At its core, James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is a fun, "Men on a Mission" style comic book adventure, but it also happens to be pretty damn violent. It doesn't revel in nastiness to any great extent, but a few scenes are surprisingly brutal, and it seems some fans and critics were shocked that the movie was passed uncut with a 15 certificate in the United Kingdom.
A 15 is basically the equivalent of an R in the US (though that rating states that anyone under 17 must be accompanied by an adult), but many believe The Suicide Squad should really be rated 18, and have reached out to the BBFC to make their feelings on the matter known.
In their response (via The Independent), the BBFC pointed out that “whilst comparatively more violent than the last film, the violence is mitigated by the film’s humour and the action-packed fantasy context.” The board added that “the violence and gore were sufficiently mitigated” due to “the focus on action within a comic, fantastic, superhero context”.
“At 15, our Classification Guidelines state that ‘violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury’,” they concluded.
Most major studio releases tend to avoid an 18 cert if at all possible, as adult-oriented movies don't usually perform as well as more family-friendly fare. However, the BBFC did confirm that The Suicide Squad did not require any edits to pass with a 15.
Have you seen The Suicide Squad yet? If so, were you shocked at how violent it was? Drop us a comment down below, and check out a new critics TV spot for the movie.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.