An R-rated superhero movie that opens with a hail of blood, guts and bullets, killing off half of the credited cast in the process, doesn’t seem like the type of thing capable of tugging on the heartstrings. However, the title in question hails from James Gunn, and even in his most dark and depraved moments in Slither and Super, there’s always an undercurrent of emotion shining through.
The heart of The Suicide Squad is provided by the dynamic between Idris Elba’s Bloodsport and Daniela Melchior’s Ratcatcher 2. Bloodsport engaged in a foul-mouthed screaming match with his daughter before he was blackmailed into the Corto Maltese mission, while Ratcatcher inherited the family business from her junkie father and isn’t really much of a criminal at all. It’s a unique bond to say the least, but it’s a hugely important one.
In fact, it even resulted in The Suicide Squad‘s most purely moving moment, when Ratcatcher 2 opines that “Rats are the lowliest and most despised of all creatures. If they have purpose, so do we all” when explaining her backstory to the rest of her new makeshift family. As you can see from the reactions below, she’s already a firm favorite that’s been singled out for praise as the emotional core of the entire operation.
Only something as off the wall as The Suicide Squad could have people wiping away the tears when a criminal who wants nothing more than to sleep regales the rest of her murdering, thieving cohorts with a story of why her old man devised a contraption that allows her to control armies of rats with her mind. It’s just about as weird as it sounds, but if the movie was nothing more than gore or violence then it wouldn’t have much merit at all, making the unexpected emotional streak all the more welcome when it arrives.
Published: Aug 7, 2021 01:16 pm