There was an actual pause and exchange of glances when Andy asked “so why did you leave the agency Mr. Copley?”. THEY DEFINITELY SHARED THEIR STORIES WITH EACH OTHER.
The Old Guard saw the “action movies need a male lead”-stereotype, and just decided to say “Fuck that. Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne kick ass.”
The Old Guard saw the “people won’t watch movies if the main cast isn’t white or American”-stereotype, and just decided to say “Fuck that. The 6 main actors are South African, American, Belgian, Dutch, Italian and British.”
The Old Guard saw the “men aren’t supposed to talk about their feelings”-stereotype, and just decided to say “Fuck that. All main male characters have scenes talking about their feelings and emotions, which are relevant to the plot and the character’s motivations.”
Hell, The Old Guard saw all the stereotypical gay tropes, and just said “Fuck ‘em all.”
“Bury your gays”-trope? Fuck that. Immortal gays.
“Gay men are fragile”-trope? Fuck that. The gays kick ass.
“The film will loose money if a character is explicitly gay, so it will just be implied through subtext”-stupidity? Fuck that. They flirt, they kiss, there is an entire monologue dedicated to the love these gays have for each other.
And on top of all of that, The Old Guard has a great and clever plot, amazing action scenes, good pacing, great music, emotional beats that don’t drag the story down, and a well-executed setup for a sequel.
The Old Guard is a fantastic movie, and it is a great example of diversity that isn’t “forced”, but feels natural and makes a lot of sense in the story. This is diversity done right.
