Renowned singer Lady Gaga, who stars as The Joker’s (Joaquin Phoenix) partner in crime, has broken her silence on the reception of the film, which included a disappointing run at the box office. The movie ended its run at the box office with a disappointing $58.3 million domestically in the United States against a budget of $200 million. According to Forbes, the film reportedly needed to make at least $450 million worldwide to break even.
Whilst overall, the film was received unenthusiastically by critics and audiences alike, Gaga’s performance was widely praised. Comedian Tim Dillon, who appeared briefly in the film, later referred to the “Joker” sequel as the “worst film ever made”. The sequel shows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) confined to Arkham Asylum, where he forms a bond with Lee Quinzel, portrayed by Gaga. Their villainous bond leads to both death and destruction across Gotham City.
“People just sometimes don't like some things. It’s that simple” Gaga told Elle in a profile written by Lotte Jeffs. “And I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it. And you keep going even if something didn’t connect in the way that you intended”.
What else caught the attention and resulted in the criticism of audiences was when director Todd Phillips announced the movie as a musical. He decided to take a much more unusual and fantastical approach to the film, in contrast to the gritty and grounded first film. Yet, Gaga believes that fear of failure is a much larger danger than bad-mouthing of the film. “When that (fear of failure) makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of,” she said. Despite criticisms that the film has faced, Gaga still emphasizes that taking risks and enjoying your craft is an important part of being an artist, even if not everybody can recognize the value of said art.