Joker

No LGBTQ+ characters, relationships, or themes appear. Arthur’s connections are strictly heterosexual or familial.

Sophie Dumond is a neighbor who exploits Arthur’s vulnerability before vanishing. Penny Fleck is a delusional mother whose lies drive the plot. Thomas Wayne is a corrupt patriarch whose abuse of Penny fuels Arthur’s rage.

The cast is predominantly white. Non-white characters appear only as background figures or minor antagonists. No significant immigrant or Global South subplot exists.

Gotham’s decay and budget cuts are the primary villains. The wealthy Wayne family is depicted as untouchable and abusive. Social services fail Arthur, and the police are shown as corrupt. The film frames class hierarchy as the root of suffering.

Arthur’s pseudobulbar affect is a debilitating condition causing involuntary laughter. It is not a superpower or a joke. The state’s failure to provide adequate care is a central theme. His disability leads to social exclusion and violence.