Andy is beginning to lose her way. She is the oldest among them by at least a couple millennia . Andy has doubts about their mission, suffering a crisis of faith; the world seems to be getting worse no matter how many people they rescue, no matter how many battles they win. We later learn she is also wracked with guilt over the loss of her first companion, a warrior named Quynh , whose capture and subsequent Promethean-like torture still haunts Andy.
Then, a dangerous rival and Nile’s training help bring Andy’s resolve back into focus. In order to perform their heroic deeds over centuries unabated, the warriors require anonymity, which also protects them from imprisonment and the abuses science and industry might wish to enact on an immortal body. They chafe within the bounds of their responsibilities, constantly weighing the threat of discovery against their sense of duty in an increasingly complicated world.
KiKi Layne, Luca Marinelli, Charlie Theron and Marwan Kenzari are part of The Old Guard in Netflix’s film of the same name. does many things exceptionally well, from both the meta-standpoint of representation and on the level of narrative and cinematography. It boasts two prominent and complex women in starring roles, myriad characters of color who stem from different nations of origin, and a central gay male couple whose deep bonds are explicitly acknowledged and honored.
Early in the film, one of Andy’s compatriots maintains that the team, “can do some good,” only to inspire Andy’s pessimistic rejoinder: “Have you been watching the news lately? Some good means nothing.” A year later, watching her response still feels more familiar than I’d like. Apparently, even immortal warriors get the blues.The Old Guard
reminds us that our influence extends further than we realize. The consequences of inaction may be dire, but the impact of “some good” can mean everything in the right place and time.