An infamous DC movie is finding new life on Netflix.
Suicide Squad was initially a punching bag for both fans and critics when it debuted in theaters in 2016. Despite earning over $750 million at the global box office and even winning an Oscar (for Best Makeup and Hairstyling), it received pretty savage reviews and folks were disappointed with its messy plot. In the years since, though, it’s definitely become a cult favorite. Something shown by how it’s proving popular on streaming right now.
As of this Wednesday, June 2nd, Suicide Squad is the tenth most-watched movie on Netflix across the world, according FlixPatrol’s latest stats. It seems DC lovers are gearing up for the arrival of the sequel, The Suicide Squad, in a couple of months’ time by revisiting the original to get them in the mood for more Task Force X action.
It’s interesting to reflect on how fandom’s feelings about this film have changed lately. For instance, Jared Leto’s Joker was initially widely hated, but then there was a lot of excitement surrounding his return as the villain in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Speaking of, the #ReleaseTheAyerCut is the next big fan-led campaign, with the idea being to get Warner Bros. to give us David Ayer’s original, much darker – and much more coherent – initial edit.
While we wait to see if that will come to anything, James Gunn is relaunching the franchise with The Suicide Squad, which again features Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in the lead. A few other familiar faces, such as Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller and Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, also co-star, but mostly the cast is brand new. Including the likes of Idris Elba, John Cena and the voice of Sylvester Stallone.
The sequel debuts in cinemas and on streaming this August 6th, and while the first film isn’t available on Netflix in the US, it can instead be found on HBO Max.
