The Old Guard

The Old Guard is a 2020 American superhero film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. It is based on the comic book of the same name.

The movie follows a pack of centuries-old immortal mercenaries who are able to heal from any wound. Just as they find another immortal has "awakened", they realize someone is onto their secret and have to fight for their freedom.

Summary
"Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile (Kiki Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary."

- Netflix Press Release

Plot
Andy is a 6,000-year-old immortal warrior and a member of an ancient group of immortals. Centuries ago, they decided to help the helpless in the world, making an immortal life a life of purpose. Present day, the team gets an opportunity to rescue a group of kidnapped girls in South Sudan, but it turns out to be a setup by former CIA operative Copley, whom they worked with before.

In a village in Afghanistan, Marine Nile Freeman is deployed and on patrol, looking for a high-value target (HVT). Nile finds the HVT and mortally wounds him; he, in turn, stabs Nile in the neck. After Nile miraculously recovers, visions of the other immortals flash in her mind. They, too, have visions of her and the team splits up: Andy goes to find the new immortal, while the others stay on Copley's trail.

Andy rescues Nile before she can be taken away for further testing and takes her to a safe house just outside of Paris, France. There, Nile is introduced to the other immortals: Joe, Nicky and Booker. Andy explains that they can die, but they never know when or why. Nile then recounts a nightmare she had of a past immortal named Quynh, who was captured during the witch trials and eventually entombed in a metal torture box called the Iron Maiden and dropped into the ocean. Andy had spent years looking for Quynh, but could never find her.

While Andy takes Nile for a walk to discuss their immortality, the others are ambushed by Copley; Joe and Nicky are captured and taken to Merrick at his facility. Andy finds Booker severely wounded. While he heals, she fights off intruders in the main church. Afterwards, the remaining immortals escape to a former hideout of Andy's, where she finds her wounds are not healing and her immortality has come to an end.

Merrick and his team proceed to experiment on Joe and Nicky to try and find out how their immortality works.

In an attempt to rescue Joe and Nicky, Booker, Nile and Andy find Copley, but Nile decides to leave and return to her family. When confronting Copley, Booker betrays Andy before realizing she is injured and isn’t healing. They are both captured by Merrick's men.

Nile realizes Booker has betrayed them and returns to Copley’s to backup Andy, but finds both her and Booker missing. She confronts Copley, who explains how he watched his wife die from ALS, an incurable disease, which was the reason he teamed up with Merrick. He explains how he’s traced Andy through history and descendants of the people she saved have gone on to do great things. He also tells Nile that Andy is no longer immortal and where Merrick is holding the immortals captive. In a one-man assault, Nile finds the others and rescues them, telling Andy she needs her help, immortal or not.

In pursuit of Merrick, Andy goes after him herself, and finds out that Merrick has gone to his penthouse. During the assault, Merrick flees; however, it is only a ruse, and Merrick confronts Andy and Nile and tries to kill Andy. Nile comes to Andy's rescue and pushes Merrick out the window. They both fall from the building and land on a car, with only Nile recovering.

After discussing Booker’s betrayal, the team decides that he will be exiled from the group for a century. Nile decides it is best to leave her old life behind. Noting that Copley has tracked their history for over a century and a half, Andy recruits him to clean up their tracks and find them jobs that will suit them. With little to do, and with no choice, he accepts, simply stating, "I'd be honored."

In a post title (pre-credit scene) six months later, it is revealed that Quynh is still alive and has found Booker in his home in Paris.

Cast and Characters

 * Charlize Theron as Andy
 * Kiki Layne as Nile
 * Matthias Schoenaerts as Booker
 * Marwan Kenzari as Joe
 * Luca Marinelli as Nicky
 * Chiwetel Ejiofor as Copley
 * Harry Melling as Merrick
 * Van Veronica Ngo as Quynh
 * Lee S. Hwak Zhang as Sadeq

Awards
Critics Choice Super Awards (2021)


 * Best Superhero Movie (nominated)
 * Best Actor in a Superhero movie - Chitwetel Ejiofor (nominated)
 * Best Actress in a Superhero movie - Kiki Layne (nominated)
 * Best Actress in a Superhero movie - Charlize Theron (nominated)

People's Choice Awards, USA (2020)


 * Favorite Female Movie Star - Charlize Theron (nominated)
 * Favorite Action Movie Star - Charlize Theron (nominated)
 * Favorite Action Movie (nominated)
 * Favorite Motion Picture (nominated)

The Harvey Awards (2020)


 * Best Adaption from Comic Book/Graphic Novel (nominated)

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The Old Guard