Shaun Munro revisits 2016’s Suicide Squad…
James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is now in cinemas, but one way or another it likely wouldn’t exist without the release of 2016’s David Ayer-directed Suicide Squad. Despite pulling in a commendable $746.8 million worldwide, Ayer’s film was widely dunked-on by critics and received indifferently by audiences, with many dubbing it one of the worst films in the entire DC Extended Universe.
But five years on, removed from the tidal wave of outrage, how exactly does Ayer’s film hold up? I went back and gave Suicide Squad 2016 another look with a fresh pair of eyes, to re-examine its strengths and failings, and see whether it has the potential to become a bit of a cult classic in the years to come.
Check out my deep dive video below that explores both the history behind the contentious superhero movie and how it plays to the audiences of 2021…
SEE ALSO: Read our review of The Suicide Squad here
SEE ALSO: David Ayer says he’ll no longer speak publicly about Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad saw David Ayer (Fury) directing a cast that included Will Smith (Focus) as Deadshot, Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) as The Joker, Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney (Terminator Genisys) as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman (RoboCop) as Rick Flag, Viola Davis (The Help) as Amanda Waller, Cara Delevingne (Paper Towns) as Enchantress, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Thor: The Dark World) as Killer Croc, Jay Hernandez (Hostel) as El Diablo, Adam Beach (Flags of Our Fathers) as Slipknot, Jim Parrack (Fury) as Johnny Frost, Ben Affleck (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) as Batman, newcomer Karen Fukuhara as Katana, Common (Selma) as Monster T, Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project) as Captain Griggs and Scott Eastwood (The Longest Ride) as Lieutenant ‘GQ’ Edwards.
Shaun Munro – Follow me on Twitter for more film rambling.
Originally published August 1, 2021. Updated August 3, 2021.
