DC Comics have always been characterized as dark and emotionally wrought, but the films have somehow failed to cultivate that ideal. Despite being an all-new origin story, watching Joker felt like seeing a comic book come to life. It draws parallels to the acclaimed ‘The Killing Joke’, currently the most widely accepted origin story of the character, as well as Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the same character in ‘The Dark Knight’ wherein it is a visual representation of the quote “all it takes is one bad day.”

If you’ve been following the film, you’d undoubtedly have heard that Joker “comments on and criticizes societal evils” or that it “encourages young men to take to violence.” In my opinion, it does neither. To me, the film is a character study depicting Arthur’s mental transition from a mild, suffering psyche to a vicious, sadistic one.

The audience watches Arthur Fleck – a man already suffering from poverty, a cigarette addiction and mental disorders – get assaulted in the street, get mocked on live television by his idol and discover his mother nearly beat him to death as a child on multiple occasions. After asphyxiating his dying mother in revenge, he finds out that his relationship with Sophie, who he thought was his girlfriend, was merely hallucinated.

The empathy that Arthur evokes is a testament to Joaquin Phoenix’s acting capability as well as Todd Phillips’ skill as a director. When he shoots three businessmen in a subway car, there’s no sense of shock. When he asphyxiates his mother, there’s no sense of anger. When he kills a former colleague with a dull pair of scissors, there’s no sense of horror. Instead, there’s a sense of justice. That is, perhaps, the film’s greatest feat – its ability to portray horrific crimes as reasonable, and even justifiable.

Worth a mention is the mood. You can always sense Arthur’s instability, but you can never tell when he’s about to snap. That created tension for almost every single one of the one hundred- and twenty-two minutes Joker runs for. The unpredictability of Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score only serves to accentuate that, particularly “Call Me Joker” -- its low, rasping theme imperceptibly riding the line between humanity and madness.

With the film featuring yet another depiction of the gruesome murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents as a direct consequence of Arthur’s actions, it would certainly be interesting to see this adaptation of the Joker interact with the Batman. The unbelievable success of this film may persuade Warner Bros. Entertainment to fund a sequel, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

As one of the best representations of the dystopian Batman universe, Joker is worth a watch. Joaquim Phoenix’s acting is virtuosic, to say the least. Todd Phillips’ direction and world-building is artistic. If it’s out of theatres, I urge you to wait to acquire a high-definition copy of the film before you watch it so that you can enjoy the duo’s bravura in HD.