Joker is officially certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, but that could change as more reviews come in. Following in the footsteps of Oscar-winners Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix has become the latest big-name actor to take on the role of Joker, the most infamous of all Batman villains.

This time around though, Joker is not playing second-fiddle to the Caped Crusader, but is actually the movie’s central figure. Written and directed by Todd Phillips, Joker presents an origin story of the Clown Prince of Crime that does not in fact draw on any prior version of the character, but presents a wholly original and dark vision. Phoenix’s Joker is Arthur Fleck, a would-be entertainer whose love for making people smile is finally worn down by a cruel society, causing him to turn to crime. Due to the film’s grim subject matter, many have criticized it for its potential to spark real life violence, though director Phillips has clapped back at such criticisms.

Though the film does have detractors, critics have largely been on board with Joker, and the movie even won an unlikely Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Things have actually been positive enough on the critical front for the movie to be certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes with an overall score of 74% (it initially hit 75% to earn the certification before dropping slightly). That score places Joker well ahead of the last movie to depict the villainous character, 2016’s Suicide Squad, which featured Leto in a widely derided depiction. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight remains the most acclaimed movie to feature the Joker, as it currently holds down a 94% rating, while Tim Burton’s Batman featuring Nicholson as Joker sits at a rather low 72%.

Though Joker does carry the fresh certification as of now, the movie’s margin is actually rather thin, as more reviews are now coming in with the film set to hit theaters. If enough of those reviews are negative, the movie could dip to 70% and lose its fresh certification. That would indeed be somewhat of a surprise for a film that did receive a lot of early acclaim, and has been mentioned as a possible Best Picture contender at the Oscars.

Then again, given the extreme subject matter tackled in Joker, perhaps it’s not a surprise that the film is currently dividing critics and sits a long way from 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. As always, it will be interesting to see how audiences react to the film, and whether the movie ends up with a better RT audience score than a critics’ score. No matter what people think of the film overall, it seems to be the consensus that Phoenix has done a great job as Joker, though it remains to be seen how his depiction will ultimately rank compared to those of his predecessors. Undoubtedly, Joker has generated a ton of buzz, and Warner Bros. has to be thrilled about that regardless of what critics think about the movie.

More: How Theaters Have Reacted To Joker’s Controversy

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

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