Director David Ayer was not always a filmmaker on the wrong side of criticism. He once had an amazing career full of films with amazing screenplays and intense situations, including Training Day, Dark Blue, The Fast and the Furious, and U571. He stood at the pinnacle of success, most recently his career took a turn for the worse. Despite having a fairly successful portfolio, Ayer is plagued by nightmares of one of his most recent films, Suicide Squad.
Although the films that occupy the middle portion of Ayers catalog are not bad films. Harsh Times, End of Watch, and Fury were not bad films. They are each good films, but didn’t receive the acclaim that his earlier works garnered. His last few films (Sabotage, Suicide Squad, Bright) have been attacked critically, but one is revered more than any other, Suicide Squad.
In a recent interview with EW, Ayer reveals that the fallout from Suicide Squad left him battered and shaken more than ever before:
“It was s–t. Yeah, it was s–t reviews. I got my throat cut. It was a super polarizing movie. Incredibly polarizing. It’s like going to the boxing ring and getting knocked out is how it felt. And I had to go into the ring again. And directing is a confidence game, because you’re selling everyone on something that only exists in your head. The actors have to feel that confidence to trust that you know what you’re doing, and so does your crew. As a director, you set the tone. Really, it’s coming off that movie, I understood the pitfalls, I understood the dangers, I knew where the alligators hide, you know? And so I made damn sure I didn’t repeat any mistakes.”
Ayer is attached to the Suicide Squad spin-off Gotham City Sirens, but recent news of a Bright sequel has taken priority. There is no release date set for either sequel.
