'The Old Guard' Movie Review

Introduction

Ever wondered if we could live forever? Some wonder when their time will end, whilst some make use of the time they have, however long. Andy, Booker, Joe and Nicky fight for the world century after century after century. When a selfish man finds out about their immortality, the team fight for their protection all the whilst welcoming a new immortal member, Nile.

Key themes

Copley, claiming to be from the CIA, asks the immortal team to embark on a mission to save Sudanese children.

When on the mission, the team leader, Andy, realises they have been set up. Copley, not apart of the CIA, is tracking them for their immortality capabilities.

When on a mission in Afghanistan, an American Marine, Nile, is injured. The immortal team sense her pain in dreams. Nile is alike to the team - immortal. Nile's colleagues question how she was able to recover so well and quickly.

Andy kidnaps Nile from her base in Afghanistan. Nile has troubles coming to terms with her immortality and trusting Andy.

When talking to the team, Nile discovers the dark truth of being apart of the immortals. Whilst Andy tries to talk sense into Nile, Copley kidnaps two of the immortals.

Merrick, a CEO and farmer, plans to take samples from the kidnapped immortals to help improve his cancer drug.

Andy takes the remaining mortals, Booker and Nile, to save Nicky and Joe. Nile ditches the team, wanting to live a normal life with her family. Booker turns on Andy thinking he could find a way to stop their immortality. Booker finds out he's been played.

Everyone discovers that Andy is no longer immortal. Nile comes back to save the team, who have been strapped up in Merrick's lab.

Despite her loss of immortality, Andy and the team fight to kill Merrick and his team in order to keep the immortals alive and keep their secret hidden.

The team kill Merrick and his men. The team leave Booker alone, for 100 years, as punishment for his betrayal. The remaining immortals, still led by Andy, invite Copley to help them stay alive and hide their secret.

Booker, drunk, stumbles upon Quynh, an old member of the immortals.

Key Questions

• Do the immortals usually reside in France? Was that abandoned building their current home?
• Where do they get their food from?
• Why do the immortals need to eat?
• Where do they get money from?
• How can they drive/have cars to drive?
• Where do they get their resources from?
• How do the immortals live when not on a mission?
• Do the immortals live normal lives?
• How many languages do they speak?
• How did Nile know how to drive in the UK when she is American?
• Where do each of the immortals come from? Is Andy Russian? What language do Joe and Nicky speak?
• Can the immortals love mortals? Have the immortals ever loved mortals?
• At what point does their immortality begin? The immortals were all different ages and immortals don't age, so when did they become immortal/how did they become immortal?
• Did Quynh ever die?
• Where did Andy go that she had to return back to the team at the beginning of the film?
• What happened to the immortal team's families/old lives?
• Are the immortals humans that can live forever? Or are the immortals supernatural beings?
• Why do the immortal eventually die?
• Why has Andy lived so long as an immortal?
• Is immortality a power to lose? If so, doesn't that deny the power of immortality?
• Why was cancer a big theme in the film? Cancer was presented as a 'killer of all men', with loved ones of Copley and Booker dying to the disease, as well as, Merrick trying to cure cancer and rid of the disease completely. What was the significance of the disease to the film? Does cancer ruin chances of being immortal?

Conclusion

You have one life, but many chances to do good in the time that you have. 'The Old Guard' is a fantastic action film and the fantasy hybrid element makes the plot believable as well as enjoyable. The concept of living forever is questioned, but is linked heavily to science, rather than to the supernatural. The reappearance of the 'former' member, Quynh, raises a lot of eyebrows and sparks hope that perhaps Lykon, another former member, is still alive. Andy hints at the idea that as one immortal is taken another appears to take its place, however, she seems to gain her strength, not from immortality but from years of various experiences. Andy's choice to lead the team, despite her loss of immortality, seems somewhat viable and possible; we have a feeling that she will live forever or somehow become immortal again. The film is thrilling but lacks narrative; we gain access to a little of Andy's history, but the other immortals remain unknown, except their names. The lack of backstory to the current one triggers many questions about the origin and process of immortality. The cliffhanger at the end is intriguing and challenges many ideas such as that immortals die eventually. Overall, the film dances nicely on the theme of immortality, declaring the truth that everything dies, whilst including impactful action and fantasy.

Cast

Charlize Theron - Andy

Kiki Layne - Nile

Matthias Schoenaerts - Booker

Marwan Kenzari - Joe

Luca Marinelli - Nicky

Chiwetel Ejiofor - Copley

Harry Melling - Merrick