Three years after “Suicide Squad” hit theaters and was trounced with bad reviews, its writer-director, David Ayer, once again has expressed his frustration with the final product, writing in an Instagram post Sunday how it drifted from its original intention of centering on Harley Quinn and Joker’s relationship.
“Movies are fragile. They are like dreams, haunting moments that run from your vision. They have their own logic and truth,” Ayer wrote as caption to a previously unseen image of Jared Leto as Joker. ”If you change the destination after the trip is complete is it still the same journey? The spine of Suicide Squad was Harley’s journey. In many ways it was her movie, her escaping her relationship with Joker was the major emotional through line. A director holds an invisible compass in their hands. It guides every shot, every performance. That compass points to the destination.”
He concluded: “If the desintation [sic] changes did the journey even happen?”
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When the film starring Leto, Margot Robbie and Will Smith came out in August 2016, the reviews were crushing, earning a paltry 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Nothing hurts more than to pick up a newspaper and see a couple years of your blood, sweat and tears ripped to shreds. The hate game is so strong out there,” Ayers tweeted at the time.
“Suicide Squad” was widely panned by critics, who criticized the plot, directing and screenplay, although Smith and Robbie’s performances received praise. And, still, the film grossed over $745.6 million worldwide.