So, you’re thinking about letting your kid watch Joker: Folie à Deux. Maybe they loved the first one. Maybe they just really like Lady Gaga. Either way, you’re probably wondering if this is a "superhero movie" or if it’s the kind of thing that’s going to leave them (and you) feeling like you need a very long shower and a hug.
Honestly, it’s a bit of both, but mostly it's just very, very bleak.
This isn't your typical Batman flick. There are no capes. No gadgets. Basically, it’s a courtroom drama mixed with a jukebox musical set inside a grim psychiatric hospital. If that sounds weird, it's because it is. But for a parent, the real question is whether the "R" rating is just for a few f-bombs or if we're talking about something that'll actually stick in a teenager's head for the wrong reasons.
Let's break it down.
Joker Folie à Deux Parents Guide: The Nitty Gritty on Violence
The first Joker was famous for that one scene in the kitchen. You know the one. This sequel, Folie à Deux, is actually a little less "bloody" in a traditional sense, but it’s still pretty rough.
Most of the violence happens in two places: reality and Arthur's head. In the "real" world of Arkham State Hospital, the violence is depressing. It’s guards slamming inmates into walls. It’s the sound of a baton hitting bone. There's a scene where an inmate is strangled/smothered that feels very cold and uncomfortably realistic.
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Then you have the fantasy sequences. Since this is sort of a musical, Arthur imagines these big, flashy numbers. In one, he bashes a judge’s head in with a gavel. In another, someone gets shot in the stomach during a song. Because it’s a "dream," it looks a bit more stylized, but the impact is still there.
The big one to watch out for: There is a stabbing near the end of the movie that is quite graphic. It’s not a quick "blink and you miss it" moment. It’s slow, it’s deliberate, and it’s meant to be upsetting.
Is the "Folie" Too Much for Teens?
Sex and nudity are always the big "maybe" for parents.
There is a "brief full nudity" warning on this movie, and they aren't kidding. It’s not a "sexy" kind of nudity, though. It’s a "vulnerable, sad man in a shower" kind of nudity. You see Arthur (Joaquin Phoenix) from the front, totally bare, while he’s being processed by guards. It’s quick, but it’s definitely there.
As for the romance? Arthur and Lee (Lady Gaga) have a "conjugal visit" in a jail cell. You don't see everything, but there’s definitely thrusting and some very clear sexual sounds. It's awkward. It’s meant to feel desperate.
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- Language: It’s an R-rated movie. The F-word is used about 70 times. If your kid goes to a public high school, they’ve heard worse by 10:00 AM, but just know the air is blue.
- Smoking: Literally everyone smokes. Every five minutes. If you’re trying to get your kid to quit vaping, this movie might actually make smoking look "cool" and "gritty" again, which is a bit of a throwback to 80s cinema.
- Drugs: Lots of pills. The inmates are heavily medicated to keep them quiet.
The Mental Health Elephant in the Room
This is where the movie gets complicated. The whole plot of Joker: Folie à Deux is about whether Arthur Fleck is actually "The Joker" or just a mentally ill man who had a bad life.
The defense lawyer argues he has Dissociative Identity Disorder (multiple personalities) because of horrific abuse he suffered as a kid. They talk about sexual abuse and physical trauma quite a bit. For a sensitive kid, or one who has dealt with their own stuff, this could be a major trigger.
The movie also deals with "shared delusion." That’s what the title means. It’s about how two people can feed into each other's madness until they can’t tell what’s real anymore. It’s a heavy, nihilistic theme.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Musical Parts
Don't go in expecting La La Land.
The music is almost entirely inside Arthur's mind. When the singing starts, the lighting changes and everything gets "pretty," but it’s just a mask for how miserable his life actually is. Some people found this boring; others found it brilliant. But for a younger viewer, it might just be confusing. They might think, "Why are they singing about rainbows while he’s being beaten up?"
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It requires a certain level of "media literacy" to understand that the movie is actually making fun of the people who idolize the Joker.
The Verdict: Who is this for?
If your kid is 13 and wants to see a "superhero" movie, this is going to bore them to tears or bum them out. It’s a slow, 2-hour-and-20-minute character study.
However, if you have a 16- or 17-year-old who is really into film, acting, or psychology, there’s a lot to talk about here. It’s a movie that invites discussion. You could talk about:
- The difference between a "villain" and a "victim."
- How the media turns criminals into celebrities.
- Why people feel the need to escape into fantasies when life gets hard.
Actionable Next Steps for Parents:
Check the specific timestamps for the "shower scene" and the "ending stabbing" if you want to be ready to tell your kid to look away. If you decide to let them watch it, plan to grab a burger afterward—they’re going to have a lot of questions about that ending, and honestly, you might too. It’s the kind of film that requires an "after-talk" to process the sheer weight of the nihilism.