‘The Old Guard’ On Netflix Review: It’s A Strange Trip But Worth It

When Netflix started making their own feature movies, they kind of developed a formula. It went as follows: get 1 or 2 bigger named actors, assemble a bunch of people noone has ever heard of, and shoot the film. Some of these were disasters. Some of the movies turned out to be hits. It really is hit or miss with Netflix Originals, and it's made me a bit weary to give a show a chance.

That said, I saw the top ten list on Netflix and number one was 'The Old Guard' starring Charlize Theron as an ancient, immortal soldier who leads a group of soldiers. When they die, they come back to life and their wounds heal. This has allowed some of them to be around for over 1000 years, like "Andy," Charlize Theron's character. It also stars Kiki Layne as a solider who just realizes she's immortal. They share some type of telepathy that leads Charlize to her to show her the way of their kind. It's a lonely existence being immortal. There's really now point to make friends. That's part of the movie as well.

Here's what I liked about the movie:

• good special effects, never felt low budget
• intriguing story that gets you thinking
• pretty good acting

And, here's what I disliked:

• There are some weak plot points. Overall it's a good story, but there are some moments that made me roll my eyes.
• It feels just a tad too long.

I'm keeping this spoiler free so I don't want to go too much further into details. The action and fight sequences are pretty darn good. Charlize Theron is an incredible actress and she still can carry a movie. Without giving away the ending, it is absolutely clear that they have laid the groundwork for a sequel, or perhaps even more movies.

All in all, out of a score of 10 I would give this a solid 7. Nice job, Netflix.