This Movie Starring Michelle Rodriguez As A Trans Assassin Is Beyond Problematic

From Beauty and the Beast and Wonder Woman to The Circle and T2: Trainspotting 2, there are a lot of movies we're looking forward to in 2017. But the one about a hit man who is punished by an evil doctor with sex reassignment surgery is not one of them. While that tagline makes it sound like a terribly ignorant, campy '70s horror film buried in the past, we assure you that The Assignment is a real-life movie that is actually coming out this year. The first trailer for the controversial, regressive film just dropped. And now that we've had our first look at the movie, we can confirm it looks just as horrible and offensive as people first feared. The backlash against The Assignment (originally titled Tomboy, A Revenger's Tale) is two-fold. As for the making of the movie, the casting of Rodriguez in the starring role is yet another example of trans actors being deprived of roles — and, in broader terms, the opportunity for trans people to tell their own stories. (What the hell Sigourney Weaver is doing in this mess as the nefarious surgeon is beyond me.) And then there's the problematic plot itself. The idea that sex reassignment surgery (also called gender confirmation surgery) would be used as a form of vengeance is more than a little sick. Not to mention, it demonizes the procedure and marginalizes the experience of the thousands of trans people who benefit from it every year. So, do yourself a favor and just skip this trainwreck. Your year will be all the better for it.