The Next Guardian (2018): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2018, The Next Guardian is a documentary and drama film directed by Arun Bhattarai, running about 75 minutes.

What it’s about. Brother and sister Gyembo and Tashi are normal teenagers. They love soccer and their phones. In their Himalayan village, their father oversees a Buddhist temple that has been in the family for generations. He hopes his son will one day take over his duties. He would prefer that Gyembo leave his modern English-language school in favor of a monk school. In this thoughtful and tender portrait of a Bhutanese family, the generation gap is as large as their love for one another. Celibacy doesn't offer an enticing future to an adolescent boy, which Gyembo's father understands. Nonetheless, he still tries to convince his son that being a monk offers many advantages. Meanwhile, Tashi feels more like a boy than a girl, and dreams of a life as a pro soccer player. She wants to attend a soccer camp that would be the first step in being selected for the national team. Unfortunately, though happiness is high on the political agenda in Bhutan, not all wishes come true.

Who’s in it. The Next Guardian stars Gyembo as Self, Tashi as Self, Tenzin as Self and Phub Lamo as Self.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.7/10, The Next Guardian has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Next Guardian page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Next Guardian tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.