Overall, it was a great movie, but there is definitely a reason it's rated R. Just remember before you take anyone under the age of 17, that the age restriction for buying a ticket to R rated movie is there for a reason.

So, going into the movie I was expecting more of the superhero versus villain type movie, but oh how I was wrong. The Joker is a hard-hitting dark thriller that explores the mind and exposes parts of how society sometimes thinks.

It is more of a backstory to the Joker we know today. It starts by introducing everyone to a party clown named Arthur Fleck, who has to take care of his sick mother. They live in Gotham which is overrun with crime and poverty.

With crime and poverty comes a lot of gang violence which directly affects Arthur. One of his co-workers gives him a gun (hello, why would you just give someone a gun, especially when you know he is affected by some type of mental illness?).

A downward spiral begins, and when Arthur is fired from his job, he begins to fall off the deep end.

Despite losing his job, he tries to push through and become a stand-up comedian. That doesn't quite work for him though. A local TV talk show host sees a video of Arthur and proceeds to show it on television as he makes fun of Arthur. Now, Arthur sees this and is filled with anger and rage, which he covers up with his uncontrollable laughter.

I believe that was the final straw for him. By this point, Arthur has killed 4 people, and the local detectives are on his case. Before the detectives can get him, Arthur is invited onto the talk show. He, of course, accepts the invite, but little do they know he has a grander plan in mind.

Arthur request to be introduced as the Joker, only because this is what the talk show host had previously called him when he was first mocking Arthur. They proceed with the title of the Joker, and for me, this is when it got the darkest.

Joker tells some extremely morbid jokes and then he talks about society. He had just admitted to killing 3 boys on the train, and he asks the question if it had been him, would anyone have noticed. He gets pretty bent out of shape and begins yelling about how society doesn't care until it's someone of importance.

Now, this made me think about society today. What truth is Joker saying?

There are so many people just pushed to the side because of their status or mental capability. It shouldn't be like that, but it is. Joker had grown up in an abusive household and had been overlooked most of his life. The treatment he received throughout his life played a huge role in his actions once he got his hands on a gun.

Now, you may be wondering how this all ties in with Batman. Well, Bruce Wayne's father was running for mayor at the time, and after the killing on the subway, he made a pretty strong statement about the kinds of people who could do something like that. His statements paired with the witness report about what the killer looked like (a clown) led to riots breaking out in the streets.

Towards the end of the movie, Bruce is left standing alone in the alley after just watching his parent's get shot and killed by a rioter. Fast forward, Joker is in a mental institution talking to a social worker. The movie ends with him exiting the room, leaving a trail of blood behind him as he runs up and down the hallways.

I really enjoyed this movie, but it took it a little bit to sink in. The storyline is very complex. It depicts the way society looks at people that are different from them. It shows the harsh criticism within the media and politics.

There is a pretty good bit of foul language, and it could be extremely gruesome in parts. You have to go in prepared for that. But overall, it was a pretty good movie, and it definitely left viewers with some take away thoughts.