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.
The Suicide Squad
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Action · Comedy
Wed · 2h 12m
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena
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.
Director
James Gunn
Cast
Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena
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
Themes
antiheroes, found family, redemption, government black ops, prisoners on a mission, absurdist violence, loyalty, self-sacrifice