Film

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay

Name: Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Animation, Fantasy, Adventure
Released: 2018
Cast: Christian Slater, Billy Brown, Kristin Bauer, Gideon Emery, Liam McIntyre

Action
Heist
Relentless

An animated heist where Amanda Waller's ragtag squad of supervillains race other criminals to steal a magical MacGuffin. Snappy, violent, and surprisingly fun—it's peak DC animated movie energy. For fans of action and dark comedy who don't mind their heroes genuinely terrible at being good people.

TMDb rating

3.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy animated superhero capers where a scrappy team of antiheroes bickers its way through a heist, with the snappy banter and busy action choreography of a comic-book crew movie.

Skip it if you want a lean, grounded plot; this one is loud, rapid and thin on character depth, and the rotating roster of villains can feel more crowded than it needs to be.

What it asks of you: Under ninety minutes, it moves at a sprint with little pause, so you need to keep up with the cast and the chase rather than settle in for slow-burn atmosphere.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Batman: Assault on Arkham2014

Shares the same formula—villains forced into a suicide mission by Waller, chaotic action, genuine stakes where failure means real death. Dark, smart, and infinitely more entertaining than it has any right to be.

But Arkham Asylum setting feels slightly repetitive if you've seen much Batman animation. Tone veers between serious and silly in ways that won't click for everyone.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow2020

Same animation house, same restless energy, but trades chaos for mythmaking. Proves DC's direct-to-video films can be genuinely great when they trust the material and their voice cast.

But Slower pacing in places. Superman's earnestness might feel heavy after the irreverent chaos of a Suicide Squad movie.

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders2016

Pure, gleeful fun with a vintage sensibility. Adam West's Batman and Burt Ward's Robin perfectly capture that idea that sometimes superhero stories should just be a lark, not a meditation.

But Deliberately campy, which is the whole point—but if you want dark grit, this will feel too winking.

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Arcane: League of Legends2021

Both feature morally compromised ensemble casts where betrayal and loyalty constantly shift. Both ask what it costs to do wrong things for the right reasons.

If you loved Squad's anarchic energy but wish it had deeper character work and stunning visuals, this animated series makes supervillains the genuine protagonists. Magic and revolution and found family done right.

But First episode is slow setup. If you need action immediately, you'll be frustrated in the first 40 minutes.

Arrow2012

Eight seasons of a billionaire archer shooting his way through a city's criminal underworld with a ragtag crew. Builds real stakes, develops actual stakes, and earns its spectacle through character work.

But First two seasons are rough; you're investing in something that doesn't fully find itself until year three. Commitment required.

The Suicide Squad2021

James Gunn's remake swings for chaos and consequence in equal measure. Genuinely unpredictable, colorful, and willing to let characters matter even when they're jokes.

But Much more violent and crude. Some may find Gunn's sensibility overwhelming; the tonal shifts aren't for everyone.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)2020

Female antiheroes in brutal action sequences with real comedic timing. Harley Quinn given space to be chaotic and smart. Margot Robbie absolutely understands the assignment.

But Live-action can feel earthbound compared to animation. It's deliberately messy stylistically—some find it scattered rather than fun.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) poster

Harley Quinn2019

The same character gets a full series where she builds her own crew, has actual agency, and the animation lets the jokes land harder. Irreverent, violent, weirdly romantic. This is Harley figured out.

But HBO Max animation, so genuinely crude. If you prefer your superhero content restrained, this will feel excessive.

Batman: Under the Red Hood2010

A dead crime-fighter returns as a merciless antihero. Gritty, focused, with real moral questions about justice versus revenge. Jensen Ackles as the Red Hood is perfect casting.

But Lacks the ensemble chaos of Squad. More introspective noir than action spectacular—slower-burn than you might expect.

Doom Patrol2019

Dysfunctional misfits with actual superpowers forced into impossible situations. Wildly ambitious, visually weird, genuinely moving beneath the grotesquerie. A cult masterpiece.

But Only two seasons before cancellation, and it ends unresolved. Very strange aesthetic—too weird for some, not weird enough for others.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners2022

A team of criminals in over their heads, taking impossible jobs for impossible pay, with death waiting at every angle. Squad's moral desperation, but from a completely different world.

Ten episodes of a young hacker and his crew trying to survive a megacity that wants them dead. Jaw-dropping animation, emotional gut-punch, cyberpunk that actually has a point of view.

But Anime, subtitled, and genuinely tragic. If you want the heist-squad-comedy tone to persist, the final episodes will devastate you.