Once, when I was a kid, I saw a brief glimpse of a movie playing on the hotel TV. Flipping through channels, I paused there. It would be years before I finally got Atomic Blonde out of the library, but my fascination with Charlize Theron had already begun. It was how The Old Guard came to my attention – even if I did wait three years after its release to finally watch it.
But it was so, so worth it.
I’d describe The Old Guard as what Eternals was trying to be. A movie about a group of immortals, technically a family, trying to protect their secret and mankind.
The main difference is that The Old Guard’s fight scenes are quite a bit bloodier than Eternals, given the lack of magic and abundance of firepower. But hey, that’s a post for another day.
The Old Guard is a movie about a group of immortals – some who have been alive for millennia, and some who are newer to the game. They’re all warriors in one way or another. But as the outside world tries to close in on them, hungry for their secret, they’re forced to enter yet another battle.
At first, I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Old Guard’s soundtrack. But it grew on me as the movie progressed – the action scene near the end with “Going Down Fighting” nearly brought me to tears. And the use of “Silence” at the movie’s close, a song I already love, was such a nice addition. Very thematically relevant. I didn’t adore all of the music, but it brought a nice atmosphere to the fighting parts, so it did its job.
But the characters… oh, the characters are superb.
Regarding the media I absorb, I always prefer characters over plot. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a good storyline. But, when it comes down to it, I’d rather read a book with compelling characters and a lackluster plot than the reverse. The Old Guard succeeds in both senses, make no mistake – but it was the strong bonds between all the characters that sold me on this movie.
I loved Andy and her commitment to keeping her team safe. You can sympathize with her world-weariness and disillusionment with humanity. Charlize Theron just has such a special place in my heart, too – the action scenes are absolutely killer. She brings an incredible energy to Andy that I don’t think any other actress could’ve matched.
Booker is another character who has so much depth and pain surrounding him. You can’t help but feel for him and his circumstances. And Nile, the newest of the immortals, both does and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the crowd. Her path to discovering her place in this strange newness is beautifully done.
Joe and Nicky’s romance was really sweet – I love established relationships. Having a gay romance without focusing on the fact that it’s gay is so refreshing to see. And that armored van scene is one of the most romantic things I’ve seen in a long while.
I do think the two of them felt a bit similar personality-wise, but I can excuse that given the size of the cast. I’m hoping we get to see more of them individually and together in the sequel!
Beyond any one character, the bond between the five immortals is so deeply felt. The romances, the friendships, the newly-formed relationships, the choices to leave or stay – everyone can be understood. And even the side characters, such as Copley and Quynh, are fleshed out and fascinating.
My one complaint with the movie was how colorless it was. No character has a distinct outfit or color scheme; they all wear shades of white or black or gray. Many of the scenes take place on landscapes such as sterile white buildings or underground bunkers. Some brighter scenery wouldn’t have gone amiss.
This movie came out in 2020. For obvious reasons, the sequel was delayed for some years. I’m glad that I waited to watch The Old Guard when I did – the second movie is set to be released this year! Uma Thurman and Henry Golding have been added to the cast. So I’m very much looking forward to that – there’ll be some interesting character dynamics, given the ending of the film!
If you haven’t gotten to it yet, now is absolutely the time to dust off your Netflix subscription and watch The Old Guard. That streaming service might be churning out a lot of nonsense, but they hit the mark every once in a while. The Old Guard is proof of that.
