I am a female and I am a feminist. Both of these aspects of who I am often lead me to dislike superhero movies. I’m not a fan of the “damsel in distress” plotline that most of them bring to the table. If you’re arguing with me about this fact, I invite you to watch three superhero movies in a row. You’re guaranteed to find the love interest of one of the superheroes captured by the villain and the hero must come to her rescue. Yawn.

This storyline has been played out numerous times. So when my fiancé asked me to go with him to see “Suicide Squad,” I was expecting roughly the same plot but with bad guys. But I was overwhelmed with excitement to see that "Suicide Squad" is more than a superhero movie. In 123 minutes, "Suicide Squad" pushed more boundaries in terms of gender and race than I have ever seen.

For example, of the movie’s 11 characters featured on one of their posters, four are women. Not only that, but all four of those women are major, necessary-to-the-storyline characters. But it doesn’t stop there; none of these women are damsels waiting for the men to save them. Instead, they are strong women who are fighting for themselves while still staying true to what makes females so special. Each woman has certain aspects of who they are that can be traced back to their femininity. Yet, these traits never make the women seem weak, instead they make them stronger and more relatable.

On top of that, this movie has one of the most insane villains I have ever seen in a superhero movie. Marvel, I’m looking at you. This villain is quite literally one of the fiercest and (SPOILER ALERT) that villain is a female. The producers and creators didn’t shy away from having men fighting against a woman. Instead, they welcomed it as an opportunity to prove, once and for all, that women are savage, strong, powerful, a force to be reckoned with.

But it doesn’t stop there. The different races represented in this movie would put most superhero movies to shame. Of the same 11 characters on the poster, three of the actors are African American, one is Latino, one is Native American, one is Japanese-American, one is English, one is Swedish and two are Australian. And none of the characters are forced to follow some stereotypical storyline. Instead, every single one pushes the envelope. Take Deadshot, an African American father who kills for money to build a better life for him and his daughter. He even demands at one point that his daughter’s future Ivy League education be paid for in exchange for his services.

"Suicide Squad" is not flawless – Harley Quinn’s shorts are way too short. But regardless, this flick just might have the message that Hollywood has been missing – that gender and race do not define a character or an actor. Instead, we can use a character’s gender or race to make a statement and "Suicide Squad" does just that. I am proud to say that I will own this movie and will watch it over and over again. Go see it and be amazed.