There will be mild spoilers in this article regarding "Deadpool 2," so don't say I didn't warn you.
Last week, I got to see "Deadpool 2"even though I've never seen the first "Deadpool." But that would not stop me from seeing one of my favorite hotties, Ryan Reynolds, being sarcastic, vulgar, and looking sexy AF in his suit. Having not seen the first "Deadpool," I didn't think that I was really missing much. My fantastic friend Laura filled me in on the basics of the first movie before the previews started rolling, and I was incredibly pleased with the movie.
While I loved the movie's laugh-out-loud moments, there was one topic that I couldn't help but notice and focus on: the movie's treatment of depression and life-altering events, not to mention PTSD.
Within the first 15 minutes of the movie, Wade's girlfriend, Vanessa, is murdered. And this death becomes the catalyst for the rest of Wade's adventures throughout the rest of the movie as he fights to save a kid named Russell from committing murder in his quest for vengeance. This movie was great, and I would even argue that the way that the movie treated depression was accurate for many millennials and members of Generation Z (myself included).
Wade doesn't just brush off the death of his girlfriend as something that doesn't matter. The two of them had just decided to have a family and were brainstorming baby names before Vanessa died. Wade doesn't shut down his emotions and refuses to acknowledge what has happened. Instead, he does what many people do in a situation like that: he drowns in his emotions.
I've struggled with depression and seeing Wade's reaction to it resonated with me. Wade lets his emotions consume him. He tries to escape them because they are becoming too much for him to deal with. He takes large amounts of cocaine and then decides to blow himself up following Vanessa's death because he just. Can't. Take. It. Any. More. Many people struggling with depression feel that same way.
Wade also blames himself for Nes' death. He says that the one responsible for her death got away, and that person was him. People struggling with depression often blame themselves for the way that they are feeling, for what has happened to them and what they've done. They believe that they are the catalyst for their own self-destruction, as Wade does. I've felt this, and so many other people have as well.
Wade's humor in this movie is, in my opinion, both part of his personality and his attempt to cope with everything that he is feeling and going through. His vulgarity and sarcasm project his feelings outward in a way that doesn't seem to be deflection until you take a deeper look at them. He wants to be left alone, but he is surrounded by people, so he deflects and isolates himself with his humor. I've done this and so many others have as well.
Watching "Deadpool 2" felt to me like an accurate depiction of depression in the 21st century as people try to heal and move on. It's not smooth sailing, and the writers of the movie don't appear to make light of an incredibly tough situation. I, as someone who has experienced depression, applaud the writers for their work. In the end, Wade begins the difficult process of moving on and living his life again, though Vanessa will always be on his mind and in his heart. He hasn't moved on entirely, and maybe he never will, but he is on the right track. And that is another thing that I applaud the writers for. Depression can be a cycle with ups and downs, and I think that that is shown at the end of the movie. I appreciate the detail that the writers put into writing about mental illness in this movie.
So would I recommend that you go see "Deadpool 2"? Absolutely. Go watch it. Enjoy it. And let me know what you think when you've seen it.