To put it mildly, this second Joker movie by director Todd Phillips, again starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck/Joker, is disturbing. Though you could say that’s just par for the course for when you have a psychopath in the leading role.

Joining Phoenix is Lady Gaga as Harley Quinzel or Lee, as Arthur endearingly refers to her. Lee is a patient in the psychiatric wing of the prison Arthur is languishing in as he awaits trial for the events of the first movie, namely numerous murders, one even on live television. Some people are calling for his death, while others are hailing his actions for sticking it to the man.

Much of the movie revolves around the relationship between Arthur and Lee, as neither of them is exactly right in the head, and because of that, they can relate to each other’s experiences and state of mind. The movie’s secondary title, Folie à Deux, actually means madness for two, and you can see the shared psychosis throughout all their interactions.

Phoenix and Gaga both give solid performances and play off each other well. However, it is far from the manic infatuation the two characters share that is so prevalent in other versions.

Phoenix can act with his entire body like few others, and while Gaga’s acting is nothing to sneeze at, her voice and stage presence remain her greatest assets.

The film is also very odd, because, as you see, it is a bit of a musical. Think Mama Mia meets. Dexter or American Psycho, you know where the movie will take you. 

It’s a ballsy move, and I have to give props to the people behind the scenes who decided to have musical numbers in a film that talks about corruption, murder, depravity, and other examples of society's ills. It certainly is jarring. And more than a little off-key.

Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. And to a point, I can see the genius of having the film feel a bit off-kilter, with the juxtaposition of a murdering clown and his main squeeze singing songs from fan-favorite, old-time musicals. It can be both disconcerting and revealing, but just be aware that your mileage may vary.

There’s a line in the movie when Arthur and Harley are having a row, and he tells her straight, “Stop singing and talk to me.” And that is precisely how I felt a lot of the time throughout the film.

The method of having musical numbers inside Joker's fractured mind is novel and fun and provides a vehicle for Lady Gaga to strut her stuff, which she has got.

But as entertaining as they are, the musical set pieces often feel more like a fallback, pausing the story for an interlude rather than propelling it forward. Reading between the lines, you can pick out what they were trying to say with their choice of songs, but then that also strips the film of some of the edge, making the first one so shocking. 

There were moments for character growth or exposition that could have been epic but were dulled by a repetitive, albeit impressive, rendition of That’s Entertainment.

The second Joker film is far from your typical comic book fare, and that alone may be enough to get people to see it. Is it different and unique? Heck yes. The performances all around are solid, not just by the two leads but also by the supporting cast. It doesn’t fall in the textbook definition of normal, but for those ready and willing to share the madness, you can catch Joker: Folie à Deux in theaters now.