The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has confirmed Todd Phillips' R-rated comic book drama `Joker` was the most complained about movie in the United Kingdom last year. The BBFC's annual report has `Joker` topping the list of most complained about films with 20 complaints filed in regards to the movie's age 15 classification.

The majority of complaints against `Joker` argued the film should've received an age 18 rating due to `violence and tone,` while a select few said the BBFC should've banned the movie altogether. The BBFC defended the age 15 rating for `Joker` because the film `doesn't dwell on the infliction of pain or injury in a manner that requires an 18.`

The decrease in complaints suggests U.K. audiences are getting less bothered by movie violence and darker tones. Just look at Christopher Nolan's `The Dark Knight,` which received a grand total of 364 complaints back in 2008. Those complaints slammed the BBFC for giving `The Dark Knight` an age 12 rating. Perhaps moviegoers are becoming more accustomed to violence, or maybe it's just that Heath Ledger's Joker is far more terrifying than Joaquin Phoenix's Joker.

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The British Board of Film Classification confirms "Joker" was the most complained about film in the United Kingdom with 20 formal complaints filed against it. The number is down from "Red Sparrow," which topped the 2018 list with 64 complaints, and it pales in comparison to "The Dark Knight," which earned a whopping 364 complaints in 2008. Click the link in bio for more. ⁠ --⁠ #Joker #TheDarkKnight #JoaquinPhoenix #HeathLedger

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`Isn't it a good thing to put real-world implications on violence?` Phillips asked the audience at last year's New York Film Festival. `Isn't that a good thing to take away the cartoon element of violence that we've become so immune to? So I was a little surprised when it turns into that direction, that it seems irresponsible because to me it seems actually very responsible to make it feel real and make it that weight.`