Joker American psychological thriller directed and produced by Todd Phillips. Based on DC Comics characters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker . Set in 1981, Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian whose descent into insanity and nihilism inspires a violent counter-cultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. Robert De Niro, appears in supporting roles. Joker was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, and distributed by Warner Bros.
 Martin Scorsese (particularly Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy), was initially attached to the project as a producer. The graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) was the basis for the film's premise, but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration.
Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019. It won the Golden Lion, and was released in the United States on October 4, 2019. The film polarized critics. Although Phoenix's performance, the musica