Joker 2 is either 'brilliant' or 'depressingly dull', say Venice critics

Joker 2 — or Joker: Folie à Deux to give it the delightfully pretentious full title — is either brilliant, or terrible, or a bit of both. The long-awaited sequel had its red carpet premiere at the Venice Film Festival this week and critics have now had their say. They're split right down the middle.

This time around, the Batman-adjacent story follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), incarcerated after murdering four people, forming a bond with fellow Arkham inmate Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga) ahead of his televised trial. They meet as part of a prison singing program, hence Joker 2's musical elements.

The first movie made an enormous $1.08bn (£820m) at the global box office and was the highest-grossing R-rated film ever until Deadpool & Wolverine came along this year. Fans had high hopes for the sequel and, depending on their choice of critic, they might be thrilled or appalled at the early reactions.

Slideshow: See the best photos from Joker 2's Venice premiere below