Well, here we go, everybody. Joaquin Phoenix's gritty, R-rated _Joker_ origin movie made its world premiere at Venice International Film Festival this weekend&#x2014;and people fully loved it, apparently.

The movie is already pulling in early Oscar buzz, with [_Deadline_](https://deadline.com/video/joker-review-joaquin-phoenix-robert-de-niro-dc-comics-venice-film-festival/) calling it a "bravura piece of filmmaking that speaks to the world we are actually living in today in ways that few movies do." _[Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/joker-review-1235309)_ praised Phoenix's acting and claimed that the "must-see factor of Phoenix's riveting performance alone&#x2014;it's both unsettling and weirdly affecting&#x2014;will be significant."

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Director Todd Phillips “Joker” centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone fictional story not seen before on the big screen.  Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society.  A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night…but finds the joke always seems to be on him.  Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study.
Three-time Oscar nominee Phoenix (“The Master,” “Walk the Line,” “Gladiator”) stars in the titular role alongside Oscar winner Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull,” “The Godfather: Part II”) as Franklin.  The film also stars Zazie Beetz (“Deadpool 2”), Frances Conroy (TV’s “American Horror Story,” Hulu’s “Castle Rock”), Marc Maron (TV’s “Maron,” “GLOW”), Bill Camp (“Red Sparrow,” “Molly’s Game”), Glenn Fleshler (TV’s “Billions,” “Barry”), Shea Whigham (“First Man,” “Kong: Skull Island”), Brett Cullen (“42,” Netflix’s “Narcos”), Douglas Hodge (“Red Sparrow,” TV’s “Penny Dreadful”) and Josh Pais (upcoming “Motherless Brooklyn,” “Going in Style”).
Oscar nominee Phillips (“Borat,” “The Hangover” trilogy) directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Oscar-nominated writer Scott Silver (“The Fighter”), based on characters from DC.  The film is produced by Phillips and Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born,” “American Sniper”) under their Joint Effort banner, and Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff (“The Wolf of Wall Street”).   It is executive produced by Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Aaron L. Gilbert, Joseph Garner, Richard Baratta, and Bruce Berman.
Behind the scenes, Phillips is joined by director of photography Lawrence Sher (“Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “The Hangover” trilogy), production designer Mark Friedberg (“Selma,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”), editor Jeff Groth (“War Dogs,” “The Hangover Part III”), and Oscar-winning costume designer Mark Bridges (“Phantom Thread,” “The Artist”).  The music is by Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Sicario: Day of the Soldado”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, in Association with BRON Creative, a Joint Effort Production, a Film by Todd Phillips, “Joker.”  It will be in theaters nationwide October 4, 2019 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

JOKER - Final Trailer - Now Playing In Theaters

The reactions from audience members on Twitter were also gushing:

Joaquin Phoenix's performance in #JokerMovie is nothing short of Oscar-worthy. He fully commits to the role mentally and physically. Todd Phillips delivered a game-changing comic book film, and I cannot wait to see it again. #Joker pic.twitter.com/cnrL9bsdR2— Parks and Recommendations 🎙 (@DorianParksnRec) August 31, 2019



Parks and Recommendations 🎙 on Twitter

#Venezia76 The #Joker we fucking deserve. Rings of comedy, rings of fire. It's a circus, it's a carnival, it's a mayhem. Phoenix brings us dancing through this social disease and it's a triumph. #JokerMovie— Lorenzo Ciorcalo (@rotovisor) August 31, 2019



Lorenzo Ciorcalo on Twitter

Joker isn’t just an awesome comic book movie, it’s an awesome movie, period: https://t.co/9HEP8HcGOU pic.twitter.com/w90Zg2Ssti— Jim Vejvoda (@JimVejvoda) August 31, 2019



Jim Vejvoda on Twitter

I can’t quite believe how good Joker is. It’s a masterpiece. Funny, dark, beautiful, full of rage, and really fucking cool. Joaquin Phoenix is masterful and every shot is sublime. #Venezia76— James Jones (@jamesjonesfilm) August 31, 2019



James Jones on Twitter

There will be before Joker. And there will be after Joker. I don't know if the world is ready for this movie. Or maybe it is? It is GNARLY. It is crazy. It is audacious. It doesn't hold back. Wow. I can't believe it exists. But it does. And it's coming.— Alex Billington (@firstshowing) August 31, 2019



Alex Billington on Twitter

The Todd Phillips-directed film is set to hit theaters October 4, with Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Brian Tyree Henry rounding out the cast alongside Phoenix. Until then, give the trailer a watch above and get excited. This one is going to be good.

The First People to See 'Joker' Say It's Absolutely Incredible

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