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The People's Joker

Play trailer 1:37 Poster for The People's Joker 2024 1h 32m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 122 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
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.
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The People's Joker

The People's Joker

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Critics Consensus

The People's Joker uses classic characters in impressively inventive ways, working within a familiar framework to tell an invigorating story of self-acceptance.

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Critics Reviews

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Ryan Gilbey Sight & Sound Nov 5, 2025
The film is hectic but not haphazard, its layers merging revealingly on the level of allusion and autobiography. Go to Full Review
Tara Brady Irish Times Feb 28, 2025
4/5
The DC Extended Universe should take notes. This legally challenged DIY parody is, hands down, the most innovative superhero film of the decade. Go to Full Review
Violet Lucca Little White Lies Feb 14, 2025
5/5
Vera Drew’s The People’s Joker is a multihyphenate masterpiece. Go to Full Review
Silvi Vann-Wall ScreenHub 4 days ago
4.5/5
If you get a chance to see this film, be prepared to bust a gut laughing – but have your tissues ready by the end. It’s quite touching. Go to Full Review
Grace Byron Screen Slate Aug 26, 2026
Unlike most bloated superhero movies, Drew doesn’t overstay her welcome. Go to Full Review
Pedro Gallego Espinof Aug 19, 2025
4/5
Drew pours so much of herself into this strange passion project that it's almost hard to believe she'll ever come up with another even remotely similar idea. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Riley M @raspberry137 Sep 26, 2026 The only thing I knew about this film going into it was literally just the synopsis. And of course, the fact that it parodies the Joker and other DC characters. That’s already a huge selling point for me, and then you go and make everything queer? Heck yeah. The story takes a lot of DC elements but throws a trans coming-of-age spin on it, which was so beautiful to watch. Even though it’s technically not DC, I still love seeing queer DC. Vera Drew is so vulnerable, yet so wonderfully joyous and brilliant. You can clearly see how much sweat, blood, and tears that she put into this, and I’m so glad that she was able to create this and present it in the way she wanted to. Aesthetically, this takes a huge leaf out of Joel Schumacher’s book (when it comes to his Batman work). The character designs were so good and all the references were just off the charts. It’s a very simple and seemingly homemade film, but it has such powerful messaging and every queer person needs to watch this. See more Carl S @CarlShvartz Sep 15, 2026 This was the worst movie i have ever seen. See more John P @Perkstein114 Sep 15, 2026 This movie was blatant rip offs and a man laundering money to talk about a time his mother yelled at him so he grieved for almost 2 hours to rant about modern society the jokes didn't land and they were crude and raunchy for no reason, hiding barely disguised fetishes of the writers and director. Im wondering why someone would make such a thing and put their name on it. Alongside names actually in the film industry that contributed. They were wise in omitting this movie from their IMDB See more Jasmine S @Jstodel Jun 19, 2026 Brilliant all around. Story, animation, acting, music. Hilarious!!! Thank you Vera Drew for being original and brilliant. See more Blake- N @PBSAniDom Jun 8, 2026 The People's Joker is easily one of the most creative and entertaining parody films I have ever seen. Instead of relying on cheap jokes or endless pop-culture references, it builds its own identity while playfully drawing inspiration from one of Batman's most famous rivals. The result is something unique, bold, and unforgettable. What impressed me most was its originality. While parody movies like Scary Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, and Superhero Movie often feel repetitive and overloaded with random gags, The People's Joker tells its story with purpose and imagination. The humor feels fresh rather than forced. The film also stands out because of its creativity and confidence. It takes risks that many parody films never attempt, making the experience feel exciting from beginning to end. Overall, this is my favorite parody of a Batman-related character and one of the best modern parody films ever made. It's a 10/10 for me. See more Oliver S @RT24425884 Jan 27, 2026 For a fan film it is really good. I LOVE the blend between animation and live action in this movie. See more Read all reviews
The People's Joker

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Movie Info

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
Vera Drew
Producer
Joey Lyons
Screenwriter
Vera Drew, Bri LeRose
Distributor
Altered Innocence
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 5, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 6, 2024
Runtime
1h 32m
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