![]() Peppermint would be offensive no matter what year it came out. Instead, the story simply speed walks along, supplying plenty of action with very little substance.Īs stated before, the timing of a movie like this can’t possibly be an accident, and even if it was, it’s no excuse. It’s another negative mark on the film showing us Riley’s transformation into who she is now could’ve been interesting. There is a five year gap in between the deaths of her husband and daughter and the start of her vengeful killing spree, but the film very much glosses over it. Instead, Riley seemingly just snaps after the loss of her family, instantly turning into a merciless killer who literally strings up her victims, execution style. ![]() Speaking of Riley, the film could at least have attempted to make it a character study about a woman who lost everything and became something different (at the start of the film she tells her daughter that violence is never the answer, otherwise you’re no better than the bad guys). It doesn’t even bother to try and cover its ass by doing the bare minimum and tossing in a latinx character that’s “one of the good ones” and helps Riley on her rampage. There’s nothing redeeming about this film. It’s their worst nightmare come to life, coupled with the catharsis of being able to take down the brown people responsible for their fear and suffering. Peppermint is the perfect vigilante revenge fantasy for every white, racist suburban woman. People who have fallen victim to the lies and rhetoric of the Trump administration will, I’m sure, gladly cheer as Jennifer Garner takes down dozens of “illegal aliens”, blowing them away in hokey piñata stores and destroying their drug stashes. In a time when latinx immigrants have been painted as nothing but murderers, drug dealers, and rapists by the current president and his administration, Peppermint exists to stoke those irrational and racist fears. Every single latinx character in Peppermint is a heavily tattooed, drug dealing, murdering gangbanger, aka the ideal image of what white Trump supporters envision every latinx to look and act like. When they are shown onscreen, they fall into common stereotypes, such as maids, immigrants with heavy accents (despite the majority of the actors in these roles being able to speak perfect English), and, as is the case in Peppermint, thugs, drug dealers and gangbangers. Latinxs, despite being the largest ethnic minority in the United States, are still widely underrepresented in film and television. Green Book – A Guilt-Free Guide to Racism for White People, By White People Second, the loss of Riley’s family justifies her taking action, leading the audience to witness this righteous white woman go around shooting up latinxs for an hour and a half. ![]() First off, the film plays off the greatest fears of every ignorant American: You or your family falling victim to the evil of “illegal” immigrants and their violent ways. ![]() The straightforward plot serves as an excuse to justify a couple of problematic things. When her family’s killers are allowed to walk free and justice fails to be served, Riley takes matters into her own hands, becoming a highly skilled vigilante hell bent on revenge. Peppermint stars Jennifer Garner as Riley North, a typical white suburban wife and mother who’s husband and young daughter are mercilessly gunned down by a (the?) Mexican drug cartel. There’s something inherently malicious about the release of a movie that features two-dimensional, irredeemable, unsympathetic latinx characters as villains who go around murdering happy suburban white families during the time of the Trump administration and its methods of scapegoating latinx immigrants. Irresponsible might even be too soft of a description the timing of this film is a bit too perfect to be an accident. Peppermint is an incredibly irresponsible piece of racist fear-mongering. ![]()
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