Everything Australians Need to Know About The Suicide Squad

Everything Australians Need to Know About The Suicide Squad

Amanda Waller offers DC’s most notorious villains a second chance at freedom in Suicide Squad. Now, the film franchise will also get a literal second chance when The Suicide Squad releases in August.

A sequel following DC’s Task Force X on the big screen has been in the works for some time but after a lacklustre performance from the first film and multiple directors and actors dropping out, it’s a miracle it got made at all.

Rest assured DC fans that The Suicide Squad is very real and it’s coming to a cinema near you soon. Here’s what you need to know.

Is The Suicide Squad a sequel or reboot?

the suicide squad rating australia
Image: DC / Warner Bros.

This one is complicated but the best way to put it is: neither.

When Suicide Squad David Ayer dropped out of the directing chair, Warner Bros. eventually brought in Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn to bring his version of Task Force X to life.

That’s why The Suicide Squad is intended to be a film that stands on its own. While it does bring back some of the same cast members from 2016’s Suicide Squad, it’s not a direct sequel, nor is it a complete reboot.

James Gunn has said that fans won’t need to have seen the first Suicide Squad (or any DC films for that matter) to enjoy his new film.

That being said, you may want to familiarise yourself with some of the characters again, in which case you can watch Suicide Squad on Netflix as of next month.

What’s the squad up to this time?

Playing on the same set-up as the first film, The Suicide Squad sees some of DC’s worst villains given a chance to leave prison if they undertake special assignments for the government.

In the new film, the team of misfits are tasked with a search-and-destroy mission and are dropped on the island of Corto Maltese.

As seen in the trailers the big bad of the film appears to be Starro, the infamous mind-controlling alien from DC comics.

Yep, the film is really leaning into the craziness this time. If you don’t believe me, check out the trailer yourself.

The Suicide Squad: Cast

the suicide squad rating australia
Image: DC / Warner Bros.

So who’s making up the team this time around.

As seen in the 2016 films, Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Joel Kinnamon (Rick Flag), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang) and Viola Davis (Amanda Waller) will all be returning as their same characters.

As for the new members in The Suicide Squad? There are A lot.

Joining the crew is Idris Elba (Bloodsport), John Cena (Peacemaker), Peter Capaldi (The Thinker), David Dastmalchian (Polka-Dot Man), Michael Rooker (Savant), Daniela Melchior (Ratcatcher 2), Alice Braga (Sol Soria), Pete Davidson (Blackguard), Nathan Fillion (T.D.K), Sean Gunn (Weasel) and Sylvester Stallone (King Shark).

With a cast like that you’re guaranteed to have a good time.

Will the movie be good this time?

On that note, can we expect the Suicide Squad to actually be done justice this time around?

2016’s Suicide Squad wasn’t exactly raking in the accolades (except that one Oscar for Best Hair and Makeup), so why will this one be any different?

The good news is that early reviews of The Suicide Squad are good, like really good. So good that the movie is even sitting higher than The Dark Knight on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing.

Critics are calling it “hilarious mayhem”, “relentlessly entertaining” and praise James Gunn’s vision and style in the film.

Things do look promising for the squad this time around and even if you don’t like it, where else will you find a walking shark that talks like Sylvestor Stallone and rips people apart?

The Suicide Squad: Where can you watch it in Australia?

The Suicide Squad is set to release in Australian cinemas on August 5, 2021. 

The film is set to get a simultaneous streaming release on HBO Max in the US, but this isn’t something Australians will have access to.

It looked grim for The Suicide Squad in Australia after it was hit with an R18+ rating by the classification board. However, following an appeal, this strict rating was downgraded to MA15+ meaning more people can go and see the film in theatres.

Unfortunately, that won’t be an option for those stuck in Greater Sydney as cinemas are closed due to the extended lockdown conditions. For those in the rest of Australia, you can enjoy The Suicide Squad when it opens next week.