Summary
Andrew Garfield became a household name over a decade ago, following the release of films likeThe Social NetworkandThe Amazing Spider-Man, and he hasn’t slowed down since. Throughout the years, he has played all kinds of characters and delved into nearly every genre. However, with such an impressive resume, some of his roles get overlooked. One of his most underrated performances is in Mark Romanek’sNever Let Me Go, a 2010 dystopian sci-fi drama that explores life and death, love, loss, grief, identity, and humanity.
Written by Alex Garland (Ex Machina,Annihilation) and directed by Mark Romanek,Never Let Me Gois based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2005 novel of the same name, and it presents a unique take on the sci-fi genre. Instead of focusing on traditional science fiction tropes, Romanek creates a dystopian world that feels similar to our own, allowing viewers to focus on the ethical and moral questions the story presents. Set in an alternate reality, the film stars Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfiled, and Keira Knightley as three childhood friends who grow up and become involved in a love triangle as they try to find their lives' purpose.
While both the film andGarfield’s performance received critical acclaim, it has flown under the radar for many. It can be considered the British-American actor’s last role before becoming international sensation later that year with his supporting role in David Fincher’sThe Social Network.
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What Is Never Let Me Go About?
Never Let Me Goisset in an alternate dystopian worldwhere a medical breakthrough has allowed humans to live for over 100 years. The film begins in 1978 and follows the lives of three young friends, Kathy (Mulligan), Tommy (Garfield), and Ruth (Knightley), through the years. The trio grows up in Hailsham, a mysterious boarding school with strict rules, where they are encouraged to create artwork. There, a teacher informs the students about their harsh reality: the children at Hailsham are not ordinary people, and their fates have been determined from the start.They are revealed to be clonescreated for the sole purpose of donating their organs to their original counterparts. When they reach a certain age, their vital organs will be harvested over the span of multiple donations, and they will die in early adulthood.
The film revolves around Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth’s personal journeys, friendships, and relationships, as they grow up and experience love, loss, guilt,and the tragic reality of their existence. After they come of age, the three protagonists are told that there is a possibility of deferral. Clones can extend their time and postpone their organ donations if two of them become a couple, and can prove their love for one another. As time goes by, each of the characters begins to lose all hope for the future. They believe there is no point in connecting with others or looking forward to anything, since it all can, and will, be taken away at any moment.
Who Does Andrew Garfield Play In Never Let Me Go?
Andrew Garfield plays Tommy, a sensitive and somewhat awkward young man sentenced to a tragic fate like the rest of the people at Hailsham. He has a complicated relationship with Ruth and a deep emotional connection with Kathy. This love triangle is one of the central plots of the film. Tommystruggles with his identity and tries to find meaning in his lifeas a clone bred for someone else to be able to live. Throughout the story, he matures and comes to understand the devastating reality of his situation. Learning about the deferrals convinces Tommy that the art they were encouraged to create at Hailsham was used to look into their souls. He begins creating art as a way to cope with his inevitable future and try to prolong it by earning a deferral.
Tommy spends a long time looking for a way to delay his organ donations and trying to find hope, but he still undergoes two donations. Towards the end of the film,a weakened Tommy and Kathy begin a relationship, but they learn a painful truth about the nature of their existence. Two of their former teachers from Hailsham explain to the couple that their artwork was not used to look into their souls, but to find out whether clones even have souls at all. They discover that the deferral program is a false promise and there is no actual way to escape their fate as organ donors, which causes Tommy to break down and scream in frustration.
How Does Never Let Me Go End?
The ending ofNever Let Me Godoesn’t offer a traditional Hollywood resolution. Instead, it is agrim reminder of the ethical dilemmapresented from the start. After realizing there are no deferrals, Tommy and Kathy attempt to find comfort in each other. Soon after, Tommy is called to make his third donation. As Kathy watches from the window, Tommy lies on the operating table and smiles at her, letting her know thathe has accepted his fate. He completes his donation, dying in the process.
A few weeks after losing Tommy, Kathy, who had become a carer for other clones in order to prolong her own donations, is informed that she will make her first donation in one month. She contemplates her life and childhood in a field, wondering if her fate is any different from the person she will “save,” as eventually, everyone will meet the same end.
Unlike other films, the characters inNever Let Me Godo not even consider the possibility of running away. All their lives, they have been conditioned to think of themselves as being donors above being people, serving as another reminder of their tragic existence and inescapable fate. While Andrew Garfield’s talent has been recognized and awarded for many of his other projects, his portrayal of Tommy remains one of his most powerful and shows the talent and versatility he has had since his early career.
