Lady Gaga Addresses Criticism of Joker 2: 'Some Things Just Aren't Liked'

Pop music icon and actress Lady Gaga has recently shared her thoughts on the lukewarm reception to her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. The Grammy-winning artist, who took on the role of a more grounded version of the DC villain Harley Quinn, had remained relatively silent about the movie since its release. Alongside her performance, Gaga also released a companion album titled Harlequin. In a candid conversation with Elle, she opened up about how she navigates the negative feedback she received.

Gaga explained that her approach to handling criticism is to manage her expectations and accept that not every project will be universally loved. "People just sometimes don’t like some things," she stated. "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, the follow-up to director Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed 2019 film, debuted last October and was met with less-than-stellar reviews from both critics and audiences. The film currently holds a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for both critics and audience scores. Our review gave 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 movie's theatrical run was disappointing, leading to a quick transition to digital release. Warner Bros. Discover CEO David Zaslav later called the film's performance "disappointing."

Reflecting on the fear of failure, Gaga noted, "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, Gaga is looking ahead to new endeavors. She recently announced that her latest studio album, Mayhem, is set to release this March, marking the end of a five-year hiatus since her last album, Chromatica.

For those interested in more perspectives on Joker: Folie à Deux, 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, our list of the biggest disappointments of 2024 can be found here.