#SQUADGOALS (47)
By:
November 22, 2017
One in a series of enthusiastic posts, contributed by HILOBROW friends and regulars during 2017, on the subject of our favorite squads.
Many of the criticisms leveled against David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (2016) are justified: the film is at times too dark, too loud, too obnoxious, and too dumb for its own good. Still, though. There’s something there, something thoughtful, something interesting. At its core, the film is about screwed up, disenfranchised people, and on a basic human level who can’t relate to that? It’s this central theme that provides the film with a certain depth, which few critics seem willing to acknowledge. Amanda Waller’s Task Force X might be a misfit crew of sociopaths and losers with an important incentive to follow orders (thanks to the explosive chip inserted into their necks by Waller), but the emotional and psychological baggage they contend with along the way is both intriguing and understandable.
On the surface, the Suicide Squad might be the last group of people you expect to see charged with saving the world from total annihilation at the hands of a power-mad witch. Think about it for a bit, however, and suddenly they seem more than suited to the job. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain, including a sort of redemption for the lives they’ve lived up to this point. When viewed as a symbolic story about social outcasts on the margins learning to work together towards a higher purpose for the first time in their lives, the film can be surprisingly inspiring.
The members of the Squad are all damaged, seemingly beyond repair. Yet they persevere on their mission for various reasons, some selfish, some altruistic, some an unholy combination of both. Harley Quinn, portrayed by an electrifying Margot Robbie in the film’s best performance, is a perfect example of how each of these criminals see themselves as intrinsically broken, yet for the first time in a long time (maybe even ever), they find some small semblance of hope from working as a collective for the greater good of the world around them. Harley’s friendship with Will Smith’s Deadshot is thoughtfully portrayed, revealing added layers to both characters. When Deadshot tenderly holds Harley in his arms at one point, we see that while they may be criminals and malcontents, these eccentric outsiders can also represent the best aspects of humanity. It’s their flaws that make them such highly relatable characters, especially for those who understand the pain of being different or marginalized.
#SQUADGOALS: Annie Nocenti on THE WILD BUNCH | Alice Boone on PRETTY LITTLE LIARS | Gordon Dahlquist on BOWIE’S BAND | Rob Wringham on THE HOME GUARD | Jennifer Krasinski on WATERSHIP DOWN RABBITS | Annalee Newitz on ROBIN HOOD’S MERRY PALS | Adrienne Crew on THE BLOOMSBURY GROUP | Mark Kingwell on THE HONG KONG CAVALIERS | Adam McGovern on KAMANDI’S FAMILY | John Overholt on THE CLUB | Greg Rowland on THE VULTURE SQUADRON | Sara Ryan on BETSY, TACY & TIB | Chelsey Johnson on VI ÄR BÄST! | Brian Berger on THE JOHN FORD STOCK COMPANY | Sherri Wasserman on THE WARRIORS | Jessamyn West on FAREYNIKTE PARTIZANER ORGANIZATSYE | Josh Glenn on DADA | Matthew De Abaitua on THE TIME | Mandy Keifetz on THE FOUNDING FATHERS | William Nericcio on ZOOT SUIT PACHUCOS | Deb Chachra on FIREFLY CREW | Matthew Battles on THE ANIMAL FAMILY | Ingrid Schorr on THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS | Joe Alterio on THE USUAL GANG OF IDIOTS | Dan Reines on THE BREAKFAST CLUB | Rob Walker on LES TROIS INSÉPARABLES | Devin McKinney on 1975 RED SOX | Steph Burt on DAMAGE CONTROL | Elina Shatkin on THE HOLOGRAMS | Chris Spurgeon on THE ALKALI METALS | Carl Wilson on NEW YORK SCHOOL POETS | Barbara Bogaev on THE MOD SQUAD | Franklin Bruno on THE AACM | Judith Zissman on THE FUTURIANS | Mimi Zeiger on ARCHIGRAM | Jacob Mikanowski on THE RATBASTARDS | Lynn Peril on THE DALY SISTERS | Anindita Basu Sempere on MEG MURRY’S FAMILY | Libi Rose on THE ENIAC TEAM | Gary Panter on THE TRIBE OF HIPPIES | Peter Doyle on CORNEL WILDE BOYS | Ken Layne on THE MONKEY WRENCH GANG | Molly Wright Steenson on BAUHAUS | Katie Hennessey on BEAT POETS | Mimi Lipson on THE RUNAWAYS | Jordan Ellenberg on BOURBAKI | Michael Campochiaro on THE SUICIDE SQUAD | Deborah Wassertzug on THE BLOODHOUND GANG | Colin Dickey on ACÉPHALE | Douglas Wolk on SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY | David Smay on THE MYSTIC KNIGHTS OF THE OINGO BOINGO | Karinne Keithley Syers on BLACKLIPS PERFORMANCE CULT.
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