Birds of Prey (2020)

Last updated:
August 10, 2025

Birds of Prey (2020) – Full Breakdown and Analysis

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a bold, chaotic, and stylistically colorful DC film directed by Cathy Yan. Told through Harley Quinn’s unreliable narration, the movie dives into Gotham’s underworld, female anti-hero alliances, and one spectacular hunt for a stolen diamond.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

Breakup and Breakdown

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) begins the film by explaining her breakup with the Joker. No longer under his protection, she becomes fair game for every criminal she’s wronged in Gotham. In a drunken act of liberation (and stupidity), she blows up the Ace Chemicals plant, publicly signaling that she’s truly on her own.

Enter Roman Sionis and the Diamond

Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), a flamboyant and sadistic crime lord also known as Black Mask, seeks a valuable diamond containing encrypted bank account numbers. Dinah Lance (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), a lounge singer with a secret sonic scream power, works for him, while Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) is a struggling Gotham detective trying to bring him down.

Cassandra Cain and the Heist Gone Wrong

Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), a teenage pickpocket, steals the diamond from Sionis’ men—then accidentally swallows it. This sparks a frantic chase through Gotham as every faction, bounty hunter, and thug tries to get her. Harley sees an opportunity: if she delivers Cassandra to Sionis, she might save her own skin.

Harley’s Self-Discovery and Alliances

Through flashbacks and messy storytelling, Harley recounts her run-ins with other characters, including Helena Bertinelli (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), aka the Huntress—a vengeful assassin hunting down the mobsters who killed her family. Despite initial mistrust, these women’s paths converge when they realize they have a common enemy in Sionis.

Movie Ending

In the final act, Sionis captures Cassandra and prepares to kill her at an abandoned amusement park. Harley arrives with the intention of delivering Cassandra but changes her mind after a moral pivot (and a bit of chaos). Montoya, Huntress, and Black Canary also converge on the scene.

A massive fight breaks out inside a funhouse, with each woman using her unique skills to take down Sionis’ masked goons. Black Canary unleashes her powerful Canary Cry, incapacitating dozens of enemies. Harley rescues Cassandra, and they escape into a foggy dockside area.

Sionis corners them, but Cassandra uses a grenade she stole from Harley to blow him up—quite literally ending his reign in a burst of pink confetti-like flames. The group shares a moment of camaraderie before parting ways: Montoya resigns from the GCPD and joins Huntress and Black Canary to officially form the Birds of Prey, while Harley and Cassandra leave together as partners in petty crime.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

There is no traditional post-credits scene, but there is a brief audio gag after the credits where Harley starts to reveal a big Batman secret—then gets cut off mid-sentence.

Type of Movie

Action-comedy, crime, superhero film with heavy stylized visuals and a fourth-wall-breaking narration.

Cast

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance / Black Canary
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli / Huntress
Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya
Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain
Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis / Black Mask
Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz

Film Music and Composer

Score composed by Daniel Pemberton, mixing energetic punk-rock influences with orchestral chaos. The soundtrack features strong female-led tracks like “Boss Bitch” by Doja Cat and “Joke’s On You” by Charlotte Lawrence, fitting Harley’s rebellious energy.

Filming Locations

Principal photography took place in Los Angeles, with sets designed to replicate Gotham’s grimy yet colorful urban atmosphere. Several action sequences, including the funhouse finale, were built entirely on soundstages for better stunt coordination.

Awards and Nominations

Won: Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Action Movie
Nominated: Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Nominated: Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Contemporary Film

Behind the Scenes Insights

Margot Robbie, also a producer, pitched the idea for a Harley-centric team-up film to Warner Bros.
The action choreography was done by the stunt team from John Wick.
Cathy Yan became the first Asian woman to direct a DC film.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead practiced with a bow and motorcycle training for her role.
Jurnee Smollett trained in mixed martial arts and studied canary cry choreography to match her singing style with combat movements.

Inspirations and References

Loosely inspired by DC Comics’ Birds of Prey series, but with major creative liberties.
Roman Sionis draws from both comic lore and original stylistic flourishes, giving him a more flamboyant, almost theatrical personality.
Cassandra Cain’s portrayal is heavily reimagined compared to her comic book version as a mute assassin.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

Early drafts had Harley leaving Gotham entirely at the end, but it was changed to keep her future open for The Suicide Squad (2021).
Deleted scenes include extended banter between Harley and Cassandra, plus a longer club sequence with Black Mask showing his cruelty.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The movie is not a direct adaptation of a single comic arc but instead borrows characters and elements from various Birds of Prey runs. Unlike the comics, Harley is not traditionally part of the Birds of Prey team, and Cassandra Cain is portrayed as a streetwise thief rather than a silent martial arts prodigy.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

Harley’s slow-motion raid on the Gotham Police Department with glitter grenades.
The breakfast sandwich chase scene.
Black Canary’s Canary Cry reveal during the final battle.
Huntress awkwardly introducing herself as “The Huntress” after killing mobsters.

Iconic Quotes

“I’m Harley freakin’ Quinn!”
“A harlequin’s role is to serve. It’s not my place to decide. But now… now I decide.”
“You make me want to be a less terrible person.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

Harley’s roller derby outfit is a nod to her appearance in Suicide Squad comics.
A wanted poster for Captain Boomerang from Suicide Squad can be seen in the GCPD.
Harley briefly wears her classic red-and-black jester colors in an animated flashback.

Trivia

The breakfast sandwich Harley craves became an unexpected pop culture symbol after the film’s release.
The movie’s working title was Fox Force Five—a nod to Pulp Fiction.
Ewan McGregor and Chris Messina improvised several of their characters’ more unsettling interactions.

Why Watch?

Because it’s a neon-soaked, unapologetically wild ride through Gotham that puts complex, flawed, and hilariously chaotic women in the spotlight. It’s as much about emancipation as it is about bone-crunching action.

Birds of Prey (2020)

Birds of Prey (2020) – Full Breakdown and Analysis