The Suicide Squad
Soft reboot ignoring 2016 film, antiheroes forced into deadly mission
The brief
James Gunn takes the DC supervillain squad concept and injects it with his signature blend of genuine heart and gleefully unhinged violence. The film bounces between laugh-out-loud absurdity and surprisingly brutal action sequences, with Margot Robbie's unrestrained Harley Quinn and Idris Elba's weary Bloodsport anchoring a cast that commits fully to the madness. It's messier and more chaotic than Gunn's Guardians films but maintains that same ability to make you care about characters who should be completely irredeemable. Perfect for anyone who wanted Suicide Squad to actually be fun and isn't squeamish about creative ways people can die.
The verdict
If you love irreverent superhero action that balances genuine character moments with creatively violent chaos, this is James Gunn at his most unhinged and heartfelt. If you're squeamish about brutal gore or prefer your comic book movies more straightforward, the gleeful madness and excessive runtime will feel exhausting.
Watch with
- 👥 Friends who love chaotic action comedies
- ⚠️ Skip if you're squeamish about creative gore
Heads up
- Graphic violence with dark humor throughout (frequent)
- Creative and brutal death sequences (moderate)
- Strong language and crude humor (frequent)
Credits
- Director
- James Gunn
- Cast
- Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, David Dastmalchian
Official synopsis
Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
Both feature misfit teams of colorful antiheroes on action-packed missions.
Total runtime: 2h 12m + 1h 40m = 3h 52m
