JOKER
HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET
Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar several times over the years, but it was his performance in this 2019 Batman spinoff prequel, presenting the origin story of one of Gotham City’s most infamous and colorful villains, that finally earned Phoenix an Academy Award. Joker premieres on HBO tonight, as one of the best films, along with Wonder Woman, to come from the DC Comics side of the comic-book movie universe. Co-stars include Frances Conroy from Six Feet Under, Zazie Beetz from TV’s Atlanta, and some guy named Robert De Niro.