Genre : Action, Fantasy

Original Language : English

Director : Gina Prince-Bythewood

Producer : A.J. Dix, David Ellison, Marc Evans, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Beth Kono,
Charlize Theron

Writer : Greg Rucka

Release Date (Streaming): Jul 10, 2020

Runtime : 2h 5m

Production Co : Netflix, Denver and Delilah Productions, Image Comics, Dune Films, Skydance
Media

Sound Mix : Dolby Atmos

Aspect Ratio : Scope (2.35:1)

Reviewed by: Shihan A.A.

The Old Guard

Just as Ryan Coogler crafted “Black Panther” as an entry in his own directorial universe, Gina
Prince-Bythewood casts her Netflix superhero film, “The Old Guard” in her own stylistic image. The
director of “Love and Basketball,” “The Secret Life of Bees,” and “Beyond the Lights” enjoys scenes
where her characters get all up in their feelings, and she invites you to climb in there with them. These are
some introspective characters, a by-product of their having lived for hundreds, perhaps thousands of
years. Several times, the camera lingers on their faces as they contemplate, or remember, the sadness of
losing someone. The film sits patiently with these moments, putting the same level of importance on the
characters and their emotions as it does on the action. A scene of Andy (Charlize Theron) savoring a
piece of baklava carries the same weight as a scene of her cleaving a foe with a gigantic battle ax.
Andy is the eldest member of an elite band of people who appear to be immortal. The opening
scene features a flash-forward to their bullet-ridden bodies; a little later, we see them rising up fully
healed after this slaughter, spitting out the bullets that have penetrated their faces as they mow down their
opponents. This squad of four is about to be joined by a fifth member, Nile (KiKi Layne), a Marine
stationed in Afghanistan whose slit throat suddenly heals itself. She is also plagued by nightmarish
visions of other team members, a psychic link that, according to Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), only
shuts down once they have all met.
“The Old Guard” treats us to a great, plane-bound fight between
Nile and Andy. The two showcase their battle credentials while Andy offers gruesome examples of Nile’s
ability to heal.
Though it contains more dramatic sequences than most superhero movies, “The Old Guard”
doesn’t scrimp on the good, old-fashioned violence. Combat scenes are filmed so you can see who’s
doing what, and edited together for maximum carnage and effect by Prince-Bythewood’s usual editor,
Terilyn A. Shropshire. Shropshire is a favorite of directors like Kasi Lemmons and, as seen in her work in
the first episode of Ava DuVernay's “When They See Us,” she’s very good at alternating between
intimate drama and the much wider scope of action, keeping both speeds in balance. The cinematography
by Barry Ackroyd and Tami Reiker is also quite good; their sequences at night and inside rooms have the
same richness as their brightly lit outdoor shots of France and the desert.
"The Old Guard” has the benefit of not carrying the strict, fan-driven baggage of the Marvel and
DC movies. As a result, it may not get the attention it deserves. But this is an excellent example of what
this type of film can be, one I hope will be studied by the much bigger-budgeted tentpoles you know and
love. I can’t remember the last time I was actually pumped to see a sequel based on a “post-credits” teaser
—to be honest, I never know what the hell is going on in most of them—but this one made me wish
Netflix had switched me immediately to the next installment as the credits rolled.