Joaquin’s ‘Joker’ gives a scare

The Joker film could very well cross over into the horror genre, judging from a tease director Todd Phillips shared on Friday

The short Instagram video begins with Joaquin Phoenix in his plainclothes character as the DC Comics villain — aka Arthur Fleck — gazing into the camera lens.

Building on last weekend’s headshot tease, the so-called camera test is set to the haunting tune of Guess Who’s Laughing. While the music plays, Arthur’s mouth eventually ticks into a smile and Phillips’ take on the Joker’s iconic disguise is projected across the actor’s face.

The clown-like makeup and the clip’s abrupt finish perhaps set the tone for Warner Bros standalone origin film, which is believed to be about the Batman foe’s failed attempt at a career in comedy that leads him to a life of crime.

Joker is expected to open in US theatres on October 4, 2019.