The Old Guard 2 Review: Charlize Theron’s Immortals Left Hanging
About eighty minutes into The Old Guard 2 on Netflix, you can feel it. That moment when you check the progress bar and wonder, wait, is this story actually heading anywhere? Charlize Theron’s Andy, our immortal warrior queen, is running out of time, energy and maybe patience too. The gang is scattered, Booker’s still sulking over his exile, and Quynh is back from the depths with more rage than words. And in the middle of all this, we’re supposed to brace for a face-off that has been teased since the opening scene — Theron versus Uma Thurman, or Furiosa versus The Bride, depending on which fan club you belong to.
The catch? You do get that clash. Sort of. They spar. They posture. And then the film pulls the rug. The whole story just… stops. Not a fade out, not a twist that wraps it up with style, just a sudden halt like your internet died mid-binge.
Why Does The Old Guard 2 Feel So Unfinished?
I kept asking myself if this was on purpose. The first movie gave us a neat ending with enough hooks for a sequel. It felt like a one-and-done but with doors left ajar. This one doesn’t even pretend. It leans into the “we’ll tell you later” style of storytelling that’s become too common with franchises. The difference is, sometimes you know there’s a part two. Here, Netflix doesn’t say a word. So you’re left guessing if the story is over or if your TV glitched.
Maybe that’s the immortal joke the writers are aiming for — what’s an ending to an immortal, anyway? But if you spent the last hour invested in Nile figuring out her place, Booker’s regret, and Andy’s loss of power, you want some payoff. Instead you get a sudden fade. If you’re the type to yell at your screen, this is your cue.
Does The New Director’s Touch Work?
One thing you notice is how the style shifts. Gina Prince-Bythewood made the first film click. She gave it that mix of fight sequences and quiet bonding moments that made the immortals feel human. Victoria Mahoney steps in now. She knows how to shoot fast action — the opening with the arms dealer bust is fun. The car chase with Nicky and Joe could have been pulled from a Bond movie, except here it’s two ancient warriors flirting and gunning down henchmen. It works.
Then it slows down. And drags. The middle stretch is more talk than punch. Andy’s arc about losing her power gets all the attention. The script tries to explore how time wears on these people, how guilt rots them from the inside. Good idea, but it lands in long monologues about immortality that suck out the thrill you came for.
Meanwhile, Uma Thurman’s Discord stands there, all scowls and cryptic lines. She’s great to look at — Thurman knows how to hold a stare — but the movie keeps her in the shadows. She’s supposed to be the first immortal. That alone should have given us flashbacks, betrayal, wild battles through centuries. Instead, we get teases and half-hints. It feels like they’re saving her for the next round.
Quynh, though, deserved more. Vân Veronica Ngô gives her a simmering fury. After being locked underwater for centuries, of course she’s mad. Her chemistry with Andy has so much potential. The film hints at something deeper than friendship but never commits. It’s odd how open they are with Joe and Nicky’s romance yet pull back here.
What Keeps It Watchable Anyway?
Is it a mess? Kind of. Is it boring? Not really. There’s still something about this group that works. Theron holds it together with her dry delivery and that beaten-up, stoic vibe. Kiki Layne’s Nile brings some youth and doubt to the crew. Booker is the sad soul, trying to redeem himself. Even if the story stalls, these people feel lived in. When they talk about their battles and regrets, you buy it.
The action moments, when they show up, are tight. Swords, guns, kicks — there’s always a brutal edge. You just wish there was more of it. For a movie about people who can’t die, it’s oddly shy about pushing them to the brink.
The Old Guard 2 tries to be about what happens when you run out of forever. That idea alone could fill ten movies. Instead, it feels like we got half of one. It’s a half you can play in the background while folding laundry. Or you can watch it closely and brace yourself for that final moment when the credits roll and you say, out loud, “Wait. That’s it?”
At least now we know what it feels like to be immortal. You wait. And wait. And sometimes you don’t even get an ending.
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