After Nikki Glaser’s searing Golden Globes roast, ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ finds an unexpected defender who insists ‘the critics were wrong’

Just one day after Nikki Glaser unceremoniously roasted it at the Golden Globes, Joker: Folie à Deux has found an unexpected fan in the form of Hairspray director, John Waters. 

In case you missed it, Glaser — who served as the host of the glitzy ceremony — took square aim at the Todd Phillips sequel during her opening monologue. After making light of the almost uniformly negative fan and critic reactions to Folie à Deux, the comedian joked about the absence of the film’s cast and crew at the event, since it was glaringly omitted in all categories. “Where’s their table?” Glaser asked, “Oh, they’re not here, that’s right.” While it was met with a smattering of laughter from the audience, not everyone took the joke so lightheartedly. 

In a recent interview published in Paper Magazine, Waters — who directed the original 1988 Hairspray that was later adapted into the 2007 movie musical — was asked his thoughts on Folie à Deux. Perhaps given his musical roots, Waters declared that “the critics were wrong” about the Joaquin Phoenix-starring sequel, since “people don’t understand that they sing showtunes.” While he admitted to “stupidly believ[ing] the critics” before watching, Waters said he changed his (show)tune after actually seeing Folie à Deux, praising it as “great and well-developed…I thought it was wonderful,” he said. 

Waters also extended his compliments to Phillips, saying he “like[s] that film director a lot” and that he “likes all his movies.” Alongside Folie à Deux and the first Joker — which earned him a 2019 Oscar nomination for Best Picture — Phillips’ credits include The Hangover comedy franchise and War Dogs.  To support his argument, Waters cited fellow director Quentin Tarantino, who likewise defied critics when he said in October that he “really, really liked” Folie à Deux. “I read later that Quentin Tarantino really liked it, too,” Waters said, “so it definitely has its followers, but I think we’re a little too late to help with it.”

The reason Waters was even mentioned alongside Folie à Deux was because, last month, he included the sequel in his list of 2024’s best movies for Vulture. That inclusion made headlines of its own, but his other entries saw far more success at the Golden Globes than the Arthur Fleck vehicle. For instance, Waters included both Emilia Pérez and The Brutalist, which took home the wins for Best Musical or Comedy and Best Drama, respectively, as well as Babygirl, which scored a Best Actress nod for Nicole Kidman. 

Folie à Deux wasn’t the only subject of Glaser’s razor-sharp burns, with her monologue aiming at everyone from Ariana Grande to Timothée Chalamet and Stanley Tucci (with a hilarious Adam Sandler cameo to boot). Elsewhere, other buzzy moments from this year’s ceremony included Vin Diesel’s revival of a years-old beef with Dwayne Johnson, Sofia Vergara heckling Jodie Foster, and Andrew Garfield doing his darndest to break the internet for the eleven hundredth time. Oh, we also got an appearance from the winners of the Glen Powell and Chalamet look-alike contests… So, there’s that?

In terms of Folie à Deux, it seems the divisive film might’ve run its course, with Phillips telling The Hollywood Reporter that his “time in the DC Universe was these two films.” If it ever does come to fruition, you can bet your bottom dollar Waters will be first in line at the box office.