Overview
- The Warner Bros. film held its world premiere in London’s West End, drawing broadly positive first reactions from attendees and critics on social media.
- Praise centered on Maggie Gyllenhaal’s ambitious direction and the leads’ committed performances, with some calling the film a wild, audacious swing and comparing it favorably to Joker: Folie à Deux.
- Christian Bale said he initially thought the script was too risky for a big studio and credited Warner Bros. for backing an original, theatrical-first project.
- Reporting emphasized craft and performance detail, including Bale’s hours in prosthetics and a daily “primal scream” routine used to inhabit his character.
- The promotional push leaned into a goth-punk image, with Jessie Buckley’s sheer Maison Margiela couture making fashion headlines, as the review embargo lifts March 4 and theaters open March 6.