After years of delays, reshoots, and behind-the-scenes silence that grew increasingly suspicious, Netflix’s “The Old Guard 2” has finally landed, and critics are not being kind.
The Charlize Theron-led sequel to the 2020 action streaming hit is sitting at a 47 on Metacritic and a brutal 32% on Rotten Tomatoes as of this morning.
The original ‘Old Guard,’ directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, was a surprise hit during the early pandemic era — a stylish, mid-budget action film somewhat elevated by Theron’s steely lead performance. It wasn’t perfect, but it was one of the better Netflix originals of its kind. Does that even count as a compliment?
“The Old Guard 2,” however, is being called “bloated,” “plotless,” and “a generic sequel no one asked for.”
To be fair, the film never had an easy road to release. Shot way back in 2022, production was plagued with scheduling issues, on-set COVID shutdowns, and a rotating post-production team that reportedly struggled to shape the film into something coherent. The original director, Gina Prince-Bythewood, didn’t return — handing the reins to Victoria Mahoney, who was brought on in late 2021. From there, everything slowed down.
Netflix remained oddly quiet about the sequel throughout 2023 and 2024, even as fans started asking what happened to the movie. Internally, the streamer reportedly wasn’t confident with the final cut. Multiple test screenings were said to be lukewarm. Then came more delays, minor reshoots, and long stretches of radio silence.
This is the latest in a string of high-profile Netflix sequels that have floundered critically (”Extraction 2,” “Red Notice 2,” “Enola Holmes 2”). The streamer seems addicted to turning moderate hits into franchise IP — even when the material doesn’t justify it.
Despite the critical pummeling, “The Old Guard 2” will almost certainly rack up big numbers on Netflix. It’ll trend in the Top 10 globally, rack up tens of millions of “views” (whatever that means by Netflix’s elastic definition), and dominate weekend home viewing for a few days. But in 2025, does that even mean anything anymore? It might become a “hit” on paper, but if no one remembers it by next Friday, what kind of win is that?o