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4.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Suicide Squad remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you have a soft spot for 1930s B-movies and guys who take themselves way too seriously, sure. It’s not going to change your life, but it moves fast. If you need big-budget polish or modern pacing, stay away. This one feels like it was filmed in a backyard on a Tuesday afternoon.
Larry Baker is the kind of guy you want to slap within five minutes. He's a fireman, he saves a few people, and suddenly he's acting like he invented fire itself. It’s pretty funny watching him preen for the newspapers while his coworkers are just trying to do their jobs. The ego is almost cartoonish.
The whole thing feels a bit like a PSA that got out of hand. You can tell they were working with a shoestring budget. Some of the fire sequences? Yeah, they definitely weren't setting any actual buildings on fire. It has that scrappy energy you only get from movies made when people were just figuring out how to balance dialogue and action.
I found myself zoning out a bit during the romantic subplot, which is honestly just there to give Larry someone to ignore. It lacks the punch of something like The Loudspeaker, which at least had a bit more grit to its melodrama. Here, it’s all very polite, even when people are yelling at each other.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even really a 'good' movie by any standard measure. But it’s got this weirdly earnest pulse to it. It’s a bit like watching a neighborhood play where the lead really wants to be in Hollywood. I’ve seen worse things, like the pacing in The Daring Years, which made me want to take a nap.
Ultimately, it’s a quick watch. You won't miss much if you check your phone for a minute, but you might miss a genuinely goofy facial expression. Worth it for the vintage cheese factor alone. Don't expect a profound look at heroism. It's just a guy with a big head and a fire hose.