Joker has been rated as the highest rated film of 2019, according to online film rating database IMDb.

To be fair, 2019 looks to have been a pretty big year with regards to cinema, as a number of films including The Irishman, Knives Out, Le Mans 66, Marriage Story, and even Avengers: Endgame all scored above 8.0.

However, sitting on a rating of 8.6, Joaquin Phoenix's turn as Arthur Fleck - the man who would go on to become the Clown Prince of Crime - has the highest score of the lot.

If you've not seen it just yet, Joker was directed by Todd Phillips and is expected to feature heavily during the awards season next year. In fact, Phoenix was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor earlier this month.

Phoenix's performance has been one of the standout performances of the year, with his maniacal style and immersive commitment to the role coming to the fore to result in a special moment in an already stellar career.

Speaking about his star, Phillips told Empire that he couldn't have imagine the role played by anyone else.

He said: "I think he's the greatest actor.

"We had a photo of him above our computer while we were writing. We constantly thought, 'God, imagine if Joaquin actually does this'.

"We just wrote our own version of where a guy like Joker might come from. That's what was interesting to me. We're not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker. It's about this man.

"We didn't follow anything from the comic books, which people are gonna be mad about."

As well as exhibiting his acting chops, the 44-year-old The Master star also put himself through physical exertion to inhabit the role. He lost around 52lbs to play the character, that's commitment.

Speaking to the ReelBlend podcast, Phoenix said: "It just seemed like it would be easier.

"The very first bit of research that I did was about medication and the side effects of medication and everybody on these boards was talking about these dramatic changes in their weight.

"Whether it be putting on weight or losing weight. There's something so f***ing tragic about taking a medication because you feel out of step with the world, and then you have these side effects that magnify that feeling."

There could be more to come yet, too. Todd Phillips has refused to rule out a potential sequel. Describing to the LA Times what that would look like, he explained: "It couldn't just be this wild and crazy movie about the Clown Prince of Crime.

"It would have to have some thematic resonance in a similar way that Joker does. Because I think that's ultimately why the movie connected, it's what's going on underneath.

"So many movies are about the spark and this is about the powder. If you could capture that again in a real way, that would be interesting."

Well, if it's anything like the first, it'll be a huge success.