The Old Guard is an action-adventure film produced by Netflix. If you enjoyed this movie, here are some others like it.
With an ensemble led by Charlize Theron, Netflix’s latest big-budget offering The Old Guard is an exciting action-adventure that revolves around a group of immortal assassins who bring balance to the world. The film has its fair share of flaws and clichés but still proved to be entertaining enough, leaving room for a sequel too. If anything, it is another feather on Theron’s cap who’s rapidly cementing her position as a top-level action heroine. Here are similar cinematic picks that you can watch if The Old Guard went right down your alley.
Wanted (2008)
Wanted has a similar premise as it deals with a secret cult of assassins. A fresh pre-X-Men James McAvoy stars as a hopeless office worker with a mid-life crisis till he finds out he’s the son of a legendary assassin. He soon finds a new, violent clique that is hell-bent on unleashing his inner assassin. Things however start going south once the assassins’ true intentions are revealed. Wanted is a bloody, stylish, masterfully-edited, and a well-acted thriller thanks to its supporting cast led by Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman.
Atomic Blonde (2017)
Starring both the aforementioned Theron and McAvoy, Atomic Blonde is a stylish, gory spy action flick set in Berlin of the 80s. The titular character embarks on a covert mission to retrieve a list of sensitive information that catches the fancy of French and Russian intelligence agencies too. The story might seem unnecessarily complicated for some but the neon-heavy production design, the diverse soundtrack, the stuntwork by Sam Hargrave, and the direction under David Leitch (of John Wick fame) is bound to hook audiences. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Charlize Theron kicked some major ass and was an all round badass in this movie.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
A major story arc in The Old Guard is the organization initiating a new member (played by Kiki Layne) and training her to be one of them. This is similarly what happens with the first Kingsman film which has all the makings of a classic cult film.
Serving as a faithful adaptation of a graphic novel and a cheeky satire on James Bond-style British spy films, Kingsman focuses on a secret spy organization like MI-6 which prevents crimes all over the world. Over-the-top action sequences, whacky gadgets, sharp suits, a manic villain, and his henchwoman with mechanical legs, this film has it all.
John Wick 3: Parabellum (2019)
The John Wick trilogy has delivered high-octane action in all its installments but it’s Parabellum that gives viewers a deeper insight into the High Table, the group that recruits trained assassins who can carry a hit job on anyone all over the world. Even though Wick was way past this life of his, a revenge-mission in the first film made the entire collective go against him. It’s this “John Wick vs the World” plotline that’s fleshed out in Parabellum. The internal politics aside, Parabellum delivers its usual brand of brutal action too, a standout scene being John Wick literally murdering an attacker with a book! Such scenes are to be seen to be believed.
Red Sparrow (2018)
A fairly polarizing film with a stellar lead performance by Jennifer Lawrence, Red Sparrow is about a ballerina-turned KGB agent who’s trained to capture a CIA agent’s “male gaze” and entrap him.
The training scenes and Lawrence’s committed performance is what makes the film a good one-time watch as the overall plot does tend to get unnecessarily dragged out in a few scenes. Yet, like the other movies mentioned in this list, Red Sparrow works as a slick, action thriller. Personally, I loved the evolution of Lawrence’s character from soft ballerina to an eye for eye persona. It was beautiful to watch.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017)
If a film stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson, it’s bound to be a roller-coaster ride filled with action, profanity, and loud humor. The Hitman’s Bodyguard delivers exactly that as Reynolds stars as an agent who’s assigned to protect the life of his mortal enemy, a hitman played by Jackson. What follows is a series of high-speed car and boat chases, collateral, melodramatic one-liners, and a whole lot of goofy, violent entertainment. To tick all the clichés, Gary Oldman plays a villainous East European dictator with a heavy accent. The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s essence lies in the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and functions well as a call-back to 80s action comedies (with lesser toxic masculinity).
Salt (2010)
Salt doesn’t break any new ground in the spy thriller genre but Angelina Jolie’s turn as the titular CIA agent provides enough entertainment to stay hooked. Evelyn Salt is shown as an agent committed to serving her country but the tables turn when she’s framed as a Russian defector. Following various tactics from far more superior characters like Jason Bourne, Salt then proceeds to clear her name. But the more she tries, the more guilty she seems. As mentioned earlier, the film doesn’t deliver anything original in terms of the premise but it yields decent-enough action sequences that make Angelina Jolie look pretty convincing as an action star.
6 Underground (2019)
Another high-budget action offering by Netflix, 6 Underground deals with a group of self-styled vigilantes who erase their identities by faking their deaths. Instead, they acquire new concealed identities under which they try saving the world in their own brutal style. The film is interesting indeed for its plot and the very fact that Ryan Reynolds stars as his cheeky self. But its explosive sequences and ludicrous missions might get overbearing for its viewers, depending on what their previous feelings are for Michael Bay’s films. It’s popcorn entertainment nevertheless.
Close (2019)
Inspired by Jacqueline Davis, a leading bodyguard with a clientele like Nicole Kidman and the British royal family, Close is an action thriller around Noomi Rapace as a bodyguard and counter-terrorism expert assigned with the task of protecting a wealthy heiress. Clocking at over 90 minutes, Close doesn’t stretch its premise more than it’s required and conveniently functions as a compelling, fast-paced action flick.
Extraction (2020)
Netflix’s most heavily streamed film till now, Extraction is no masterclass at storytelling. In fact, the premise of an ex-agent turning into a bodyguard/mercenary is an idea that’s been done to death as is evident from this list. Chris Hemsworth and Randeep Hooda give decent performances but the real star of the film is action.
The directorial debut of Sam Hargrave, a seasoned stunt co-ordinator behind many franchises like Captain America, Suicide Squad, and The Hunger Games. And Hargrave’s commitment to action is fully fleshed out in Extraction as the camera and the choreography blend well to give an interactive video game-like fighting experience.
Article source:Screenrant.com
