Vera Drew’s The People’s Joker is more than just an underground film—it’s an act of defiance. The indie project, which takes Gotham City’s most infamous clown and reimagines her as a trans woman navigating an oppressive world, faced immediate backlash from Hollywood. Warner Bros. quickly pulled it from screenings due to copyright claims, but that didn’t stop Drew. The film’s journey to the UK and Ireland is itself a victory, showing that independent queer filmmakers refuse to be silenced by corporate giants.
The film’s chaotic aesthetic, featuring green-screen madness, stop-motion, and a mix of animation styles, mirrors the fractured experience of being trans. It’s a cinematic collage that doesn’t hold the viewer’s hand or explain itself. Instead, it immerses audiences in a raw, often surreal world where gender identity, trauma, and absurdist humor collide. At its heart, The People’s Joker isn’t just about one woman’s journey—it’s a rallying cry against the sanitized, palatable depictions of trans life Hollywood so often prefers.
A Queer Story That Refuses to Be Tamed
Unlike mainstream trans narratives that focus on acceptance and validation, Drew’s film embraces the messiness of queer identity. The protagonist, forced into a medicalized version of gender conformity as a child, ultimately chooses self-definition over societal norms. The film highlights how transphobia isn’t just about public debates or discriminatory laws—it’s often rooted in the betrayals of those closest to us. In doing so, The People’s Joker offers a more nuanced, lived-in portrait of trans identity than many high-budget productions ever dare to attempt.
For LGBTQ audiences, the film represents something Hollywood rarely delivers—an unapologetic, deeply personal, and darkly hilarious exploration of gender. It’s a love letter to those who have been told their existence is too complicated, too niche, or too risky for the mainstream. Vera Drew’s creation is, in many ways, a new kind of cinematic rebellion, proving that queer storytelling doesn’t need permission to exist.