Reviewed by Ramona Prioleau

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and starring Charlize Theron, The Old Guard is a superhero movie with a twist—its heroes are immortal. Or, more accurately, when they die, they immediately come back to life.

Released on Netflix after its theatrical debut was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Old Guard follows a band of unkillable action heroes who, in some cases, have taken part in humanity’s battles for thousands and thousands of years. When a new recruit discovers her immortality at the same time that a pharmaceutical typhoon attempts to harvest the heroes’ DNA for his own gain, the group must come together, as they have so many times in the past, to protect humanity from itself.

With The Old Guard, Charlize Theron adds another movie to an ever-expanding list in her career as a bonafide action star. Her roles in Mad Max: Fury Road or Atomic Blonde were no flukes, and she proves once again with The Old Guard that her status as a leading action hero is well-deserved one. From John Wick-esque moments in the modern day to full-scale flashbacks of ancient wars, Theron shines throughout with a unique blend of grace, athleticism and lethality.

The biggest issue with The Old Guard is that it never fully realizes itself. The concept is solid (it’s based on a best-selling graphic novel) and the characters are good, if a bit prototypical, but little of this is executed well. The characters are interesting, yes, but they lack the depth and wisdom that one would expect from thousands of years of life on earth. The concept of immortal warriors hiding and fighting their way through history is a fascinating one, but the pacing and story beats of The Old Guard are not all that different from any other major blockbuster action film out there. There is simply an abundance of wasted potential. Consider the scriptwriters’ choice of setting—bafflingly, with all of human history at their fingertips, they choose to spend the entire third act of the film in a white, featureless pharmaceuticals building.

This isn’t to say that The Old Guard is unwatchable. Vital to this is director Gina Prince-Bythewood, as it is her touch that directly contributes to the best parts of the film. She creates moments of humanity in her immortal heroes, using nothing but the camera, in a way that is both patient and understanding. Prince-Bythewood has proven through her career that she knows how to shoot bodies, whether it be in Love and Basketball or Beyond the Lights. In the latter, which is about a pop star and her romance with a civilian, Prince-Blythwood consistently uses the camera to show that humanity is at the core of every character, even if something like celebrity distorts it. Something similar happens in The Old Guard. Through quick, close and intimate moments, Prince-Bythewood is again able to imbue larger-than-life figures with life and humanity, except this time they’re ageless immortal warriors instead of chart-topping pop stars.

Scenes such as this—like one where a contemplative Theron sits by herself, headphones in, breathing deeply and thinking about her extended life—are what separates The Old Guard from other contemporary action or superhero movies. They’re the moments one would be hard-pressed to find in a Marvel film, and they’re the moments that keep The Old Guard from being a complete and total misfire. M

August 2020