Untangling the Controversy Over the New <em>Joker </em>Movie

Since Joker debuted at the Venice Film Festival this summer and hype began building over its intense themes, questions have surfaced about whether people would be too nervous to see it. Not just because it’s a violent, R-rated thriller featuring a murderous psychopath, but also because much of the prerelease chatter about Joker has centered on fears of mass shootings at screenings, with the U.S. military advising service members to be alert, local police departments posting officers at theaters on opening weekend, and families of the 2012 movie-theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, publicly expressing concern over the film.

As approaches its Friday release, this narrative of anxiety has taken on a life of its own—and seems to be somewhat rooted both in the actual plot and in;is projected to break October records with an opening of more than $80 million. But how did this film, as a serious take on comic-book lore indebted to the work of Martin Scorsese, turn into a lightning rod? As the movie marches to financial success and potential Oscar nominations this fall, the discourse it has inspired has the potential to curdle even further.