The Laughing Man (2016) User Reviews

To Die For.

[ghoultown · 10/10 · 10 August 2016]

I was curious about this because I really like the concept of the Joker. My brother knew it so he sent me the link.

It was very different than what I was expecting but it really got me curious about the New 52.I haven't really read enough to be knowledgeable about it. Before I saw this, I didn't think I would be.

One of the things I've always liked about the Batman Rogues Gallery was that they were only villains that could arguably be horror villains. This was the proof.

I was really intrigued by the portrayal of the Joker, because he really didn't seem like he was criminally insane to me. But rather he was a personification of evil. As subdued as the actor was, there was this sense of him guiding along Harley like a vampire would one of their victims.

It is, however, not for the faint of heart. It's the most violent version that I have ever seen. It's the perfect psychological thriller short.

Not every Joker movie can be good

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 5 June 2017]

"The Laughing Man" is a 20-minute live action short film from 2016 by the Hallivis Brothers and writer Brian DeLeeuw. Lead actor who plays the title character is Zach Avery and perhaps you are already getting the reference in the title because even if the make-up does not really show it this is a movie about the Joker from the Batman franchise. You could just think this is about a lunatic who breaks in an insane asylum, but the presence of Harley Quinn makes it obvious who is who in here. Still I was very much unimpressed by the way Quinn was written and portrayed. And the title character didn't do much more for me. Yes he is baity as always, has some solid lines even, but somehow it feels with all the Joker material out there, you need to bring something new to the character to make it an interesting watch and I don't think the people who worked on this one did not succeed with regard to that. The result is that the violence is probably more memorable than the talking and this is never a good foundation for a film. I give it a thumbs-down and it's only worth seeing for the very biggest Batman(? he doesn't appear in here of course) fans. Everyone else can skip it without missing much.

Real Joker!!!

[ohwail · 5/10 · 27 October 2022]

The back story of the joker actor Zack Avery is more interesting than the movie. The guy's name is actually Zachary Joseph Horwitz. The guy was a con artist had a Ponzi scheme going in LA and swindled over $650 million from people. He even conned his wife and close friends. True sociopath, just like the joker. This guy was a Hollywood version of Bernie Madoff. Google the guy and there are several podcasts out their that detail the acting this guy did to everyone around him. If only he put the same effort into his acting as he did in real life, he might made something of himself. He is now serving 20+ years in jail, wondering if he is laughing now.