THE OLD GUARD

BY: Amanda Jane Stern

Charlize Theron can do it all. She’s a phenomenal actor who has transformed herself time and again, from her Oscar-winning role as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster to turning herself into Megyn Kelly for last year’s Bombshell. Theron is a chameleon as an actor, from drama queen to action star. She proved she could go head-to-head with all the men in 2017’s Atomic Blonde, and don’t even get us started on her fantastic performance as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road. Theron is back with a new action flick: The Old Guard.

The Old Guard centers on a group of centuries-old immortal mercenaries with the power of self-healing. When they discover that their secret is out, they are thrust into a battle to save themselves. Theron stars as Andy/Andromache of Scythia, the kickass leader of the group. After their secret is exposed, she must work closely with the group’s newest member, Nile (Kiki Layne), to protect her soldiers.

The trailer, released two weeks ago, introduces us to Andy and her team of mercenaries. We learn that they have been around for centuries, fighting in the shadows to protect the world. However, with the advent of modern technology, it is almost impossible for them to stay as hidden as they used to be. We then meet Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a likely government worker who has somehow discovered the secret of Andy’s group. He wants to track them down and run tests to uncover what makes them immortal.

The movie was written by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball). The plot is based on the comic book of the same name. In addition to Theron, Ejiofor and Layne, it stars Matthias Schoenaerts, Livre Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli.

Watch The Old Guard on Netflix, starting July 10, 2020.