Havoc, 2025.
Written and Directed by Gareth Evans.
Starring Tom Hardy, Forest Whitaker, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Cornwell, Jessie Mei Li, Yeo Yann Yann, Luis Guzmán, Sunny Pang, Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Quelin Sepulveda, Richard Harrington, Tom Wu, Narges Rashidi, Jill Winternitz, Gordon Alexander, John Cummins, Serhat Metin, Jim Caesar, Richard Pepper, Joe David Walters, Timothy Hornor, Astrid Fox-Sahan, Jeremy Ang Jones, Xelia Mendes-Jones, and Bailey Cameron.
SYNOPSIS:
After a drug deal gone wrong, a bruised detective must fight his way through the criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.
Havoc marks a return to hyper-violent action from The Raid writer/director Gareth Evans, and while I could go into the convoluted plotting involving gang wars, crooked cops, drug deals gone south, and flawed heroes, I’m also well aware any reader likely only wants this confirmed: yes, Tom Hardy is doing another menacingly wack voice, and yes, the copious amounts of melee brawls and John Woo inspired shootouts kick major ass and takes no prisoners.
However, I do have a word count to meet, so it should be mentioned that there are some intriguing character dynamics wrapped up in all the blood-drenched chaos. Tom Hardy’s homicide detective Walker has dabbled in corruption (the prologue rushes through some of this with narration about choices you make and can’t take back) and currently covers up dirty work for Mayor Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker) while taking the rest of his job seriously. The film knows he isn’t necessarily an upstanding person, as his wife wants nothing to do with him, which includes not letting him bring a gift for his six-year-old daughter on Christmas (a last-minute junky present wrapped up in newspapers, making clear how half-assed he is in his personal life even if he means well). Walker also treats his newly assigned partner Ellie (Jessie Mei Li) condescendingly.
Elsewhere, the mayor’s son Charlie (Justin Cornwell) and his girlfriend Mia (Quelin Sepulveda) are pulling off a heist and intending to sell the drugs. During the exchange, a high-ranking Triad (including nearly everyone in the building) is murdered, leaving a mess that Walker has to clean up as a favor for Lawrence. However, the situation also gives him leverage to demand that he no longer cover up corruption in the future.
This causes the arrival of that Triad member’s ruthless boss mother (Yeo Yann Yann), who is far less enraged about the botched drug deal than she is about her dead son. Once she kidnaps Lawrence, observing two individuals from different sides of the criminal underworld, acting and reacting fiercely for their children, makes for a compelling juxtaposition. Meanwhile, Mia rushes to the closest thing she has to a guardian, Luis Guzman’s mechanic, Raul, to obtain her and Charlie’s passports and flee the vengeance coming for them. While navigating his corrupt law enforcement associates, mainly Timothy Olyphant’s Vincent, Walker searches for Charlie to get him out of harm’s way. There is also a gravely injured by-the-books police officer (Serhat Metin), wounded in the initial car chase and hospitalized, who has more information about this whole mess.
This might sound like a lot of plot and set up, but that’s perfectly okay here since Gareth Evans skillfully pays everything off with one shot-of-adrenaline brutal action set piece after another, switching from vehicular carnage to blades to gun-fu, successfully getting in as much variety as possible. Their settings are also pleasantly varied, ranging from a club to a remote cabin (the latter allowing for one insane, lengthy standoff, whereas the former utilizes the expansive space of the venue and its surroundings). Tom Hardy is out here dropkicking henchmen, guys are getting stabbed in the throat with blood gurgling from practically every death, and no character, no matter how critical they are to the plot, is safe from being riddled with Uzi rounds meaning that this is also a refreshingly urgent action flick with real danger around every corner.
Much like The Raid and classic action cinema from around the world, each set piece here is sustained and full of dynamic camera movements that punctuate the impact of the violence while giving the proceedings an undeniably stylish touch. Don’t be surprised if you quickly lose count of how many times you think you have seen the money-shot kill of one of the sequences, only for it to keep going and reach an even nastier kill. It also does wonders that the film is filled to the brim with practical blood effects and impressive stuntwork, making for an experience that feels like a relic right out of cinema’s glory days. That also means it’s a shame that the only place one can watch this is streaming on Netflix (it would bring the house down in a theater). This is also not exclusively a Tom Hardy show, as his partner, Ellie, gets to showcase her combat skills and resourcefulness, having a major presence in the finale.
Also, even if Havoc isn’t exactly telling a deep story, it is entirely aware of who and what kind of character Walker is, ending on a bittersweet note that drives home the fact that there is no forgiveness for this character. Mostly, you’re coming for the havoc, and Gareth Evans delivers high-octane, chest-beating, bloodbath thrills..
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
