Joker

The first movie based on comic book superhero property that doesn't focus on the usual tropes one expects from past films with similar sources or previous entries with the title character, Joker is a psychological thriller in the vain of 70s and 80s Martin Scorsese films like Taxi Driver. Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a down on his luck clown-for-hire who lives in an early 1980s Gotham filled with economic and sociological issues that makes the disenfranchised turn against the rich. Fleck lives with his ill mother as he suffers from many psychological problems, including having uncontrollable fits of laughter. After he kills three rich young businessmen, while still in his clown costume, Arthur unintentionally starts a protest movement with the downtrodden using clown masks as their symbol. Despite being set in 1981, there are a lot of events that parallel the problems that are going on today with how the rich treat the lower class and the massive protests going on. Director and cowriter Todd Phillips manages to have us sympathize with Arthur because of his problems and slowly and methodically transition to be disgusted by him through what he does and how he uses the protest for his own agenda. The film is very accurate at portraying how mental illness can affect someone not just by who they are but what they go through and how they are treated by others. Instead of focusing on large scale fight scenes and heavy use of effects, this is a more personal film that is designed to make you feel uneasy at how someone so meek and unassuming can turn into someone so dangerous that they have no problem with chaos. There are also a few scenes and moments wherein you realize weren't exactly what you saw because of his broken mind. If there are a few flaws I would say there are some scenes showing Arthur's state of mind that drag on too long that could have been cut out or shortened. Joker is a film that may start a new series for DC and Warner Bros. wherein they will focus on similar issues with other famous characters, and I do hope it's just as good as this. Over all: 100%
2019 top list so far:

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Ready or Not

3. Joker

4. Toy Story 4

5. Hustlers

6. Shazam!

7. Spider-Man: Far From Home

8. Villains

9. Rocketman

10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

11. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

12. Ad Astra

13. It Chapter 2

14. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

15. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

16. Hobbs & Shaw

17. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

18. Us

19. Aladdin 2019

20. Pokemon Detective Pikachu

21. Captain Marvel

22. The Lion King 2019

23. Yesterday

24. Pet Sematary 2019

25. The Upside

26. Dark Phoenix

27. Cold Pursuit

28. Glass