Netflix’s cliff-hanger obsession continues: The Old Guard 2 is all setup, no payoff

After four years of waiting , The Old Guard 2 finally arrived on Netflix and once again, it leaves viewers suspended in mid-air. As with its predecessor, the sequel gives us high-octane action, slick immortals, and a few emotionally loaded moments. But more than anything else, it leaves us asking was that the end… or just another pause? 

Directed by Victoria Mahoney, the film had picked up where it had left with Andy (Charlize Theron) grappling with her mortality, Booker reuniting with the vengeful Quynh, and a new corporate villain trying to exploit their powers. The film wastes no time diving into crosscontinental missions, elaborate fight choreography, and moral dilemmas that come with immortality. It expands the lore, introduces new players, and deepens the emotional scars of the core team.

We get some cool moments too like Andy’s new vulnerability, Booker’s redemption arc, Nile questioning what forever really means but none of these threads are fully explored or resolved. But just as the stakes build and revelations begin to land, the film abruptly ends not with closure, but with more questions. Characters vanish into secrecy, plot threads remain hanging, and we're left staring at the screen, wondering if Netflix is just dangling another sequel in front of us.

As film lovers, we get it. Cliff-hangers can be powerful. They build anticipation and give stories room to grow. But when every movie ends like this, it starts to feel like you're being tricked into watching trailers for sequels that may or may not come. And that brings us to a bigger question : Is cliff-hanger the new ‘normal’ in films, especially on streaming platforms? From Extraction to The Gray Man, and now The Old Guard, Netflix seems to be normalizing this trend of incomplete narratives. It’s great for broadening the narrative scope, but kind of unfair to audiences who want at least some emotional closure in each chapter.

To be fair, The Old Guard 2 is stylish, entertaining, and emotionally ambitious. But its reluctance to resolve leaves a lingering aftertaste of incompleteness. Viewers who waited years for a satisfying continuation might find themselves disappointed not because the film is bad, but because it never really ends.

So yes, cliff-hangers may be the new cinematic currency. But it’s time we ask, are we watching stories, or just endless trailers for what’s next?