THE PEOPLE’S JOKER
In the absurdist autobiographically-inspired dark comedy, a painfully unfunny aspiring clown (Vera Drew) grapples with her gender identity while unsuccessfully attempting to join the ranks of Gotham City’s sole comedy program in a world where comedy has been outlawed.
SHOWTIMES
JUN 7 | FRI
7:10 p.m.
JUN 8 | SAT
5:10, 9:10 p.m.
JUN 9 | SUN
7:10 p.m.
JUN 10 | MON
5:10 p.m.
JUN 11 | TUE
7:10 p.m.
JUN 12 | WED
5:10 p.m.
JUN 13 | THU
7:10 p.m.
SYNOPSIS
In the absurdist autobiographically-inspired dark comedy, a painfully unfunny aspiring clown (Vera Drew as Joker the Harlequin) grapples with her gender identity while unsuccessfully attempting to join the ranks of Gotham City’s sole comedy program in a world where comedy has been outlawed. Uniting with a ragtag team of rejects and misfits, Joker the Harlequin forms an illegal anti-comedy troupe that puts her on a collision course with the devious caped crusader controlling the city.
Director
WITH
Run Time
1 hour, 32 minutes
Released
Distributed by
HEARING AND VISUAL ASSISTANCE
Assisted Listening
Country
United States
SUBTITLES
None
NOT RATED
REVIEWS
“The People’s Joker is a chimera built of conflicts and contradictions, but so are we all. Our jigsaw assemblage of human experiences is universally messy, and if there’s one thing Drew seems to be telling us, we should be relishing those paradoxes.”
“Its distinct style and coherent worldbuilding make for a movie that can’t really be compared to anything else, despite the fact so much of it is borrowed from the works of Batmen past — and it’s exactly what jaded superhero fans need to witness. […] As much as it’s a movie about the trans coming-of-age experience, it’s also a story about growing up idolizing superheroes and media. How do you form an identity when so much of your life is spent obsessing over fictional worlds or pop culture? How can you figure out who you are when everyone around you is obsessed with being someone else?”
“The People’s Joker, directed by Vera Drew, is the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen—because, unlike studio-produced films in the genre, it responds to the filmmaker’s deep personal concerns”
“Within the film’s confessional chaos lives the spirit of Vaginal Davis, Ryan Trecartin and other maverick queer filmmakers who toyed with genre to torpedo gender. It’s reviving to see an artist take up the cause.”