Overview
When Suicide Squad opened in cinemas back in 2016, it received plenty of attention. The film really wasn't great — it was worse than that, in fact — so some ridiculous fans wanted to shut down Rotten Tomatoes because the movie received negative reviews. No one should ever try to get websites taken down because other people didn't like a flick they loved, obviously, and thankfully the same thing didn't occur with this year's The Suicide Squad. Something that did happen: a smaller Australian release due to Sydney and Melbourne's lockdowns.
Yes, missing movies you'd like to see in a cinema is sadly a part of pandemic life. So is watching those same films at home much sooner than you normally would've, with a lengthy list of flicks making the leap from the big to the small screen over the past 18 months or so. Before the pandemic, big-name movies wouldn't ever be available to view at home within a month or so, because films that release in cinemas usually didn't make the jump to home entertainment for 90 days. Fast-tracking to digital happens all the time now, however, so it isn't surprising that The Suicide Squad is doing just that — including while it's still in theatres in some parts of the country.
Come Thursday, September 2, fans of the DC Extended Universe — the interconnected franchise that started with Man of Steel, and also includes Wonder Woman and its sequel, Aquaman and Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) — can stream this second stab at bringing the eponymous supervillain crew to the screen. It'll be available to buy and rent via video on demand, including from digital movie services such as Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon Video and iTunes.
Accordingly, if you've already sat down to watch an extended new version of Justice League this year like it's still 2017, you can now pretend it's still 2016 with this confusingly named franchise effort — because no one has challenged themselves thinking of The Suicide Squad's moniker.
Plot-wise, this sequel follows its titular gang as they're sent to the island of Corto Maltese on a deadly quest — to save the world in secret, and after being given zero choice by shady parts of the US Government, of course. Margot Robbie (Dreamland) returns as Harley Quinn and proves one of the best things about the movie, while Idris Elba (Cats) as Bloodsport is also a standout.
They're joined by Joel Kinnaman (The Secrets We Keep) making a comeback as Rick Flag, Australian actor Jai Courtney (Honest Thief) doing the same as Captain Boomerang, and 2021 Oscar-nominee Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) returning as the agent overseeing this band of world-saving supervillains. John Cena (Playing with Fire), Peter Capaldi (The Personal History of David Copperfield), Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island), Sylvester Stallone (Rambo: Last Blood) and Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) show up, too — and so do Guardians of the Galaxy alums Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn, which makes complete sense given that GotG filmmaker James Gunn is behind the lens and also penned the screenplay.
Check out the trailer for The Suicide Squad below:
The Suicide Squad is currently screening in cinemas in Australia — where cinemas are open — and will also be available to stream online via video on demand from Thursday, September 2.