"Hardcore Henry" Review

Title: Hardcore Henry

Directed by: Ilya Naishuller

Screenplay by: Ilya Naishuller

Year: 2016


Watching the trailer for Hardcore Henry, I had one thought in mind; how is this going to work for a feature length film? The first person perspective made for a great trailer, but how was this going to pan out in a 96 minute picture? Well, one viewing later, I found out. Is Hardcore Henry a glorified gimmick or a hardcore experience?

The film places you in the perspective of a character named Henry. With no recollection of his past and a new cybernetic body, Henry is on a mission to rescue his wife while also thwarting the plans of the evil Akan.

Hardcore Henry is very light on cast. Sharlto Copley steals the entire freaking movie as Jimmy. I do not want to spoil anything, but Copley portrays multiple personalities and he nails each one. It demonstrates his incredible range as an actor and he is so damn enjoyable to watch. Haley Bennett is rather meh as Estelle, Henry's wife. For being the main driving force of the movie (serving as Henry's motivation) she leaves a lot to be desired. Danila Kozlovsky plays Akan, the villain. He is very hit and miss, mainly because of his line delivery. His foreign accent makes some lines sound great and menacing, while others sound downright terrible. Akan is not featured too heavily in the film, but that does not make up for a wishy washy performance. And what of Tim Roth? He is a cameo at best. He plays Henry's father and has less than ten lines in the film. He delivers them well, but it was a strange choice to get him in the film.

The plot is pretty simple. Akan kidnaps Estelle, Henry wants her back, Henry teams up with Jimmy to take down Akan. Simple, but it works. There are plot points that I wish were explored deeper but nothing really detrimental to the film. The film is more concerned with the action sequences, and it works for this picture. I would say that about 75-80% of the film is action. Every once in a while the movie will give you a moment to catch your breath, but most of the time you will find yourself experiencing wall to wall thrills. You have your fight sequences, your suspenseful moments, your gun fights, your explosions, your chases, this is the complete package. I think the movie works best during the suspenseful moments, such as when Henry is scaling a building, because they are the most immersive. But the extended action sequence at the rundown building is definitely the highlight as it features versatile action imbued with well timed humor.

So how is the cinematography? Overall, well done. The movie does a good job at placing you in Henry's shoes and a lot of the action is filmed very well. However, there are plenty of instances that employ extreme shaky cam. Emphasis on the "extreme." A good portion of the beginning action sequences were poorly filmed and had me worried that the rest of the film would be like this. But things improved significantly as the action became much clearer. It is admirable what this film achieves in cinematography and the fact that it pays off for the most part is impressive.

This movie is called Hardcore Henry for a reason. This movie is incredibly violent. The opening credits give you a taste of what you are in for. The film can get pretty gruesome at times. There is tons of blood and you will definitely want to leave the kids at home. However, it is the type of violence that will make you smile at how painful and grotesque it looks. It is a combination of disgust and laughter that makes for a wonderful mix.

Hardcore Henry has a surprising amount of humor as well. I did not expect this to be such a funny film. The humor definitely elevates this to a more enjoyable level. There are jokes involving "sensitive" violence, unexpected shock value, and even the music plays a part in the comedy. Certain musical cues and choices perfectly match the scenario. I got a huge kick out of hearing the theme from The Big Country during an outdoor scene.

I watched an interview with the director and Copley recently where they expressed the goal of the film. To paraphrase, they wanted it to be like The Matrix in that it is a film that you want to re-watch with friends and witness their reactions to what is happening on-screen. And to that extent, I would say the film did its job well. The action is explosive and energetic, the camerawork, though a bit sloppy at times, is quite a feat, Copley is fantastic, and the movie is unexpectedly hilarious at the right moments. Some poor camerawork, mediocre performances, and odd choices bog the film down, but I still recommend it. Certainly not for everyone, but it just might surprise you. If you are looking for a solid action flick that can entertain you while trying something new, I would check out Hardcore Henry.

Grade: B