The Old Guard Review: Timeless Heroes and Solid Action Brings Us Another Netflix Hit
The Old Guard, Netflix’s new film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and written by Greg Rucka (based on the comic also written by Rucka and illustrated by Leandro Fernandez), offers an intriguing premise: a film about immortality, where death is barely a consequence, but through that shows the value of life and living.
The pain throughout one’s life is personified by those immortal characters here, where the physical scars may vanish, but the emotional scars stick with them for an eternity. With that as a backdrop, The Old Guard is able to tie history and the modern age together to tell a story about those wanting to do better but only seeing the pain that comes along with it.
Photo Credit: AIMEE SPINKS/NETFLIX ©2020
The story starts in the comfortable spot of a job going wrong, and payback is in order. But the added aspect of immortality and a pharmaceutical company looking to profit off of their abilities becomes the larger story piece, along with a newcomer coming to grips with learning she, too, is now immortal.
It’s a solid jumping off point for the film that smartly plays exposition as an entry point for the new member to the team, Nile (played by KiKi Layne).
Some story points can be rather messy or are in need of a little more to substantially back character choices (especially one that comes later on, which is justified but undoes a lot of that character’s groundwork), but for the most part the film is on solid footing and doing exactly what it’s setting out to achieve.
The hints at history and these character’s place in it is an intriguing place to set up for potential sequels, as well, where not only is the world the franchise’s oyster, but any point in time of that world, as well.
The action is fast and furious and rather bloody at times, where the outcome may certainly be favored toward our heroes but the added layer of working together and the time it takes to heal becoming like a mesmerizing time allocation where everyone must play their part in order for the whole to succeed.
It’s especially apparent during the film’s larger action sequence, where everything clicks perfectly and the film’s flirtatious promise of high-octane fighting finally becomes a flashy, exciting reality.
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood brings a level of finesse and focus to the film, where everything has purpose and the tight action stays grounded, even when the more superhero aspect of immortality is in play.
Her filmmaking is always making sure to stay on the film’s two most important characters and their headspace, and for that, The Old Guard makes a lot of great progress.
The cast, as a whole, are wonderful and add plenty of personality and empathy to their characters, including Matthias Schoenaerts as Booker, Marwan Kenzari as Joe, Luca Marinelli as Nicky, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Copley.
The main standouts are the two stars, however: Charlize Theron as Andy and KiKi Layne as Nile.
Both get the brunt of the film’s action and focus, and manage to bring a tough-as-nails strength to their respective roles that hint at a deeper vulnerability that they are protecting.
Theron taps into her character’s wealth of wisdom and experience to become a mentor of sorts to Layne’s character, and so their early hot-and-cold relationship becomes the heart of the film, as both electrify both action scenes and the more emotionally-driven beats of the story.
I could use a little more of Ejiofor, however, but that’s true for any time he makes an appearance.
The Old Guard may finally be that franchise Netflix has been searching for. With a cast of immortals, and the annals of history as a guide, there is an infinite potential, especially with this fantastic cast backing it up.
But for this film, it’s a very solid, very capable movie that expertly uses all of its moving pieces to tell a tale of hope buried deep within a sea of despair, and how holding onto that small glimmer can last a lifetime, or in some cases, a whole host of lifetimes.
What did you think of The Old Guard? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Old Guard is available for streaming on Friday, July 10 on Netflix.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.