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

Pop music superstar and actor Lady Gaga has recently addressed the negative feedback surrounding her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux. Despite maintaining a low profile regarding her involvement in the movie since its release, Gaga, who portrayed a more grounded version of the iconic DC comics character Harley Quinn, has finally shared her thoughts in an interview with Elle. Alongside her role, Gaga released a companion album titled Harlequin.

During the conversation, Gaga discussed how she copes with the criticism of her work. "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." She emphasized managing her expectations as a key to handling the negativity.

Joker: Folie à Deux, a sequel to director Todd Phillips' highly successful 2019 film, hit theaters last October but received lukewarm reviews from both critics and audiences. The movie holds a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for both critic and audience scores. Our own review gave it a 5/10, describing it as a "mediocre" film that failed to capitalize on its potential as a musical, courtroom drama, and a sequel that adds little to the original Joker's narrative. The film's theatrical run was so disappointing that it was quickly made available for digital release. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav even labeled the film's performance as "disappointing."

Gaga acknowledged the difficulty of dealing with the fear of failure, saying, "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 focusing on her upcoming projects. She announced that her latest studio album, Mayhem, is set for release this March, ending a five-year hiatus since her last album, Chromatica.

For further insights into Joker: Folie à Deux, you can explore why Quentin Tarantino praised the sequel and why Hideo Kojima believes the movie's reception may shift over time. Additionally, our list of the biggest disappointments of 2024 can be found here.