David Ayer is one of the most exciting filmmakers around and he is set to return to the director's chair this week with his new film Suicide Squad.
David Ayer
Suicide Squad is based on the DC Comic of the same name and will see Ayer tackle the comic book genre for the first time. It is also the first time that we have seen him in the director's chair since the success of Fury back in 2014.
To celebrate the release of Suicide Squad, we take a look back at Ayer's career and the terrific movies that he has brought to the big screen.
- Harsh Times (2005)
It was back in 2005 when David Ayer made his feature film directorial debut with Harsh Times - it would be the summer of 2006 when the film would be released here in the UK.
As well as being in the director's chair, Ayer also penned the screenplay for the film, which saw him team up with actor Christian Bale.
Bale took on the central role of former U.S. Army Ranger Jim Davis and he was joined on the cast list by Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria, and Tammy Trull.
Geared up for some carousing around town, ex-soldier Jim David (Bale) -- who's just accepted a job with the DEA -- cajoles pal Mike Alvarez (Rodriguez) into joining him for a little hell-raising. But when their good times turn to tragedy, the buddies are in for a rude awakening.
Harsh Times is a movie that deals with some interesting issues around PTSD and boasts an impressive and very committed central performance from Bale, but it is lacking a little something.
The movie did show off a gritty side to Ayer as a new filmmaker - something that he would continue to demonstrate during his career. Sadly, the pacing of the film was flawed and, at times, the story did lose some momentum.
Harsh Times does have some great moments and it was a solid directorial debut from Ayer... he would go on to greater things.
- Street Kings (2008)
Three years later, Ayer returned to the director's chair with Street Kings, which saw him stick with the genre of crime/thriller.
The original screenplay was written by James Ellroy in the late nineties but Kurt Wimmer and Jamie Moss were brought on board later to help pen the script.
An undercover cop, disillusioned by the recent murder of his wife, is implicated in the murder of an officer and must struggle to clear himself.
Ayer brought together a terrific cast list as Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Jay Mohr, Terry Crews, Naomie Harris, Common, and Cedric the Entertainer all starred.
Street Kings was a movie that was not a huge hit with the critics - receiving some very mixed reviews. However, the film did go on to gross $65.6 million - making back its $20 million budget.
While Street Kings is packed with the violence that you would expect from this kind of film, sadly, it lacked intelligence and real character depth and development. Talented actors did the best with what they had, but they were left with little to get their teeth into.
- End of Watch (2012)
It was to be End of Watch in 2012 that was to really put Ayer on the map and, for me, this remains his best movie to date.
Unlike, Street Kings, End of Watch was an edgy movie that balanced great action moments with some wonderful character and relationship development.
Written by Ayer, the film followed two young police officers - who are partners and friends - and the dangers that they face every day as they try to keep the streets of Los Angeles safe. There are two upstanding cops who put their lives on the line every time they go to work.
The movie was shot documentary style and really did put the audience in the heart of the action, as well as the heart of the relationship between cops Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena.
End of Watch has an incredibly tight script and, because of that, the film is fast-paced and packed with action. Ayer really doesn't give the audience a second to catch your breath.
There is a wonderful chemistry and banter between Gyllenhaal and Pena - two men who couldn't be further apart and yet there's a bond and a trust between these two cops that cannot be broken. It is their work on developing this central relationship that makes the ending such a brutal one.
End of Watch was both a critical and commercial hit and was, for me, one of the best films to hit the big screen in 2012.
- Sabotage (2014)
In 2014, Ayer directed two movies and Sabotage was the first to hit the big screen. Again, the movie mixed elements of action, crime, and drama as Ayer teamed up with Skip Woods to pen the film's screenplay.
Members of an elite DEA task force find themselves being taken down one by one after they rob a drug cartel safe house.
The movie saw Ayer team up with Arnold Schwarzenegger for the first time, as he took on the central role of John 'Breacher' Wharton. He was joined on the cast list by Sam Worthington, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway, Terrence Howard, Max Martini, and Mireille Enos.
If you like a mindless action film, Sabotage is one that's not to be missed. If you like something with a little more depth, perhaps this is not quite the film for you.
Sticking with the same genre, it was always going to be hard for Ayer to follow up End of Watch... sadly, he doesn't pull it off with Sabotage. Again, it is another graphic film that seems to be violent for the sake of being violent.
While there is an audience for this kind of film, Sabotage really did struggle as it failed to make back its $35 million budget.
- Fury (2014)
2014 was not all doom and gloom for Ayer as he returned in the autumn with Fury. The movie saw him tackle the war genre for the first time... and it was rather refreshing.
Once again, Ayer penned the screenplay as well as being in the director's chair and set his film in the Second World War.
April 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Pitt) commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.
This time around, it was Brad Pitt in the central role of Don 'Wardaddy' Collier with Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, and Jon Bernthal also on board. It really was an impressive and talented cast list.
This may have been a new genre for Ayer, but it remained an unflinching and gritty movie - you really could tell that it was Ayer in the director's chair. I am a big fan of the war film genre and Fury is up there as one of the best in recent years.
Fury is a beautifully crafted, relentless, atmospheric and brutal movie that really will have you on the edge of your seat. The cast - especially Pitt - are fantastic.
The movie was met well by the critics and went on to enjoy box office success; grossing over $211 million. It remains Ayer's most financially successful film - but it may not keep that crown for too much longer.
- Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad is a movie that we have been talking about for quite some time here at FemaleFirst and I am looking forward to seeing what Ayer delivers.
It is the first time that Ayer has tackled the comic book genre and I was excited when it was announced that Ayer was on board to direct and write. The trailers promise a dark and gritty movie and it is looks set to be one of the August movies that is not to be missed.
Once again, the filmmaker has brought together an impressive cast as Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis are just some of the names that are on board. We are also going to see Ben Affleck make a cameo performance as Batman.
It feels good to be bad... Assemble a team of the world's most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government's disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do.
However, once they realize they weren't picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it's every man for himself?
Suicide Squad follows hot on the heels of the box office success of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and will continue to develop the DC Comic movie world.
Suicide Squad is released 5th August.
Tagged in End Of Watch David Ayer Suicide Squad