Lady Gaga on Joker 2 Backlash: 'Some Things Just Aren't Liked'

Pop music icon and actress Lady Gaga has recently shared her thoughts on the critical reception of her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. In this sequel, Gaga took on the role of a more grounded version of the DC comics character Harley Quinn and complemented her performance with a companion album titled Harlequin. Despite the film's release last October, Gaga had remained silent on the matter until now. In a candid interview with Elle, she discussed how she copes with the film's negative feedback by setting realistic expectations beforehand.

"People just sometimes don’t like some things," Gaga remarked. "It’s that simple. 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."

Joker: Folie à Deux, a follow-up to director Todd Phillips' highly successful 2019 film, received mixed reviews upon its premiere. It currently holds a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences. Our own review scored it a 5/10, describing it as a "mediocre" film that "wastes its potential as a movie musical, a courtroom drama, and a sequel that has anything meaningful to say about or add to the first Joker." The film's theatrical run was underwhelming, leading to an early digital release. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav later labeled the film's performance as "disappointing."

Gaga reflected on the fear of failure, stating, "When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of. It’s part of the mayhem."

Despite the setback with Joker: Folie à Deux, Lady Gaga is not slowing down. She announced that her new studio album, Mayhem, is set to release this March, ending a five-year hiatus since her last album, Chromatica. For further insights into Joker 2, you can explore why Quentin Tarantino says he loved the sequel, and why Hideo Kojima believes the movie’s reception will change over time. Additionally, check out our list of the biggest disappointments of 2024 here.