The Suicide Squad (2021)

Movie · 2021 · Action, Comedy, Adventure · 2h 12m · R · English

Curator score: 5.1/10 (1.9M ratings)

They’re dying to save the world.

Overview

Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.

Ratings

Director

James Gunn

Production

DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, The Safran Company, Warner Bros. Pictures

Cast

Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, Alice Braga, Pete Davidson, Joaquín Cosío, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Nathan Fillion, Taika Waititi, Steve Agee, Sean Gunn

Where to watch

Max

Curator Review

Verdict

A loud, violent, very funny comic-book romp with enough invention and heart to stand out from standard franchise fare. It works best as an anarchic team-up movie with strong needle-drop energy, grotesque action, and a surprisingly sincere emotional core.

Best for

  • Viewers who like R-rated superhero chaos
  • Fans of dark comedy and gleeful ultraviolence
  • People who enjoy ragtag ensemble casts with oddball chemistry
  • Audiences who want comic-book movies with a punky, irreverent tone

Skip if

  • You want a serious or grounded superhero story
  • You dislike graphic violence, crude humor, or gross-out gags
  • You prefer tightly restrained plotting over comic-book mayhem
  • You are tired of antihero ensemble movies

Overview

The Suicide Squad is a rare franchise reset that actually feels liberated by its own absurdity. It leans into comic-book excess with confidence: bigger jokes, nastier action, and a willingness to let its strangest characters steal the movie. The result is messy in places, but the energy is infectious and the set pieces are built to entertain rather than merely connect plot points.

Worth noting

What gives it staying power is the balance between cartoon violence and genuine sentiment. Beneath the bloodshed and one-liners, the film keeps finding small notes of loyalty, loneliness, and damaged people trying to matter to someone. That emotional thread keeps the chaos from feeling empty, even when the movie is at its most ridiculous.

Bottom line

It is not subtle, and it is definitely not for viewers who want superhero stories to behave themselves. But if you want a comic-book movie that feels rowdy, self-aware, and committed to the bit, this is one of the better examples of the form.

Top Letterboxd reviews

James (Schaffrillas) (4.5★) · 16605 likes

Shoutout to that right-wing dipshit who cancelled James Gunn on Twitter so that we could get this banger AND Guardians 3. That REALLY backfired for them huh

•lily• (5★) · 15746 likes

awww he’s offering you 🤲 a pretty leaf 🍃to show you he means no harm 🥺💞 WHY ✋THE FUCK 🤬 WOULD I WANT 🗣A LEAF 🍁🤔

hunter strawberry (3.5★) · 12820 likes

I love how James Gunn spent half of movie’s budget on special effects to make John Cena visible.

•lily• (4.5★) · 6964 likes

Turns out that the real suicide squad was the friends we made along the way

•lily• (5★) · 4722 likes

This happened to a couple of my friends a few years ago

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Topics

superhero action, dark comedy, ensemble cast, ultraviolence, irreverent tone, antihero team, comic-book adaptation, satirical, high-energy, 2020s

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