Suicide Squad
The eccentric characters hide a well-crafted plot
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$269 – 299MM V $325MM
Mythosis universal quests used
5
Audience appeal
9.60 – 10.66%
Script Score
0.34
Directed by David Ayer, Suicide Squad was released in 2016, a movie that features Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Joker among others. The movie is about a bunch of criminals saving the world from an apocalyptic event.
1. The invisible plot structure of Suicide Squad
1A. The script of Suicide Squad borrows 88% of its events from 5 mythological tales
Waller’s quest is driven by the desire to survive a threat and mirrors the tale of Kans from Hindu mythology. Both Kans & Waller fail to hunt down their nemesis.
Enchantress’ quest is driven by the desire to punish offenders and mirrors the tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology. Both Duryodhan & Enchantress unscrupulously seize control.
Floyd’s quest is driven by the desire to serve their clan/order and mirrors the tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology. Both Hanuman & Floyd are fiercely loyal and sacrifice themselves to protect.
Flag’s quest is driven by the desire to collect & own and mirrors the tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Flag repent being self-centred & transform.
Joker’s quest is driven by the desire for love & romance and mirrors the tale of Savitri from Hindu mythology. Both Savitri & Joker unable to bear separation overcome obstacles to recover their loved one. Harley Quinn’s quest is subsumed in Joker’s quest.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
# 18,999,903
Tales interweaved
Kans, Duryodhan, Valmiki, Hanuman & Savitri
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. The potential of Suicide Squad's plot structure: $269 – 299MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Suicide Squad
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Suicide Squad has 4 universal quests of Preservation, Romance, Honour and Vengeance. The quest of Accumulation is sparsely used.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Waller mirrors the quest of Preservation. Enchantress mirrors the universal quest of Vengeance. Floyd mirrors the quest of Honour. Flag mirrors the universal quest of Accumulation whereas Joker mirrors Romance.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Waller borrows 16% events from the quest for Preservation. Enchantress - 56% from the quest for Vengeance. Floyd - 28% from the quest for Accumulation. Flag - 10% from Accumulation & Joker borrows 25% from the quest for Romance.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Suicide Squad has a quest interweaving score of 0.50 and is at par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Floyd & Enchantress:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Suicide Squad
Joker’s quest isn’t interwoven with any of the other quests. His quest runs independent of all other quests and hence the story. In the plot structure, besides the quest of Enchantress all other quests are insufficiently developed.
The Script Score measures a plot structure’s adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.34
Audience appeal
9.60 – 10.66%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of Suicide Squad
We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.
3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Waller mirrors the universal quest for Preservation
Waller’s desire for Preservation stems from the need to survive a threat. The tale of Kans from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Preservation.
Quest 2: Enchantress mirrors the universal quest for Vengeance
Enchantress’ desire for Vengeance stems from the need to punish offenders. The tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Vengeance.
Quest 3: Floyd mirrors the universal quest for Honour
Floyd’s desire for Honour stems from the need to be loyal to a clan/order. The tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Honour.
Quest 4: Joker mirrors the universal quest for Romance
Joker’s desire for Romance stems from the need for sex & courtship. The tale of Savitri from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Romance.
Quest 5: Flag mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
Flag’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the universal quest for Accumulation.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
Only one quest in the plot structure is well developed.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Suicide Squad is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 18,999,903. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Kans, Duryodhan, Valmiki, Hanuman & Savitri.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 18,999,903.
Tags: Duryodhan, Valmiki, Kans, Hanuman, Vengeance, Preservation, Honour, Accumulation, Savitri, Romance, David Ayer, DC Films, Warner Bros Pictures, 2016