With over a decade since it hit theaters, star Jena Malone is looking back on why Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch meant a lot to her. Malone starred in Snyder's 2011 fantasy action film as Rocket, the younger sister to Abbie Cornish's Sweet Pea and a young runaway who eventually landed in a mental institution that secretly acted as a brothel. Rocket would act as the main friend to Emily Browning's Babydoll, trying to help her adjust to her surroundings, thought would ultimately die during a failed escape attempt.
Co-written and directed by Snyder, Sucker Punch scored generally negative reviews from critics for its underwhelming characters and thin plot, though saw some positive reception for its direction and visual effects. Though it would underperform at the box office, grossing just shy of $90 million against its $80 million production budget, the film has since gone on to garner a cult following and inspired fan campaigns for the release of Snyder's original cut of the film. While no such cut has come to pass, one star is still grateful of their time on Sucker Punch.
While speaking exclusively with Screen Rant to discuss the indie dramedy Adopting Audrey, Jena Malone reflected on making Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch. The actor recalled it being a "f----ng awesome" experience and cited it as "one of the best film experiences I've ever had." See what Malone said below:
I mean, working on Sucker Punch was so f---ng awesome. Sorry for my language, but it was one of the best film experiences I ever had. I had just never been asked to do so many cool things and then also have the belief instilled in me that I could do those things. That was a very groundbreaking moment in my journey as an actor, so it was pretty cool.
As she indicates, Malone had not tried her hand at an action movie to the scale of Sucker Punch prior to signing on for Zack Snyder's film, the closest being the 2008 horror movie The Ruins. For those who fell in love with the film, Malone's gratitude looking back making Sucker Punch is sure to be a welcome sign of her collaboration on the action-thriller, namely as she cites it as a "very groundbreaking moment" for her career. This isn't the first time she's looked back favorably on the film, having reunited with her castmates this past September and expressing her interest in making a Sucker Punch prequel.
While a Sucker Punch follow-up seems unlikely after the fallout between Snyder and Warner Bros., the future isn't all bleak. Malone is reuniting with Snyder for two of his upcoming Netflix projects, the animated Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas prequel show and his sci-fi epic Rebel Moon, which is currently in production in Los Angeles. While audiences await further details on their reunion, they can revisit Snyder and Malone's first pairing with Sucker Punch streaming on Tubi now.