TIFF: The People’s Joker, which the people probably won’t see

The Joker has become one of the most popular characters in modern fiction. With famous performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Heath Ledger, and Jack Nicholson among many more, he’s become a character many would love the chance to play. But does that mean that only a man can play the Joker?

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The People’s Joker is one of the more unique films at this year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. It’s an impressionist superhero film, and an unlicensed take on the tale of the Joker from Gotham City. Vera Drew, an L.A. based filmmaker, directs and stars in this film as Joker the Harlequin. She’s a trans comedian who moves to Gotham hoping to break into the state-run comedy scene and tear it down. In her endeavors, she encounters other Batman villains/comedians like the Penguin, the Riddler, and Ra’s Al Ghul (played hilariously by David Liebe Hart from Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!).

Vera Drew in the People’s Joker.

Drew plays Joker like a sad clown, somebody who wants to make the world laugh to bring her happiness. Growing up in the wrong body, she’s felt a major dysphoria with the world that’s expertly portrayed by the constant shocking changes of her vision. Her arc in the film closely mirrors that of Phoenix’s Joker, while adding in elements of every other one, and even Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey. But all in all, she’s very much her own type of Joker.

The People’s Joker is a loving parody of that famous character, but many won’t have the chance to see it. The film premiered at a Midnight Madness screening on September 13th, but after the premiere it was pulled from the festival by Drew. Warner Bros., which owns the rights to Batman and all related characters, told Drew and TIFF to not play the film as the movie was made unlicensed and without the studio’s approval.

The film was made by Drew in collaboration with over 200 artists throughout the pandemic, and feels like a film collage. Watching this film is not like watching Suicide Squad or the Dark Knight, in that it doesn’t really feel like a corporate product. This feels like a labor of love. And the haphazard, collaborative nature of the film works incredibly well for a story about the Joker. This doesn’t feel like a studio making a movie about an insane clown, it feels like a movie made by an insane clown.

The film’s existence is protected under parody law, especially as it does not use any copyrighted material from the numerous Batman films and shows out there. While it does recreate several images (Phoenix’s Joker dance down the stairs, Batman chasing Leto’s Joker in a Lamborghini), it’s all done through a loving and legally safe lens. More than any piece of Batman media that’s come before, this feels like a film about the Joker made by people who love and understand the Joker. It took a trans comedian making a parody film in the pandemic to accurately portray the Clown Prince of Crime.

Drew says she still intends to release the film when she finds a distribution company willing to do so, and the film is also scheduled to play in Austin’s Fantastic Fest at the end of September. But who knows if the People’s Joker will ever be seen by the people? The Joker is for everyone. After all, we all go a little mad once in a while.