(1/8) A quick story on why representation matters: SPOILERS for Suicide Squad (2016).

(2/8) It’s no secret Suicide Squad is a critically panned film. Sitting at a 27% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 59% audience score, it’s hard to find someone who genuinely likes the film. But at almost $750mil worldwide, that’s not a number you just get to without repeat viewings.

(3/8) My cousin and I went to DTLA late August to see Suicide Squad for what would be my third time that month. In the theater, there was a Latino family (Father, mother and two kids) sporting Dodger gear and Aztec related tattoos. They sat two rows ahead of me.

(4/8) As the movie went on, it seemed everyone in the theater was having a good time. I know I was as someone who liked the movie. While some of the problems still stuck out, I couldn’t deny the stuff I really liked began to shine. Especially, the character El Diablo.

(5/8) If you’re not familiar with the character, El Diablo is a former LA gang member with the ability to control fire. During the final climatic battle, Diablo fully unleashes his power to become a skeletal fire god to save the day against the villains.

(6/8) The father of that Latino family got up, clapped and cheered as El Diablo shouted in Spanish as an Aztecan fire god, “Ahora si cabron.” That moment was just for him. Someone proud of his heritage and culture.

(7/8) Now you can say the movie is bad. It’s terribly edited, script is poor, characters unrealized, but you can never take away the experience I saw that father had. What I thought was a powerful moment was amplified to the max for him. A Latino saves the day in Suicide Squad.

(8/8) Representation matters. No matter where we find it. Maybe Suicide Squad is terrible, but someone out there likes it and that’s all that matters.