Characters
• #91 on The 100 Greatest Warner Bros. Movies