TL;DR: The Old Guard 2 isn’t as polished or impactful as the first, but it remains a watchable, fast-paced action fantasy anchored by Charlize Theron’s stoic magnetism. While its rushed runtime, muddled mythology, and diluted queer representation disappoint, it still delivers entertaining fight sequences and charismatic performances that justify an evening’s escapism. 

In the summer of 2020, I watched The Old Guard while everything felt like it was ending. Charlize Theron decapitated mercenaries with medieval axes while I contemplated what day of lockdown we were on. The film felt like a real blockbuster beamed straight to my pandemic sofa, a reminder that cinema could be big, unapologetic, and escapist. But like most Netflix offerings, it vanished from cultural memory within weeks, surviving only as a vague recollection of Theron looking lethal in black tactical gear.

Fast forward five years, and The Old Guard 2 lands with all the bruises of delayed production. Approved in 2021, shot in 2022, and released in 2025, it forces viewers to recall mythologies we filed away alongside Tiger King memes and sourdough starter notes. Netflix knew this, hence its forced recaps starring Theron herself explaining plot beats like a weary teacher prepping distracted teens for final exams.

Despite the convoluted exposition, there’s something comforting about seeing Theron’s Andy again. Her unbreakable cool anchors the film, making even the most slapdash fight scenes feel worth watching. The sequel’s stakes should have soared with Andy now mortal, but the script never fully leans into her vulnerability. Yet Theron works hard, her physicality still convincing, her silent glares communicating more than the dialogue ever could.

Victoria Mahoney replaces Gina Prince-Bythewood in the director’s chair, and while the fights remain kinetic, they lack the crisp, grounded brutality of the original. Editing choices feel rushed, with cuts arriving before hits land, robbing sequences of impact. But they remain competent enough to fill the runtime with momentum – something many streaming action flicks fail to achieve.

One disappointment is how the sequel sidelines its queerness. The first film’s tender, casually groundbreaking gay romance between two immortal warriors has been reduced here to forehead touches and fleeting glances. Andy’s own sapphic history remains subtextual. In 2025, this feels less like oversight and more like retreat.

The film ends abruptly with a cliffhanger, a narrative gamble banking on a third film that hasn’t been confirmed. Unlike the satisfying conclusion of its predecessor, The Old Guard 2 halts mid-stride, risking becoming yet another unfinished franchise corpse in Netflix’s sprawling graveyard of half-told stories.

Final Verdict

The Old Guard 2 is neither a disaster nor a triumph. It’s a solid, middling sequel elevated by Charlize Theron’s unbreakable presence and just enough kinetic action to distract from its narrative muddle. Watchable and entertaining for what it is, it delivers functional fantasy escapism with flashes of what made the original shine.