Friday kicked off one of the bigger weekends of new releases that we’ve had in months. And there’s truly something for everyone. For war fans and dads, there’s Tom Hanks’ new WWII movie, Greyhound, over at Apple TV+, and for comedy lovers, be sure to check out Palm Springs on Hulu. Alternatively, if you’re willing to pay a little extra for VOD, there’s a new horror movie called Relic that’s getting rave reviews.
But perhaps the most talked about new release is Charlize Theron action movie The Old Guard. It’s been on Netflix for only a day and is already dominating the platform’s Top 10 charts. On the overall Top 10, it’s at #1 and on the movies-only Top 10, it’s in the exact same spot, meaning that the film is pulling in a ton of viewers.
There was a lot of momentum going into its release, too, as it’s been earning solid reviews (including from our own Matt Donato) and the fan reaction is just as strong so far. In other words, everyone expected it to be a hit.
For those unfamiliar with the film, The Old Guard follows Theron as the leader of a team of mercenaries who also happen to be immortal. But when someone discovers their gift, they try to exploit it and sell it to the highest bidder. Cue an exhilarating action romp with some serious franchise potential.
As expected, Charlize Theron kicking ass is the best aspect of the movie. Besides being an extraordinary performer, she fully embraces each and every set piece and literally throws herself into the fight scenes, even if it means getting injured along the way. The plot does diverge a bit from a promising first act and the main villain is far too cartoony, but the development of the five primary characters is surprisingly strong and the action, while borrowing heavily from John Wick, is still above average.
Blockbuster season may be on hold indefinitely due to COVID-19, but The Old Guard is one of the first movies in a while to at least make you think it’s summer and we imagine it’ll be pretty popular on Netflix for the next few weeks.