Is 'The Suicide Squad' Anti-Imperialist Propaganda?

The 2021 film "The Suicide Squad" (not to be confused with the 2016 film "Suicide Squad") is a superhero flick recently released to rave reviews. Some are even praising it's anti-imperialist stance, and loose ties to America's treatment of Panama. Does this James Gunn film really decry imperialism or does it try to have it both ways?

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Caller: Emma, you're a huge movie person and matt I wanted to hear your take on this if you had seen it. Because I feel like this might be a left reckoning topic maybe but it could be discussed here. Has either of you seen the suicide squad and what is your take on the anti or pro I don't think it's pro-imperialist but what is your take on what it is saying about imperialism in Latin America? Specifically the very real history of covers about Panama.

Emma: Yeah I haven't seen it but I heard it was like surprising that they waited into this territory.

Matt: I am completely unaware of really even what suicide squad is and certainly their treatment of Panama.

Emma: I read a review of it and it and I heard that it was shockingly anti-imperialist.

Caller: Yeah I would say I mean we'll see it i would say that I think it tries to have it both ways at times. but I would say that it was and I would love to hear like a further take on the way hollywood represents imperialism on screen. especially in latin america. because I just think like it's very exciting to see a movie like this that actually does delve into a real history about panama. and like i i was reading a foreign policy article about how close the i mean i read it as venezuela of course. and then not knowing about panama reading about panama it's pretty accurate or close sort of parallel to what happened in panama. but I would love to hear like maybe when you see it just like your takes on this. because I think it is more liberal than leftist unfortunately right as a sort of like i guess a principled leftist take would be that no imperialism can ever be justified. but having said that I think it's as good as we'll see a liberal take on sort of intervention and imperialism in Latin America.

Emma: Well from like a big-budget superhero movie.

Caller: From a big-budget of superhero movies.

Emma: I would imagine too it's rated r so it allows it to go to different places. which is kind of this new trend in superhero movies which is interesting. I’m not a big superhero movie person but I do like following the business. And I heard good things about that storyline from people like but obviously you know josh I trust your opinion. I might see it just to have a critique of that. but like oh man I’m so I hear it's good but I’m so cynical about the fact that they're remaking the same damn concept and just put slapping them in front of it. and just redoing that. unbelievable. but I hear it's actually good I hear it I hear it's getting good reviews. and it's high energy and you know well done.

Caller: yeah yeah I mean I the first one's mess the first one was one of the worst movies i've ever seen in my life.

Caller: Terrible.

Emma: Terrible

Caller: I think yeah I think this one's really good and I think it actually does like I said if there is enough there in what it's talking about politics to do like an episode of a podcast. and I would love to hear it sometime.

Matt: it's like Jesus and the Black Messiah which is a movie I enjoyed but what I even enjoyed more from that is hearing from actual panthers about you know where it goes wrong and what the reasons for that might be. I’m a little bit ambivalent about the idea that this sort of history is you know becoming content for you know massive sort of entertainment industry. except you know I am somebody who thinks that it does do some good if it can lead people into looking into the reality of it a little bit more. and I guess it remains to be seen if Suicide Squad does that.