Feature
The People’s Joker
This revolutionary DIY parody film and hilarious reimagining of the classic autobiographical coming-of-age story follows an unconfident, closeted trans girl as she moves to Gotham City to make it big as a comedian by joining the cast of UCB Live – a government-sanctioned late night sketch show in a world where comedy has been outlawed. As mainstream success eludes our heroine, leading her to unite with a ragtag team of rejects, misfits, and a certain love interest named Mister J, “Joker the Harlequin” is born again as a confident (and psychotic) joker on a collision course with the city’s fascist caped crusader. Vats of feminizing chemicals, sexy cartoon interludes, scarecrow psychiatrists, CGI Lorne Michaels, and psychedelic gender dysphoria all play supporting roles. Helmed by writer/director/editor/star Vera Drew and using her own life experiences as a basis for the film, THE PEOPLE’S JOKER is a deeply personal journey that’s as much documentary as it is parody.
THE PEOPLE’S JOKER features a superhero-sized cast of celebrated comedic talent in both voice and live action roles behind the vibrant kaleidoscope of characters that lampoon the iconic heroes and villains of the DC comics’ world, featuring cameos from comedy multi-hyphenate Tim Heidecker, award-winning actor Bob Odenkirk, Maria Bamford (Netflix’s Big Mouth, Adult Swim’s Teenage Euthanasia), and Scott Aukerman (Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis co-creator and host of the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast), with Vera Drew, Lynn Downey (Amazon Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & The Six), Nathan Faustyn (SADDLED), and Kane Distler, in his film debut as Mister J.
2024, 92 Minutes, USA, Directed by Vera Drew
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“A wildly irreverent underground satire. As attention-grabbing calling-card projects go, this one more than demonstrates Drew’s ingenuity and organizing power.”
– Peter Debruge, VARIETY -
“A blasphemous Molotov cocktail of a movie, with a unique and valuable point of view. And it’s hilarious, too.”
– Katie Rife, POLYGON -
“Zany, silly, kitschy, and above all thoughtful.”
– Siddhant Adlakha, MASHABLE -
“’The People’s Joker’ is a fearless, gloriously funny, and moving act of cinematic anarchy.”
– Alejandra Martinez, AUSTIN CHRONICLE -
“An unabashed love letter to Batman properties, to camp, stand-up comedians, and – most importantly – the trans community. It is daring and ambitious and unapologetic.”
– Joe Lipsett, BLOODY DISGUSTING -
“’The People’s Joker’ is an endlessly amusing, deeply personal, wildly inventive collision of genres all bent to the will of filmmaker Vera Drew"
- Jacob Oller, PASTE MAGAZINE