The Laundromat is a 2019 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring Meryl Streep, Antonio Banderas, and Gary Oldman. The film tells the story of a widow named Ellen Martin who is investigating insurance fraud after losing her husband in a boat accident. However, her investigation leads her to uncover a massive network of offshore shell companies in Panama that are involved in money laundering and tax evasion.
The film is based on the Panama Papers scandal, which involved the leak of millions of documents from a law firm in Panama that revealed the financial dealings of some of the world's most powerful and wealthy individuals and organizations.
The Laundromat explores the tangle of fraud, corruption, and unethical behavior that exists in the global financial system and highlights the need for transparency and accountability to prevent activities that harm society.
Throughout the film, various fictional characters played by Streep, Banderas, and Oldman provide commentary on the nature of financial corruption and the role of institutions in enabling it. The Laundromat challenges viewers to question the validity of the financial system and to consider the impact that opaque financial networks have on the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations.