The Suicide Squad (2021) is genuinely one of the best films made in this decade and you do not want to miss it. You may be asking yourself why I underlined “The” in the title, and that is simply so this film does not get confused with the very similarly named dumpster fire that is Suicide Squad (2016). I entered the theater with no real expectations for this movie, having only seen a trailer or two along with having previously seen the awful first Suicide Squad. That being said, this flick quite literally blew my mind in every way conceivable.
Directed by James Gunn, you may be familiar with some of his other works such as Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) or Avengers: Endgame (2019). Much like those films, Gunn brings in a well thought out character-driven plot backed by amazing cinematography and a soundtrack that is as timeless as the story. At first I was a little weary of this movie but each minute that passed after the title card captivated me in such ways that other films don’t and I simply felt sucked into the world of the film. Without spoiling too much, this flick follows the rag-tag group of villains on a literal suicide mission involving the corrupt government on the island Corto Maltese. The movie is filled with twists and turns at every moment and kept me on the edge of my seat. Like most ‘hero’ movies of this style, the film ends in a giant cinematic battle, except cranked to 11. When I say that my jaw was open for the entire climax, I’m not lying.
Although definitely not appropriate for the whole family, The Suicide Squad is definitely a must-see movie for DC fans or action film fans alike. Given the DC Cinematic Universe’s flawed track record, The Suicide Squad was a welcomed surprise to theaters all over. Despite its release to HBO Max at the same time as it’s theatrical release, the box office is currently sitting at $140.8 million which is a small glimmer of hope for the theater business. The COVID-19 Pandemic hit theaters worldwide extra hard and as the end of the pandemic (hopefully) draws near, theaters are just now beginning to reopen and struggle to make sales. This is definitely a movie I think you need to experience in a theater though, to capture the true essence of fun and action that’s contained within it. Overall, I’d have to give it a decent 8.5/10.