Movies like the Joker don’t come out often, but when they do, they capture the imagination of the whole world. So if you’re looking for dark movies dealing with psychological and social issues, read on.
Directed by Todd Phillips, 2019’s Joker was a revolutionary movie about the systemic alienation of a man at the fringes until the pain becomes too much to bear and he snaps violently. As the events unfold in front of your eyes, you ask, how much is this the fault of the man actually?
So if you’re looking for more movies like the Joker, we have got for 10 for you!
Top 10 Dark Psychological Movies Like The Joker
1. Taxi Driver (1976)
A seemingly average Vietnam veteran lives his days driving taxis in New York. But the deep-seated rage in him builds up with time and bursts out violently when he attempts to save a young prostitute from her pimp.
Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece was driven by an amazing Robert De Niro who channelizes the traumatic conflicts in a man, wronged by society.
Both Joker and Taxi Driver have a lot to say about the society we live in. The trajectory of the lead character in Taxi Driver as he descends to madness is all too similar to give it a miss.
2. King of Comedy (1982)
Rupert Pupkin is an ordinary man living in his mother’s basement imagining an extraordinary life inside his head. When the line between reality and insanity gets blurred, he goes to the extreme to get a breakthrough on TV.
Another Martin Scorsese-Robert De Niro classic, King of Comedy meticulously balances the dark aspects of the man’s loneliness and the satirical humor regarding the showbiz and the trend of celebrity worship.
King of Comedy’s influence on Joker is pretty evident. Both movies critique the gradual blurring of TV and reality and the mind’s construct to avoid the pain of existence.
3. American Psycho (2000)
Another classic on the list, American Psycho focuses on Patrick Bateman, a young banker suppressing his violent tendencies until one day, the impulses take over.
In Mary Harron’s American Psycho, Christian Bale gives one of the finest performances of his career. His swift transformation from the cunning investment banker to the bloodthirsty maniac was powerful.
If you’re looking for movies like the Joker, you must check out its flamboyant sibling American Psycho. Beneath all the gloss, it’s psychologically intense and satirically thought-provoking.
4. The Dark Knight (2008)
Just when Batman and Commissioner Gordon are trying to bring order to Gotham’s streets, the anarchy of a psychopathic murderer brings the city to a standstill.
The Dark Knight is arguably the most popular movie on the list. This time Christian Bale plays the guy who brings order to chaos in this Nolan masterpiece but the thunder is stolen by an amazing Heath Ledger who plays the Joker.
If you’re looking for movies like the Joker, there’s no way you can ignore The Dark Knight. Both the Jokers stand apart from the societal norms, and their anarchic subversion says more about the world than them.
5. Falling Down (1993)
William “D-Fens” Foster is an average Joe on the verge of lashing out at the world. Following a series of unfortunate events, his daughter’s birthday doesn’t go as planned and he lets loose his violent instincts.
Michael Douglas gives voice to a character that represents the unheard cries of each one of us. Behind the action sequences of this Joel Schumacher’s directorial, there’s a fine line of social commentary waiting to be discovered.
Just like how Arthur Fleck’s string of bad luck pushes him to drastic steps, D-Fens in Falling Down also gives in to his murderous rage following a series of bad outcomes. But the question remains – who is at fault here?
6. Network (1976)
When an established news anchor is shown the door, he doesn’t take it too lightly. In his bid to stay relevant, he claims outrageous things on TV driving the TRP of the show, a trend that is later pushed to the extreme by the producer.
Sidney Lumet’s classic satire Network is a relevant movie even today. Bolstered by an incredible Peter Finch, Network touches upon the themes of desperation, showbiz glamour, and the deceptive nature of the television medium.
The Network’s representation of the television world and the race for TRP is similar to the Joker’s last act where Arthur’s conversation with Murray provides us enough food for thought.
7. You Were Never Really Here (2017)
A ragged, beaten by life hitman gets a second calling when he investigates the missing of a girl leading to the deep corruption lurking under the society.
Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here appears as a crucial step for Joaquin Phoenix to tap into the madness of Arthur Fleck in Joker. The unexplored places he went to relate to the protagonist’s troubled psyche naturally evolved later into Joker’s anarchy.
Movies like the Joker and You Were Never Really Here are not only testaments to the brilliance of Joaquin Phoenix, but they are also firm reminders of the violent impulses suppressed inside us.
8. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Sonny, failure in life, decides to rob a bank with Sal to pay for his wife’s surgery. The apparently simple plan goes south as the intense situations at the bank shed light on Sonny’s psyche.
Another Sidney Lumet classic, Dog Day Afternoon boasts a tour de force from Al Pacino whose troubled protagonist keeps on blurring our idea of morality with each passing moment.
Similar to the Joker, Dog Day Afternoon features anarchic impulses, psychological troubles, and once in a generation performance.
9. First Reformed (2017)
A pastor of the First Reformed church in a small town is forced to reconsider everything he has held as absolutes in his life. The conversation with an environmentalist further aggravates his sense of loss and grief.
Directed by Paul Schrader, First Reformed is driven by brilliant performances from Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried. Thanks to the stoic, slow-burn nature of the movie it impacts our judgments and perceptions of the world.
While it couldn’t have been more tonally different, what lands it on a list of movies like the Joker is its exploration of theological themes and intense conflict of man’s soul.
10. Nightcrawler (2014)
To round off the list, we have Nightcrawler. Louis Bloom in his bid to be the breakaway star of crime journalism goes to such an extent that he blurs the line between reality and fiction.
Directed by Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler features Jake Gyllenhaal on top of his game as he eerily vanishes into a sociopath who goes to any extreme to get the footage of the crime.
Just like the Joker, Nightcrawler focuses on a man driven by rage and pure passion that tosses morality out of the window and descend into insanity.