“Why am I a f**king a**hole?”: Quentin Tarantino Fires Back for Being Trolled for Praising a DC Movie That’s Almost Unanimously Hated
- Quentin Tarantino praised bold storytelling in 'Joker 2' and admired Todd Phillips' will to defy expectations.
- Tarantino expressed frustration and hit back at trolls who called him out for his unpopular opinion.
- Tarantino appreciated the film's deconstruction of audience expectations and musical sequences.
In the world of cinema, what may be amusing to one may not be interesting enough for another. It creates a space where art is constantly judged, analyzed, and sometimes heavily criticized. A similar thing happened when legendary director Quentin Tarantino praised one of the least-rated DC movies.
Movie enthusiasts pay serious attention when a big-name director comes to the defense of a film that has been mostly hated. But sometimes that defense becomes the trigger point of online toxicity. This is the incident of toxic fan rage and Tarantino’s unapologetic stance.
Quentin Tarantino hits back at trolls after controversial praise for Joker 2
Joker: Folie à Deux has not been a favorite among the critics and audience, to say the least. As per Box Office Mojo, the film was able to gross around $206 million globally, a very far cry from the billion-plus earnings of the original. The movie has a rating of just 32% by both critics and the audience of Rotten Tomatoes.
But in this scenario of failure, Quentin Tarantino has been one rare supporter of the movie. The Pulp Fiction director publicly praised Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix‘s performance during his appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. However, it seemed to strike a wrong chord with the fan clubs and trolls who have perpetually hated Joker 2.
During his recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Tarantino didn’t hold back from addressing the negativity he faced online. He said,
I go on a show and I say that I like ‘Joker 2.’ One person listens to the thing and writes an article about it and there’s 150 ripoff articles on that. And then you read the comments: ‘Quentin is a f**king a**hole. That movie f**king sucks. He’s a f**king a**hole for saying that.’ Why am I a f**king a**hole? I liked the f**king movie! That makes me a f**king a**hole?
“What do you care what the f**k I like?” he added. Tarantino also addressed the possible belief among trolls that “he’s missing out” on something, saying, “I am sure there is a lot of sh*t I could say you’re missing out on, and I don’t care if you miss out on.”
Tarantino was pointing at the internet and how it often protests against anybody who is bold enough to have an unpopular opinion. Moreover, the director has genuinely praised the unconventional approach of the movie.
Why Quentin Tarantino loved Joker: Folie à Deux
Tarantino interpreted the film as a purposeful breaking down of viewers’ expectations. When he saw Joker 2, he expected an “intellectual exercise” but that didn’t happen. On The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, he said,
I didn’t find it an intellectual exercise. I really got caught up into it. I really liked the musical sequences. I got really caught up. I thought the more banal the songs were, the better they were. I find myself listening to the lyrics of ‘For Once in My Life’ in a way I never have before.
Many viewers found the ending of the film a bit provocative. Not only does it fail to glorify the Joker, but it turns the whole story around. Arthur Fleck rejects the Joker persona, and the twist comes when he is stabbed to death by another inmate, who then proceeds to cut a smile across his face, hinting at himself as the new Joker.
This deconstruction is what Tarantino appreciated about the film. He further praised Todd Phillips for not being bound to serve any expectations.
He’s saying f*ck you to all of them. He’s saying f*ck you to the movie audience. He’s saying f*ck you to Hollywood. He’s saying f*ck you to anybody who owns any stock at DC and Warner Brothers… and Todd Phillips is the Joker.
Joker 2 challenged traditional storytelling by rejecting the Joker myth. Although the film received no applause, it managed to get an advocate from one of cinema’s most impactful voices.
Joker: Folie à Deux will be available to stream on Max from December 13, 2024.
