Being a superhero fan presents its challenges. Even the most dedicated Marvel devotee must concede that the films frequently adhere to a predictable formula, and those superhero movies attempting to break from convention remain engineered for mass appeal.
Yet the superhero landscape need not remain this way. Comics, perhaps more than other fandoms, depend on devoted followers, whose personal narratives frequently remain overlooked. Several years ago, a filmmaker took one of her beloved comic book characters and adapted their origin into a surreal queer coming-of-age saga unlike any other. After being plagued by copyright troubles, it’s finally available.
The People’s Joker represents the feature debut of Vera Drew, a comedy editor whose credits include Comedy Bang Bang! and Tim and Eric’s Beef House. Drew portrays Harlequin the Joker, a transgender female comedian who relocates to the metropolis in pursuit of acceptance. The film is a frenetic video collage brimming with jokes that satirize improv schools, Saturday Night Live, coming out, and the DC universe, all simultaneously.
Her prospects improve when Harlequin encounters Mr. J, an “edgy” transmasculine comedian who bears a striking resemblance to Jared Leto. However, their relationship — combined with Mr. J’s involvement with a certain caped vigilante — compels Harlequin to rescue her dystopian reality. The story concludes with a surprisingly poignant showdown with her mother (alongside a hallucinatory musical interlude).
Upon its premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, Drew received a “threatening letter” concerning copyright issues, which resulted in the cancellation of scheduled screenings. This ultimately proved to be a classic case of the Streisand Effect: by attempting to suppress the film, The People’s Joker became the superhero movie Warner Bros. doesn’t want audiences to see.
The People’s Joker functions as a parody, yet it delivers greater emotional resonance than many conventional superhero films. Harlequin confronts coming out, abuse, self-esteem challenges, medication dependency, and numerous other real-world problems, but in traditional comic book fashion, these topics are coated with a layer of eccentricity and visual panache.
Nearly four years after that pivotal TIFF debut, The People’s Joker has established itself as an essential work within the superhero genre. Anyone who identifies as a superhero enthusiast hasn’t truly experienced everything until they’ve watched this film.