The cinematography and Phoenix’s acting functions, in a way, like clown paint: it’s all swirling colors and exaggerated shapes working to make the performer something special. But wash the paint off and what are you left with?
In Joker’s case, you have a story that fulfills the same “white man exacts revenge” trope as ones before it. This unofficial genre is nothing new: we’ve seen it in 1976’s Taxi Driver, 1983’s The King of Comedy (which Joker is clearly inspired by) and countless others.
The story beat is the same: white man is downtrodden. White man blames a person/group/society for his situation. Embittered, white man takes violent action. White man is a hero.
The trope itself is worrisome and one that we don’t need more films adapting.
But there’s a level of self-importance Joker imposes– paired with this trope – that makes it feel even more unbearable.