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Joker

31 August 2012Hindi1h 44m
Drama
out of 10
Unfavorablemost critics didn't like it
Monk Score · 11 critic reviews

A limp, predictable misfire where even the jokes rarely land.

Verdict tier Unfavorable, most critics didn't like it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: occasional stray laughs
  • Criticised: inept, predictable, weak storytelling

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Not streaming in India

Top cast

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Critic consensus

What 11 critics are saying

Critical consensus on Joker is overwhelmingly negative, with scores clustering at the lower end and several critics calling it a disaster. Reviewers consistently found the film inept, predictable, and narratively weak, with characters that fail to engage. A small number of critics acknowledged occasional stray laughs or a premise that sounded interesting on paper, but agreed the execution fell far short. Multiple critics warned audiences to avoid the film entirely.

How the 11 scores spread

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 11 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (11)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    IBNLive

    Film review ·

    Joker unfolds briskly and predictably. Alas, just as you're confronted with an unpredictable twist in the tale, the film comes to a screeching halt. Once again, an opportunity wasted.

  2. Top critic

    Rediff

    Film review ·

    Does Joker hold up, then, as a children's film? Not a chance. It's clean, sure, bereft of swearing or innuendo (yet with a sultry item song) but it's also daft.

  3. Top critic

    Hindustan Times

    Film review ·

    Joker testifies to the power of the star in Bollywood. It is staggeringly inept. I can't imagine that it was persuasive even as a concept.

  4. Top critic

    Indian Express

    Film review ·

    Can kids watch this, I asked myself as I watched this all-over-the-place faradiddle. And then I dismissed it. Because even children, especially children, need a story that holds, and characters that engage.

  5. Top critic

    NDTV

    Film review ·

    Give Joker a miss if you value your sanity and money. It gives commercial Hindi cinema a bad name.

  6. Times Of India

    Film review ·

    Like a joker, the film makes a complete fool of itself. However it fails to make you laugh. The circus clown is funnier!

  7. Bollyspice

    Film review ·

    With a baseline that sounded interesting enough, I was hoping for a more entertaining and enjoyable fare. Although really not that bad as some are making it out to be, there is no doubt that this Joker could have been funnier.

  11. DNA India

    Film review ·

    Joker isn't as awful as you expect it to be, falling a few degrees short of entering the 'So Bad It's Good' category, a list which has had two brilliant additions this year.

Credits

Cast & crew

Cast

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