FFR 131: The Old Guard

After a brief detour into recent events in Portland, we get into Netflix's hugely successful new action flick, The Old Guard, featuring Charlize Theron as the de facto leader of a group of immortal mercenaries as they welcome a new member and face a new adversary. Our conversation touches on the strength of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s direction, as well as the makeup of the crew, with its international membership that includes two gay men whose fierce devotion to each other melted even Anita's heart. We discuss how the identities of the main characters feel central to their stories and their experiences.  Additionally, concerns are raised about the “strong female character” trope, we talk about the loneliness that comes with immortality, and mention some of the fun questions that the premise of a movie like this raises.

Time Stamps:02:00 - What’s Happening in Portland07:40 - The Old Guard48:10 - What’s Your FREQ-Out: Ebony on artists Jessica Spence and Frank Morrison, Carolyn on First Cow, Anita on BettyLinks Mentioned:Frank MorrisonJessica SpenceFollow Us:Our WebsiteSubscribe on Apple PodcastsTwitterInstagramJoin our Patreon