Synopsis
The Old Guard is an action fantasy movie that features a covert group of immortal mercenaries that have protected the mortal world for centuries. The group is led by Andy, a battle hardened mercenary portrayed by Charlize Theron. The group is exposed when a new immortal awakens, capturing the attention of corporate entities seeking their regenerative DNA. The mercenary team is then forced to fight for their survival, facing burnout, moral dilemmas, and a moral tension fatigue.
The film intertwines modern global conflicts with a mythical and historical sense, balancing visceral combat with existential themes of legacy, betrayal, and the burden of living forever.
Awards & Wins
- The Old Guard, while not dominating the awards circuit, found its place and earned the following awards:
- People’s Choice Awards (2020): Nominated for Favorite Action Movie.
- Critics’ Choice Super Awards (2021): Winner – Best Actress in an Action Movie (Charlize Theron) Nominee – Best Action Movie
- GLAAD Media Awards: Nominated for Outstanding Film – Wide Release due to its representation of the LGBTQ+ community.
- The film was celebrated for its fight choreography and representation, particularly for the inclusion of diverse and LGBTQ+ characters.
Cast & Crew
- Charlize Theron as Andy/Andromache of Scythia – the cold yet collected leader of the immortal warriors.
- KiKi Layne as Nile Freeman – a U.S. Marine, who is newly brought onto the team, finding out that she is much more than human.
- Matthias Schoenaerts as Booker – the battle-drained immortal Frenchman.
- Marwan Kenzari as Joe and Luca Marinelli as Nicky – Formerly foes, they are now lovers and represent the deep stamp of loyalty and love that has lasted for centuries.
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Copley – a former CIA agent with unclear motives.
- Harry Melling as Merrick – a pharmaceutical company CEO and the film’s antagonist who seeks to profit from the ability to stay young and live forever.
- Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood. Notably, the first Black woman to direct a high-budget comic book movie was also the first to direct a movie of this size and scale.
- Screenplay: Greg Rucka. Adapted from his own graphic novel, also titled The Old Guard.
- Produced by: Netflix and Skydance Media.
IMDb Rating
6.7 / 10.
This is the aggregated result of more than 150 thousand people’s votes.
While the film was widely praised for its engaging action and well-developed characters, a few reviewers highlighted certain areas as needing better pacing.
Personal Insights
The Old Guard breaks the mold of the conventional superhero film. The thoughtful depiction of the toll of warfare, the burden of immortality, and the anguish of outliving loved ones is beautifully and philosophically imprinted. I would say that Andy’s character example immerses the audience into the profound isolation that comes with living forever. Nile’s character arc brings a sense of hope by portraying someone who brings purpose and optimism.
Additionally, it breaks ground by embracing LGBTQ+ representation where it is not superficial and placing a Black female at the forefront with KiKi Layne as Nile. The film is genre thrilling but emotionally rich at the same time due to her direction, which is rooted in emotional realism.
As for The Old Guard, it holds particular cultural significance for a number of reasons:
Filmmaker Representation: Prince-Bythewood made history as the first Black woman to direct a comic book film with a significant budget, showcasing the comic book genre. Her presence is felt in the diversity, on screen, and behind-the-camera.
Worldwide Casting: The immortals ensemble is made up of nationality and culture characters such as, Scythian, Napoleonic-era French, Crusader-era Italian, and African American, which truly represents a world ensemble and resonates the most with the global audience of Netflix.
Negatives of Society and The Figure of Death: The ethics of humanity’s immortality in a capitalist society is questioned, where capitalist society wishes to take biology as a resource to exploit, reflecting on the surveillance and militarization of the real world, and the questions surrounding it.
Representation of the LGBTQ+ community: In Joe and Nicky, their love and bond in action movies is often seen as shallow but is quite the opposite here. This marks a significant cultural turning point.
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