From writer/director Rick Walker and inspired by Cliff Graham’s short film Hold The Pass, the spiritual feature Guardians opens with images of Oklahoma City, as well as the bombing memorial as a voiceover (Shawnee Brittan), theorizes about whether guardian angels are truly real. We see art photographer Emily (Cherish Rodriguez) taking one beautiful picture after another. She has quite the eye. She also has quite the throat, as we then see a montage of her guzzling one liquor bottle after another. Then there is a horrible drunk driving incident, and Emily barely survives, only remembering a blurry figure standing over her bloody, mangled body and then later waking in the hospital.
One year later, Emily teaches history in a grade school with her close friend, music teacher Anne (Mackenzie McIntyre). Anne is worried as she is sure her abusive ex Ronnie (Lou Renova) will get released from jail again, even though it is a repeat offense. They know each other through AA, which is also how Emily helped Anne get on with the school. They both feel like they are watched over by guardian angels for both to be still alive. The school janitor, Gabe (Wil Wilson), bids them goodnight while moping and keeping an eye on them. They both plan to meet together for a quiet, sober night of pizza at Anne’s later, with Emily planning to meet her there.
“Anne is worried as she is sure her abusive ex Ronnie will get released from jail again…”
Emily never makes it, as she is savagely beaten bloody in the back of an alley when trying to buy opioids from an oxy dealer (Clint McGown). Anne gets a message from Emily’s number telling her to come help with a pinned location. Anne drives over and finds someone has safely propped up Emily’s unconscious body in the passenger side of Emily’s car. Anne gets her to the hospital, where Dr. Renee Kennedy (Taylor Armstrong) is going to look after her.
On the way home, Anne stops by a bar in a moment of weakness. The bartender, Blue (Samantha Radcliffe), knows Anne and serves her something with no alcohol. Blue tells her about this amazing new preacher in town that she can take her to tomorrow. Anne agrees some church could do her good right now with Emily in a coma. They both hear Rev. Willis (Eric Roberts) speak to the congregation about people’s trials. He starts telling the story of Shamgar from the book of Judges, who faced 600 Philistine warriors on an icy mountain with nothing but a cattle prod. He asks everyone to close their eyes to imagine what happened. Suddenly, Anne is on a snow-covered mountain, staring at the ragged, hairy man facing down legions of soldiers armed to the teeth.
