Joker: Folie à Deux
Struggling with his dual identity, failed comedian Arthur Fleck meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn, while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital.
Working with a major studio investment of $190.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $207.5M in global revenue (+9% profit margin).
7 wins & 19 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) showcases deliberately positioned dramatic framework, characteristic of Todd Phillips's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 18 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.9, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Arthur Fleck imprisoned in Arkham State Hospital, stripped of his Joker persona, medicated and diminished. Shows his broken state after the events of the first film.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Arthur meets Lee Quinzel (Harleen) in a music therapy class at Arkham. Immediate connection forms; she claims to have seen him on the Murray Franklin show and understands him.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 33 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Arthur chooses to fire his lawyer and defend himself as Joker at trial, rejecting the safety of an insanity plea. He commits to the performance, energized by Lee's devotion and the public's fascination., moving from reaction to action.
At 69 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat False victory: Arthur's Joker performance captivates the courtroom and media. His followers rally outside. He seems to have found purpose and love through Lee and the Joker persona. The world appears to validate his transformation., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 104 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Arthur renounces the Joker identity in court, admitting he is just Arthur Fleck - a mentally ill man who committed terrible crimes. Lee abandons him. His followers reject him. The fantasy dies, and he faces the truth alone., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 111 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Arthur accepts his true self - not Joker, not a symbol, just a damaged man. This clarity, though devastating, is honest. He understands that the performance was a lie, even if it felt more real than reality., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Joker: Folie à Deux's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Joker: Folie à Deux against these established plot points, we can identify how Todd Phillips utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Joker: Folie à Deux within the drama genre.
Todd Phillips's Structural Approach
Among the 10 Todd Phillips films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Joker: Folie à Deux represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Todd Phillips filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Todd Phillips analyses, see School for Scoundrels, Due Date and War Dogs.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Arthur Fleck imprisoned in Arkham State Hospital, stripped of his Joker persona, medicated and diminished. Shows his broken state after the events of the first film.
Theme
A guard or fellow inmate suggests that Arthur must decide who he really is - Arthur Fleck or Joker - hinting at the film's exploration of identity, performance, and shared delusion.
Worldbuilding
Establishes Arthur's daily routine in Arkham: abuse from guards, medication, isolation, and preparation for his upcoming trial for the Murray Franklin murder. Introduction of legal team and media circus surrounding the case.
Disruption
Arthur meets Lee Quinzel (Harleen) in a music therapy class at Arkham. Immediate connection forms; she claims to have seen him on the Murray Franklin show and understands him.
Resistance
Arthur and Lee's relationship develops through shared musical fantasies. She encourages him to embrace his Joker identity. Arthur debates whether to accept his lawyer's insanity defense or reclaim the Joker persona that made him feel alive.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Arthur chooses to fire his lawyer and defend himself as Joker at trial, rejecting the safety of an insanity plea. He commits to the performance, energized by Lee's devotion and the public's fascination.
Mirror World
Lee reveals deeper connection to Arthur, possibly fabricating parts of her own story to mirror his. Their relationship becomes the emotional core - a folie à deux, a shared madness that reflects the theme of performance and identity.
Premise
The trial becomes a spectacle. Arthur performs as Joker in court, conducting musical fantasy sequences with Lee. The premise delivers on the musical courtroom drama, exploring their shared delusion and public performance of madness.
Midpoint
False victory: Arthur's Joker performance captivates the courtroom and media. His followers rally outside. He seems to have found purpose and love through Lee and the Joker persona. The world appears to validate his transformation.
Opposition
The prosecution presents devastating testimony. Witnesses describe Arthur's crimes in brutal reality, stripping away the romance of the Joker myth. Lee's devotion becomes conditional on the performance. Arthur begins to see the cost of the fantasy.
Collapse
Arthur renounces the Joker identity in court, admitting he is just Arthur Fleck - a mentally ill man who committed terrible crimes. Lee abandons him. His followers reject him. The fantasy dies, and he faces the truth alone.
Crisis
Arthur processes the complete loss of identity, purpose, and love. The musical fantasy sequences end. He sits with the bleak reality: he was never special, just broken. The shared delusion has collapsed.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Arthur accepts his true self - not Joker, not a symbol, just a damaged man. This clarity, though devastating, is honest. He understands that the performance was a lie, even if it felt more real than reality.
Synthesis
Arthur is convicted and returned to Arkham. The world moves on. A young inmate, inspired by the chaos Arthur created, attacks him. The Joker legend will continue, but not through Arthur - he was just the beginning.
Transformation
Arthur dies or is fatally wounded, abandoned by the identity he created. The final image mirrors the opening: a broken man in Arkham, but now with nothing left - no fantasy, no love, no future. The Joker has moved on without him.