Joaquin Phoenix makes his debut as the long adored prince of crime in Todd Phillips’ Joker, which hit theaters early this October. The film has sparked quite a bit of controversy, yet its’ fans are much more numerous and overjoyed with this interpretation of DC’s best antagonist. Arthur Fleck, Joker’s identity in this adaption, is shown as a struggling comedian battling with various mental issues. The state of Gotham isn’t much better, as Arthur and a majority of the population are treated like dirt and disregarded by the rich. Slowly, Arthur’s sanity begins to unravel, his happiness and job slipping from his fingers as well. After getting fired from, he finds himself on a subway. A dispute between him and a handful of Gotham’s richest leads to three lives being claimed, and the image of a clown, because of the makeup he wore when he took those lives, haunting the public. Empowered by the fact that people are finally taking notice, Arthur dons the persona of the Joker to make an appearance on his favorite, the Murray Franklin Show. This movie is incredible and groundbreaking, painting a brand new and far superior version of a much-loved sociopath. There are moments where you’ll be grabbing at the nearest person out of fear and there are scenes that leave you gasping at the beauty of the filmmaking. An Oscar-worthy film, truly. The imagery, the story, the subtle descent into insanity, the acting. Joker is a true must-see. 

My personal rankings of the Jokers: 

Joaquin Phoenix

Heath Ledger

Jack Nicholson 

All the other ones

Jared Leto