An unnecessary shot depicting a major plot event in a trailer for an upcoming film? Why, that sounds like the work of a Warner Bros. superhero flick! In the latest, Bohemian Rhapsody-driven Suicide Squad trailer, then, amongst the chaos and the carnage, there's a brief shot of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) being bathed in a vat of toxic chemicals, held in the arms of the Joker (Jared Leto). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmRih_VtVAs This one is really irksome, all things considered, mainly because - up until the trailer decided to carelessly reveal too much information in that candid shot - the exact reasoning behind Harley Quinn's transformation from psychiatrist to supervillain was unknown. It was something to wait for and watch unfold in the actual movie. Would she go bad by her own choice, or would the Joker force her onto a path of darkness? The shot of Quinn in the chemical bath, proceeded by a shot of the Joker himself leaping down to grab her, references a major moment in the New 52 and so now we already know what's going to go down, months before the film is even out. Who the heck is responsible for marketing this stuff?
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
