Glenn Fleshler

Joker is an original, standalone story that explores Arthur Fleck, a man disregarded by society, and is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.

In the early twentieth century, an aging actress and her lover visit the estate of her elderly brother. Aging actress Irina Arkadina (Annette Bening) pays summer visits to her brother Pjotr Sorin (Brian Dennehy) and her son Konstantin Treplyov (Billy Howle) on a country estate. On one occasion, she brings Boris Trigorin (Corey Stoll), a successful novelist, with her. Nina Zarechnaya (Saoirse Ronan), a free and innocent girl on a neighboring estate, falls in love with Boris. Aging actress Irina Arkadina (Annette Bening) visits her family's summer home with her son Konstantin Treplyov (Billy Howle), who pines for the neighborhood girl Nina Zarechnaya (Saoirse Ronan). When famous writer Boris Trigorin (Corey Stoll) drops by, Nina finds herself enamored with him and ignoring Konstantin. Soon, a love triangle unfolds amidst family drama. One summer at a lakeside Russian estate, friends and family gather for a weekend in the countryside. A love triangle soon forms between ageing actress Irina, her lover Boris, and Nina from a neighbouring estate. While everyone is caught up in passionately loving someone who loves somebody else, a tragicomedy unfolds about art, fame, human folly, and the eternal desire to live a purposeful life.