Are you looking for an action movie to watch at home? The Old Guard, which is an R-rated movie starring Charlize Theron, will be available to stream on Netflix beginning July 10, 2020. But, as an angsty-ridden action packed movie, is it worth streaming?
Charlize Theron stars as Andy in the new action film on Netflix called The Old Guard.
Is The Old Guard on Netflix Worth Streaming?
In the movie, Charlize Theron portrays Andy, the main character and leader of a group of immortal mercenaries who roam the world on various missions. Because Andy is immortal, Andy has seen - and experienced - a lot. She might look youthful (appearance-wise), but on the inside, she’s tired and cynical. The audience also doesn’t know how old she is because she’ll never answer that question. What we do know is that she’s lived through several centuries, including the Middle Ages.
The Old Guard is a gritty, action movie with no comedic moments, unlike another action movie that is currently available for streaming, My Spy. Instead, The Old Guard strongly reminded me of one of Netflix’s other action movies, Extraction (starring Chris Hemsworth). The main differences between the two movies, though, are the strong female leads in the form of Andy and the newest member of the immortals, Nile (played by Kiki Layne). What really stands out in this movie are not only the characters themselves but also the visual effects. For example, the immortals “die” several times throughout the movie, but their bodies quickly heal themselves, similar to Wolverine from X-Men.
The immortals might be small in number, but they know how to pack a punch.
Is The Old Guard Kid Friendly?
No. While there aren’t any sexually suggestive scenes, the movie is rated R for graphic violence and use of language. I heard words like f**k, s**t, and mother*****r. And for violence, there are several graphic shootings, stabbings, maimings and gruesome deaths in general. This is a movie that you’ll want to watch without the kids present.
Overall Thoughts
The Old Guard is an action packed film with a stellar cast and it’s definitely worth streaming. Nevertheless, it does have some flaws. I had several questions while watching the movie and while some of them were answered as the movie progressed, there are some loose ends that aren’t tied up. However, that could be intentional. For example, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t hit the stop button as soon as the movie ends and the credits start rolling. And while the movie has several action scenes, it can also be very slow moving at times. But those slow moments allow for character development, which is very important to this particular storyline.
About The Old Guard
Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile (KiKi Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (LOVE & BASKETBALL, BEYOND THE LIGHTS), THE OLD GUARD is a gritty, grounded, action-packed story that shows living forever is harder than it looks.
I will definitely watch this movie.