One of the most talked-about film releases of 2024 is Joker: Folie à Deux. Joaquin Phoenix reprises his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck, a reimagining of DC Comics' iconic "Joker," and he is joined by Lady Gaga who portrays his love interest, Harley Quinn. If you've followed any of the DC films or comics, you already know that the Joker and Harley Quinn have a dangerous, toxic relationship that began in Arkham Asylum, but did you know that "folie à deux" is a real thing?
The term "folie à deux" refers to a shared delusion or mental illness experienced by two people who are extremely close and share emotional bonds. There are many notable (and tragic) examples from both fiction and non-fiction, particularly in the realm of true crime.
Way back in the 17th century, Miguel de Cervantes introduced us to Don Quixote and his loyal squire, Sancho. As they travel, having adventures and fighting windmills, one could argue that Sancho's acceptance of Don Quixote's wild fantasies is a shared delusion. While there is plenty of humor and satire in Don Quixote, the following examples take us to a much darker place.
Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb became notorious after the heinous kidnapping and murder of Bobby Franks in 1924. It became known as "the crime of the century." These two Chicagoans were long-considered a prime example of folie à deux with one being the leader and one the follower, both believing they were superior and could live without consequences. Learn more in the PBS American Experience documentary The Perfect Crime or read King and Wilson's Nothing but the Night to dive further into the duo's dark obsessions.
In 1933, sisters Christine and Léa Papin were working as housemaids in Le Mans, France when they brutally murdered the wife and daughter of their employer. In the graphic novel Maids, Katie Skelly examines aspects of gender, class, and exploitation that lead to their shocking crime. The illustrations are both beautiful and disturbing.
Another fictional example is Bug, a 2006 film written by Steppenwolf alum Tracy Letts and directed by The Exorcist's William Friedkin. It is based on Tracy Letts's play of the same name. Bug tells the story of a troubled waitress who holes up in a motel room with a Gulf War veteran as she falls deeper and deeper into his conspiracy theories and delusions.
One of the most upsetting true crime cases in the Internet age is the 2014 attempted murder of Bella Leutner, a 12-year-old Wisconsin girl who was attacked by two classmates obsessed with an internet bogeyman known as "Slenderman." Adolescent mental health and the impact of Internet folklore are the focus of both Beware the Slenderman, an HBO documentary, and Kathleen Hale's Slenderman.
Why are we so intrigued by stories of shared delusion? Are we just captivated by dark tales, or are we also curious about how someone can be so dangerously influenced by another—and if we might be susceptible too?
Joker: Folie à Deux will be released on October 4, 2024, and we'll all get to see what chaos grows from Arthur Fleck and Harley Quinn's bad romance.
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