Summary

The People’s Joker is a hilarious superhero parody film that incorporates dark humor and compelling character development.
The film uses a mix of live-action, animation, and special effects to create a unique and captivating visual experience.
While heavy-handed with DC Comics references, The People’s Joker stands out in the superhero genre as a fresh, significant, and entertaining addition.

The People’s Joker is unlike any other superhero film (or any movie in general), and its strengths lie in its differences, dark humor, and intriguing and thoughtful character development. The superhero parody film is directed and co-written by Vera Drew, who also stars as the titular character — Joker the Harlequin — with Bri LeRose also co-writing. While on the outside it might look like another live-action version of the Joker (and Harley Quinn), The People’s Joker is able to stand out from the rest.

The People’s Joker is a parody DC movie from director/writer Vera Drew and writer Bri LeRose. Vera Drew stars as Joker the Harlequin, an aspiring clown who is navigating their gender identity while fighting Batman in Gotham City. The film originally premiered in 2022, but was delayed due to rights issues.ProsThe film’s visuals are fantastic, a combination of live-action and animationThe People’s Joker’s parody is top tier, surpassing others in the genreThe film is not only funny but has great characters and story ConsThe DC references can get a bit heavy-handed

Aside from Drew as Joker the Harlequin, the cast of The People’s Joker includes, Kane Distler as Mr. J, and Phil Braun as Batman. Many other actors portray various parodies of iconic DC Comics heroes and villains (especially in the world of Batman). But these are the most memorable and present characters throughout the movie. Drew undoubtedly gives the dark comedy’s standout performance as Joker the Harlequin, since she is the protagonist and has the most character development in the unique story. However, the talented cast’s achievements are only one of the highlights of The People’s Joker.

The People’s Joker Is A Hilarious (Yet Heartbreaking) Take On DC Comics
Vera Drew’s superhero film is parody at its best

One of the best (and often overlooked) corners of Hollywood is the superhero parody genre. Given the apparent superhero movie fatigue in audiences in the 2020s, satire of these movies is warmly welcomed. As a result, The People’s Joker is an exciting and fresh addition to the superhero parody genre that delivers numerous laughs by poking fun at various renditions of Batman, the Joker, Penguin, and other DC Comics characters that have plagued the media for decades.

While it rarely takes itself seriously, the dark comedy seamlessly weaves heartbreaking tales (like Joker the Harlequin’s turbulent relationship with her mother and the abusive and toxic romance between Joker the Harlequin and Mr. J) throughout the movie. A viewer could be crying from laughter during one scene and tearing up due to Joker the Harlequin’s harrowing journey in the next. Thankfully, The People’s Joker has a (somewhat) hopeful and content ending.

[
The People’s Joker
] incorporates live-action, animation, and other special effects to capitalize on the satire the story relies on, which is significantly effective.

Of course, DC isn’t the only element being parodied in The People’s Joker — Drew also incorporates a satirized version of the NBC sketch comedy variety series Saturday Night Live (titled UCB Live in the film). A caricature of Lorne Michaels, the famous creator of Saturday Night Live, is also featured in the dark comedy. No one and nothing is safe from the parody’s criticism, and although it can’t be described as “on the nose,” the meaning behind the satire is difficult to miss.

Related The People’s Joker Director Explains Legality of Unauthorized DC Movie Writer, director, and star of The People’s Joker, Vera Drew, explains how the unique take on the DC comic character is legal despite copyright laws.

The Visuals In The People’s Joker Are Fun & Unique
The coming-of-age movie incorporates a mix of live-action and animation (and other trippy mediums)

It’s hard to talk about The People’s Joker without discussing the various mediums and visuals it uses throughout its 92-minute runtime. The coming-of-age movie incorporates live-action, animation, and other special effects to capitalize on the satire the story relies on, which is significantly effective. The use of different visual aids distinguishes it from other superhero parodies, but it’s also just a smart way to keep us glued to the screen from beginning to end.

The People’s Joker
isn’t perfect, and one of its faults is how heavy-handed it is with the references to
Batman
characters and DC Comics.

Needless to say, the entertaining story is captivating in and of itself, but the mixture of multiple mediums takes The People’s Joker to another level. Some aspects of the special effects could be cleaned up and sharpened, but the roughness adds to the movie’s charm, so it’s futile to complain about the quality.

The People’s Joker (2024) Director Vera Drew Release Date April 5, 2024 Writers Bri LeRose , Vera Drew Cast Scott Aukerman , Maria Bamford , Christian Calloway

The People’s Joker Is A Breath Of Fresh Air In The Superhero Genre
The film is unlike anything anyone has done before

The People’s Joker not only separates itself from other movies in the superhero genre but also from superhero parodies. It’s not comparable to The Boys, Invincible, or Kick-Ass, due to its distinguished and important story revolving around a transgender woman in Gotham. It’s hilarious, heartbreaking, distinctive, significant, and just what Hollywood needs after countless DC and Marvel projects (including the upcoming Joker sequel Joker: Folie à Deux). This superhero parody is just as good as Marvel and DC films (it may even be better than most of them).

Of course, The People’s Joker isn’t perfect, and one of its faults is how heavy-handed it is with the references to Batman characters and DC Comics. It’s overkill at times, as if the DC lore is constantly being shoved down our throats. While the references are fun at first, they get tiring and overwhelming by the film’s end. However, if the excessive mention of DC characters and storylines is the only problem with the parody, it’s still a success. Ultimately, it’s evident that the world needs The People’s Joker.

The People’s Joker
premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and is playing in US theaters.