I would like to believe that I'm a stable adult man who generally handles scary things pretty well. Yes, Hereditary shook me to my core, and It was creepy as hell, but for the most part I can handle this shit.
The first look at Joaquin Phoenix in his Joker clown make-up, however, is deeply unsettling. Perhaps it's because I know how creepy and intense Phoenix can often be when he wants to. Maybe it's because clown makeup in general kind of fucks me up. Maybe it's his face in this tease: His demented grin showing true joy while evil lurks behind his eyes.
Even though this film has virtually everything working against it, maybe Phoenix can save salvage his stand-alone Joker movie.
Matt Miller is a Brooklyn-based culture/lifestyle writer and music critic whose work has appeared in Esquire, Forbes, The Denver Post, and documentaries.
