TL;DR
If your kid is asking to watch "Suicide Squad," you need to know which one they mean. There’s a massive gulf between the 2016 PG-13 version and the 2021 R-rated reboot.
- Suicide Squad (2016): Rated PG-13. Stylized violence, lots of attitude, but mostly "safe" for older tweens and teens.
- The Suicide Squad (2021): Rated R. It is a bloodbath. Think exploding heads, King Shark eating people whole, and constant profanity. Definitely not for the middle school crowd.
- Birds of Prey: Rated R. Harley Quinn’s solo outing. Fun, but very violent and heavy on the f-bombs.
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League: Rated M. The newest game that has kids talking, but it’s a bit of a grind-fest.
Ask our chatbot for a comparison of DC vs Marvel movie violence
The concept is basically "The Dirty Dozen" but with comic book villains. A secret government agency (led by the cold-blooded Amanda Waller) rounds up incarcerated "metahumans"—the bad guys—and forces them into high-stakes black ops missions. If they succeed, they get time off their sentences. If they fail (or try to escape), a small explosive implanted in their neck goes boom.
It’s a franchise built on the idea that the "heroes" are actually criminals. This creates a weird moral gray area that kids find fascinating, especially as they start to outgrow the pure "good vs. evil" tropes of Paw Patrol or early Disney movies.
It’s all about the aesthetic and the rebellion.
- Harley Quinn: She is the undisputed queen of this franchise. Her "chaotic good" energy, neon hair, and "I do what I want" attitude are magnetic to girls and boys alike. You’ll see her everywhere on TikTok and Roblox avatars.
- The "Anti-Hero" Vibe: There’s something inherently cool to a 13-year-old about a character who is "bad" but chooses to do something "good."
- The Humor: Especially in the newer versions, the humor is irreverent, snarky, and feels "adult" without being a boring drama.
Rating: PG-13 | Best for: Ages 13+ This is the one starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie. Honestly? It’s kind of a mess. The editing is choppy, the villain is a CGI blob, and Jared Leto’s Joker is... an acquired taste (or just plain cringey).
- The Content: It’s typical superhero violence. Lots of shooting, punching, and explosions, but very little blood. There’s some suggestive costuming (Harley’s "property of" jacket and tiny shorts), but nothing explicit.
- The Verdict: If your kid has seen The Avengers or The Batman, they can handle this. It’s more bark than bite.
Rating: R | Best for: Ages 17+ (or very mature 15+ with a parent) Directed by James Gunn (the guy behind Guardians of the Galaxy), this is a vastly better movie artistically, but it is brutally violent.
- The Content: Within the first ten minutes, people are being blown apart. There is a scene involving a giant starfish (Starro) that is nightmare fuel for younger kids. The language is constant, and there is brief male nudity.
- The Verdict: Do not let the "superhero" label fool you. This is an R-rated action-comedy in the vein of Deadpool. If you aren't okay with your kid seeing a character get torn in half on screen, skip this one.
Rating: R | Best for: Ages 16+ This follows Harley after she breaks up with the Joker. It’s stylized, colorful, and has a great soundtrack.
- The Content: The violence is "crunchy"—lots of broken bones and a particularly gruesome scene involving a face being peeled off (off-camera, but heavily implied). The "f-word" is used like a comma.
- The Verdict: Great for older teens who love the Harley Quinn aesthetic, but definitely a "mature" title.
Check out our guide on Harley Quinn and toxic relationships
If your kid is a gamer, they’ve probably seen this all over YouTube or Twitch.
- The Premise: You play as the Squad and have to kill Brainiac-controlled versions of Superman, Batman, and the Flash.
- The Concern: Beyond the violence (which is M-rated but feels similar to Fortnite with more blood), the real issue for parents is the live-service model. The game is designed to keep kids playing—and paying—for new "seasons" and skins.
- The Verdict: It’s a bit of a "brain rot" game in terms of repetitive gameplay. It’s not teaching them much, and the story is actually pretty depressing for fans of the Batman: Arkham series.
| Age Group | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Under 12 | Hard No. Even the PG-13 movie is a bit dark and cynical for this age. Stick to Teen Titans Go! if they want DC humor. |
| 13-14 | 2016 Movie Only. The Ayer version is fine for this age. It’s "edgy" enough to feel cool but stays within the PG-13 guardrails. |
| 15-16 | Parental Discretion. They’ve likely seen worse on the internet, but The Suicide Squad (2021) is a big jump in gore. Watch it with them or watch a trailer first. |
| 17+ | Green Light. At this point, they are the target audience for the R-rated entries. |
1. The "Hero" Problem
The Suicide Squad movies explicitly celebrate being "bad." The characters are murderers and thieves. While the movies eventually show them doing something heroic, it’s always through a lens of "we’re the trash of the world." For younger kids, this can be confusing—they might not have the critical thinking skills yet to separate the "cool" factor of the character from their actual actions.
2. Extreme Gore (2021 Version)
I cannot stress this enough: James Gunn’s version is gory. It’s played for laughs, which in some ways is more jarring. If your child is sensitive to body horror or seeing "good guys" (like the Justice League) being killed or mutilated, stay far away.
3. Toxic Relationships
The 2016 movie romanticizes the Joker and Harley Quinn relationship in a way that is honestly pretty gross. It portrays their mutual obsession as "goals," when in reality, it’s a textbook abusive relationship. Birds of Prey does a much better job of showing Harley moving on, but it’s a conversation worth having if your kid is obsessed with the "Joker/Harley" aesthetic.
If you decide to let your teen watch these, here are a few ways to turn it into a real conversation:
- The "Lesser of Two Evils": Ask them, "Is Amanda Waller (the government agent) actually better than the criminals she’s using?" It’s a great way to talk about ethics and power.
- The Power of Choice: "Even though these characters are told they are 'bad,' they still choose to save people. Does your past define who you are today?"
- Consequences: In the 2021 movie, characters die—a lot. It’s a departure from the "everyone survives" trope of Marvel movies. Talk about how the stakes feel different when there are actual consequences.
The Suicide Squad franchise is a wild ride, but it’s definitely not a "one size fits all" situation.
If your 12-year-old wants to see it because they saw a cool Harley Quinn edit on YouTube Shorts, steer them toward the 2016 movie or the Suicide Squad: Isekai (an anime version that is much more stylized and less "guts-on-the-floor").
If you have an older teen who loves dark humor and can handle R-rated action, the 2021 movie is actually a very well-made film about trauma and redemption—it’s just wrapped in a layer of exploding heads.
- Check the rating again. Seriously. Make sure you aren't accidentally clicking the 2021 version on Max when you meant to click the 2016 one.
- Watch a "Parental Guide" video. If you're on the fence about the gore in the 2021 film, search for the "opening scene" on YouTube. You’ll know within 3 minutes if it’s okay for your house.
- Talk about Harley. If your kid is buying the merch, make sure they understand that her relationship with the Joker isn't a "romance"—it’s a warning.
Check out our guide to the best PG-13 action movies for teens
Ask our chatbot about other R-rated superhero movies