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The Old Guard

The Old Guard

Forever is harder than it looks.

2020125 minRMidcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Director
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Starring
Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Veronica Ngo, Matthias Schoenaerts

Four undying warriors who've secretly protected humanity for centuries become targeted for their mysterious powers just as they discover a new immortal.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Old Guard?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Old Guard streaming on Netflix.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Old Guard?

The Old Guard earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Old Guard worth watching?

The Old Guard's Midcredits score is the 72nd percentile of all films, from 490K ratings across 6 sources. 64% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

72nd percentile

Better received than 72% of films

84th percentile among Action73rd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)70th
Approval (how many liked it)71st

67 /100

70th percentile of all films

84th percentile among Action70th percentile among 2020s

Critics 70 · Audience 67

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

64% liked it

71st percentile of all films

81st percentile among Action72nd percentile among 2020s
64% rated it 7–1036% rated it 1–6

Critics 80% · Audience 70%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 5 wins / 24 noms overall

98th percentile

490K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$70M

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film has a compelling premise about immortals but suffers from a generic villain and a soundtrack that frequently mismatches the tone.

Fans praised

  • Well-choreographed fight scenes and hand-to-hand combat
  • Charlize Theron's committed action performance
  • Interesting concept of immortality with emotional weight

Detractors panned

  • Jarring, ill-fitting pop soundtrack
  • Weak, cartoonish villain
  • Underdeveloped plot with too many clichés

What stands out

ActingDivisive72

Charlize Theron's physical performance praised; supporting cast solid but some find KiKi Layne stiff

Effects and spectacleDivisive65

Gritty, bloody action with visceral healing effects; budget limitations sometimes visible

CharactersDivisive60

Immortal team camaraderie and backstories engaging; villain one-dimensional and thinly written

OriginalityDivisive55

Immortality concept fresh but execution draws heavily on Highlander and superhero tropes

Emotional impactDivisive55

Centuries of loss and weariness resonate; dramatic moments feel forced to some

Plot and storyDivisive53

Straightforward revenge/conspiracy with predictable beats; premise promising but underutilized

PacingDivisive50

Sags in the middle; action injected regularly but lulls between fights

Sound and music25

Pop songs clash with tone; orchestral score adequate but widely panned overall

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 17 points higher than men.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Old Guard like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It is intense and leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
TenseMelancholicThrillingHopeful
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Adventurous · 11% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its immortal characters with melancholy gravity while delivering kinetic action.
The rideThe film alternates between tense action and melancholic character moments, with the emotional weight peaking during the betrayal and capture in the middle act.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from the ambush to the final confrontation, following a standard three-act structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves hope in finding purpose despite the cost, alongside the melancholy of eternal existence.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% (this title) · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Corporate villainy: A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeA corporation seeks to capture immortals for exploitation, driving the team to fight back and expose the conspiracy, while the protagonist's own mortality becomes a source of renewal.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfMortalitySurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% (this title) · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Mortality · 2% of filmsPurpose · 9% of filmsFamily bonds
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the burden of immortality and the eventual loss of it, questioning what gives life meaning when death is not a certainty.
StanceThe film questions the value of immortality and purpose, presenting it as both a gift and a curse without a simple answer.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanWildernessInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Volker Bertelmann, Dustin O'Halloran
SettingGlobal locations from South Sudan to Afghanistan, France, and London, with a secretive mercenary world clashing with corporate exploitation.
MusicThe score blends piano and electronics to underscore the film's melancholic yet action-driven tone.

Content guide

Is The Old Guard okay for kids?

R

The Old Guard is rated R: “Rated R for sequences of graphic violence, and language” (MPAA). As of August 18, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (88/100), sexual content at mild (27/100), language at moderate (55/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (36/100) and frightening material at moderate (58/100). Overall it is heavier than 47% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 43 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland15
  • New ZealandR16
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina+16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • BGD
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece16+
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary16
  • ID17+
  • IndiaA
  • Israel16
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-16
  • LU16
  • LV16+
  • MexicoC
  • MOC
  • MY18SG
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesR-16
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • PRR
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeR21
  • South Africa16
  • Spain16
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan15+
  • Türkiye18+
  • UA16+
  • VIR
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 68% of all filmsHeavier than 47% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 81%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 21%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 29%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 34%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 41%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Old Guard have?

MovieCove's classifier found 4 depicted content warnings in The Old Guard: Gore or body horror (severe), Gun violence (severe), plus 2 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horrorGun violence

Cast and crew

Who is in The Old Guard?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Charlize Theron
as Andy
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
KiKi Layne
as Nile
Veronica Ngo
as Quynh
Matthias Schoenaerts
as Booker
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Marwan Kenzari
as Joe
Luca Marinelli
as Nicky
Chiwetel Ejiofor
as Copley
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Harry Melling
as Merrick
Natacha Karam
as Dizzy
Anamaria Marinca
as Dr Meta Kozak

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Old Guard?

Movies like The Old Guard include The Old Guard 2 (2025), Self/less (2015) and Bloodshot (2020). Of the 12 closest matches, most are superhero films, and several are stories of corporate villainy.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

4 of these 12 share its story type: conspiracy thriller. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Old Guard?

787 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: superhero. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.