Time is nothing to the immortal stars of The Old Guard — but the same can’t be said for the franchise’s human fandom. The Netflix film, based on the Image Comics series of the same name, introduced a found family of ruthless mercenaries in 2020. Led by Charlize Theron’s Andromache of Scythia, The Old Guard quickly earned a cult following, and even paved the way for director Gina Prince-Bythewood, then known mostly for romance and coming of age flicks, to take her first steps into action and fantasy. It seemed inevitable that the film would sire a modest franchise on Netflix, but it’s taken five long years and a new director to bring those ideas to fruition. Fortunately, fans of the film have been patient, but it’s hard to say if their wait has been worth it.
The Old Guard 2 picks up just six months after its predecessor’s cliffhanger ending, with director Victoria Mahoney ratcheting up the tension and action that fans have spent the last five years craving. Theron’s Andromache might have inexplicably lost her immortality in the first Old Guard, but she still leads the charge and deals the most damage in the sequence that opens the film. Her troubles won’t end there, though — with the return of Quynh (Veronica Ngo), an immortal who’s spent the last 500 years missing in action, The Old Guard 2 dives deep into some much-teased romantic angst. It’s exactly the conflict we’ve been waiting for, but any drama between these star-crossed immortals is overshadowed by a big existential threat, and a bigger, more convoluted villain.
Despite a blindsiding betrayal from one of their own (Matthias Schoenaerts’ Booker), Andy’s tight-knit squad has never been stronger. It’s business as usual for Nile (KiKi Layne), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), and their mortal informant Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), as they travel the globe pulling off dangerous jobs for the highest bidder. Booker, meanwhile, is living out his hundred-year exile in Paris. There, he’s ambushed by Quynh. Though they’ve never met, Quynh’s reputation precedes: she’s the ghost that’s haunted Andy for the past half-millennium. The pair were once inseparable, living and fighting together for 2,000 years — but some time in the Middle Ages, Quynh was arrested for witchcraft, locked in an iron maiden, and sent to the bottom of the ocean.
That she’s finally resurfaced after centuries of searching should be good... if Andy had been the one to find her. In truth, she kind of gave up after a few hundred years, which naturally sets the stage for a bitter reunion. There’s no doubt that Andy and Quynh have always been the heart of The Old Guard, even in the latter’s absence from the narrative. The tension mounts further when Quynh finally confronts Andy — centuries of unfinished business, buried resentments, and the trauma of drowning over and over create a conflict too complex for words. So they fight, with Quynh going all-out to hurt Andy as she’s hurt her, and the routinely ruthless Andy doing everything in her power to de-escalate, for once.
Mahoney had big shoes to fill with The Old Guard 2, but she more than proves her mettle with the sequel’s central dynamic. It’s clear the director cares deeply about these characters, and by teaming up with Greg Rucka — The Old Guard’s original creator, who now serves as screenwriter — the film shines with specificity, from our heroes’ weapon of choice to their unique fighting style. It manifests best in Theron’s scenes with Ngo, whether they’re brawling or sharing a quiet, emotional moment. Their dynamic injects an occasionally choppy story with pathos and momentum. If only it didn’t take so long to bring the story to this point.
Quynh’s return, however compelling, is quickly undercut by the introduction of Discord (Uma Thurman). It’s she who delivered Quynh from her watery purgatory, and she makes quick work of overwhelming the narrative. Discord, it’s revealed, is an immortal too — one of the oldest, and quite possibly the first ever created. She wants to end the old guard once and for all, and she intends to turn the crew against each other to do so. Her arrival introduces new lore for the immortals, including a slapdash explanation for the loss of Andy’s immortality. The bulk of it is laid out by Tuah (Henry Golding), an immortal who knows Discord well and has dedicated his life to recording the history of their kind.
That sounds more interesting than it actually is: Golding feels a little lost in this ensemble, delivering the last-minute exposition this narrative needs to drive The Old Guard 2 into yet another cliffhanger ending, but little else. If this property gets the franchise fans have long craved, this middle installment will likely be its Empire Strikes Back. At worst, it feels like half a movie — and sure, there’s the promise of more around the corner, but The Old Guard 2 doesn’t give us many reasons to tune in for the next installment, whenever it’s set to arrive.
What ultimately saves The Old Guard 2 are its characters. The ensemble feels as natural and irrepressible as it did five years ago, with Layne and Marinelli emerging as standouts. Theron leads the film with her trademark, go-for-broke intensity, and she has incredible chemistry with everyone — but a weak villain with flimsy motivation keeps this triumphant return from sticking its landing.
