7 Movies Like Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

There is nothing quite like The Substance right now. It’s unsubtle, it’s provocative, and its satirical humor can be a hit or miss for some viewers, but it strikes at the one thing that’s fundamental to everyone, that can make or break their lives, yet that is rarely given grace and consideration– that is the body. Legions of people have yearned for youth and beauty, but The Substance systematically outlines how much these have been intertwined with our livelihoods, opportunities, and identities, and how other entities would capitalize on this yearning and push many of us to take that out, suck that out, literally, from ourselves. The Substance does this all with insane, frenetic energy.

Genre: Drama, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller

Actor: Andrew Desmond, Ashley Lambert, Christian Erickson, Coralie Fargeat, Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid, Edward Hamilton-Clark, Gore Abrams, Gregory Defleur, Hugo Diego Garcia, Jonathon Carley, Margaret Qualley, Matthew Géczy, Matthew Luret, Michael Corbett, Nathan Rippy, Olivier Raynal, Oscar Lesage, Philip Schurer, Ranjani Brow, Robin Greer, Shane Sweet, Stephen Apostolina, Tiffany Hofstetter, Tom Morton, Vincent Colombe, Yann Bean

Director: Coralie Fargeat

Rating: R

Beautiful in its painterly compositions and gut-wrenching in its storytelling, The Wild Robot has been dubbed one of the best animated features in a while, and rightly so. The film, which is a bit like if Tarzan were a robot, or if Stitch had to assimilate in the wild instead of the city, is a classic tale of an outsider learning to love and be accepted by her community. It’s about many other things, too, like the violence of nature, the supreme power of kindness, and the complexities of parenthood (it’s deeply humanistic for a film that features almost no humans at all). But for all the themes it tackles and the colorful multitude of characters it covers, it feels incredibly light and easy to watch. Perhaps that’s due to its hand-drawn aesthetics, which recall Studio Ghibli films more than anything, and to the voices who bring the characters to life, most notably that of Lupita Nyong'o, who gives the robot Roz so much warmth and depth despite her electronic limitations. All these and more make Wild Robot a must-watch, if not an instant classic.

Genre: Animation, Family, Science Fiction

Actor: Bill Nighy, Catherine O'Hara, Dee Bradley Baker, Keston John, Kit Connor, Lupita Nyong'o, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, Max Mittelman, Paul-Mikél Williams, Pedro Pascal, Piotr Michael, Randy Thom, Raphael Alejandro, Stephanie Hsu, Ving Rhames

Director: Chris Sanders

Rating: PG

In case you didn’t know, Speak No Evil is based on a Danish film of the same name, released only two years ago. Given that the latter was already a hit among horror fans thanks to its unrelentingly bleak approach, it’s tempting to chalk this remake up to narcissism. As was the case with the movies Otto and Let Me In, maybe Americans just wanted something of their own. While that may be true, it has to be said that this remake, in a word, is good. It’s thrilling and terrifying in its own right, and it adds enough new elements to keep you on your toes. Apart from the new twists, the characters are also more utilized and the social commentary on class and masculinity feels more pointed. Through these additions, among others, it’s able to imagine an alternative storyline that will speak to a lot of audiences.

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Actor: Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Jakob Højlev Jørgensen, James McAvoy, Kris Hitchen, Mackenzie Davis, Motaz Malhees, Scoot McNairy

Director: James Watkins

Rating: R

At the peak of his fame in the 80s, Christopher Reeve was constantly seen as his onscreen character, Superman. Like him, Reeve could fly (planes). He was full of charm and stood for what was right. But in this revealing documentary, we learn the whole truth about Reeve; his troubled childhood, his initial struggles with commitment, his physical talents, his love for family, and—as many a superhero star will sympathize with—his deep yearning for a creative career outside of the comic book character who made him famous. Of course, a significant chunk of the documentary also deals with Reeve’s unfortunate paralysis. We witness, through home movies and narrated biographies, how he coped with the tragedy. Making the film even more special is the input of his three children, who look back at the time with generous honesty and vulnerability. This film is made for fans of the actor, but it’s also a great example of the power of advocacy (Reeve became a disability rights activist after the accident), love (his wife Dana is a superhero on her own), and legacy (his children run his foundation to this day).

Genre: Documentary, Drama

Actor: Alexandra Reeve Givens, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Christopher Reeve, Dana Reeve, Gene Hackman, Glenn Close, Hillary Clinton, Jane Seymour, Jeff Daniels, John Houseman, John Kerry, Johnny Carson, Margot Kidder, Matthew Reeve, Richard Donner, Robin Williams, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Will Reeve

Director: Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui

Rating: PG-13

For better or for worse, every romantic relationship anyone will ever have will end. This isn’t a bitter statement single or heartbroken people declare, it’s just that we have to keep in mind that time with our loved ones is limited. Romcom drama We Live in Time is titled as such for a reason– mentioning this could be a bit of a spoiler here– but fittingly, the film plays with time, taking a non-linear narrative that jumps back and forth within the timeline Tobias and Almut share together, comparing and contrasting between these moments as if in memory. Certain moments might feel a bit derivative, but We Live in Time ultimately works with the excellent chemistry shared by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Actor: Adam James, Amy Morgan, Andrew Garfield, Aoife Hinds, Douglas Hodge, Eliot Salt, Florence Pugh, Grace Delaney, Grace Molony, Kerry Godliman, Lee Braithwaite, Lucy Briers, Marama Corlett, Niamh Cusack, Sam Kennard

Director: John Crowley

Rating: R