An acclaimed Andrew Garfield movie is about to make its exit from HBO Max – just as the actor is still basking in the shine of his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie in question is Hacksaw Ridge, the 2016 World War II biopic about Desmond Doss, a devout Christian who refused to violate the commandment of “Thou shalt not kill” while still serving as a combat medic in the Pacific. The film was a modest performer at the box office ($180.5 million on a $40 million budget) but an awards hit, earning multiple Golden Globes and Oscar nominations – with Garfield’s performance driving the hype.
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Of course, Hacksaw Ridge also courted some controversy, along with its accolades. There were the usual debates about historical accuracy when it came to Desmond Doss’s life; it was also an issue for some viewers that Hacksaw Ridge was directed by Mel Gibson, whose offscreen controversies still overshadowed some of his draw as a filmmaker.
Thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home, Andrew Garfield is once again a fan-favorite of mainstream superhero movies; he’s also enjoying more awards glory, having already won the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his 2021 film, Tick, Tick… Boom!, another biopic about the life of playwright Jonathan Larson. All in All, it’s a good time in Andrew Garfield’s career – and one of your last chances to take a good look at how he got to this point.
You can find a summary of Hacksaw Ridge’s plot, below:
In Lynchburg, Desmond Doss and his brother Hal are raised by a dysfunctional family since their father Tom Doss is an alcoholic veteran of World War I that beats their mother Bertha. One day, Desmond almost kills Hal and his life is affected by the Commandment “Thou shalt not kill”. Years later, he meets the nurse Dorothy Schutte and they fall in love with each other. Desmond, who is Seventh-day Adventist Christian and conscientious objector, decides to join the army to serve his country in World War II; however he refuses to carry or use any weapon and requests to serve as combat medic to save lives. He faces several problems during the training and but he succeeds to go to the war to participate in the Battle of Okinawa. Will he be helpful in the battlefield?
Hacksaw Ridge is streaming on HBO Max until the end of January (meaning only tonight).
