Fans Turn on Todd Phillips on Instagram Following ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Struggles—Is It Too Harsh?

Joker: Folie à Deux was one of the most anticipated sequels in recent memory, rivaling the excitement generated by Deadpool and Wolverine. However, when it was revealed that the film would be a musical drama, many fans felt disappointed, fearing it would tarnish the exceptional story established in the first movie.

Unfortunately, those concerns proved valid. The film not only flopped at the box office but also received negative feedback from both fans and critics, who—quite unusually—are in agreement that it failed to meet expectations across the board.

Joker: Folie à Deux has disappointed many, and while we understand fans’ frustration, we’re now witnessing a troubling trend where some individuals are attacking Todd Phillips on social media. Despite the film’s shortcomings, this behavior is unjustifiable.

Reddit user Pearl_Jam_ initiated a discussion on the platform regarding these attacks and insults, sharing a series of screenshots that reveal fans being quite harsh towards Phillips on Instagram. You can see for yourself:

Todd Phillips being attacked on his Instagram. Too far?
byu/Pearl_Jam_ inDC_Cinematic

As you can see, this behavior is highly inappropriate. First, blaming only Phillips for the film’s shortcomings is unreasonable. Numerous people contribute to a project, so the responsibility for a film’s success or failure is always shared.

While Phillips, as the director, has significant influence, it’s unfair to place all the blame on him. Just consider how post-production decisions impacted David Lynch’s Dune (1984); Lynch shouldn’t be solely blamed for how it turned out. While this isn’t the case here, it illustrates the point.

Secondly, who are these individuals to claim ownership over the movie? Sure, you watched it and liked it, but that doesn’t justify insulting a director as if he’s ruined your life or harmed someone close to you just because the film didn’t meet your expectations.

This reaction is excessive and reflects the toxic hate culture growing on the Internet, and we need to take a stand against such behavior!

This makes no sense and should not be tolerated. Movies are meant to be enjoyed. If we don’t like them, we can express our opinions and discuss our feelings, but this kind of hostility is appalling and unworthy of true fans.

What are Reddit users saying? The support for Phillips is nearly unanimous—take a look:

Jesus fucking Christ. People suck, and this is a blindingly bright example of that fact.

Just imagine giving that much of a shit about the first film – which was absurdly overrated, in my opinion – to get this asshurt over the new one. There are plenty of movies that I absolutely love, but I still would never behave like this. Nothing justifies this behavior.

What’s worse, they’re so deluded that they think he’s going to care about what they have to say. He’ll likely just delete their comments or prevent people from commenting, or just delete his account. They’re wasting time and screen taps.

– Shatterhand1701

What’s ironic is those people sound just like the Joker supporters in the movie who were dissapppointed by Arthur Fleck.

– tinytimm101

People who see the joker as their hero really needs to be put on a watchlist

– AHMilling

Of course it’s too far, they’re doing this because they didn’t like a movie lol.

– DareSufficient7355

Why does this kind of toxic fan always identify as a collective? “He hates us,” “We wanted Joker, not…” It’s weird. Just speak for yourself.

nymrod_

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