What’s It About
A disillusioned detective (Tom Hardy) must go deep into the criminal underworld to save a powerful man’s estranged son after a drug heist goes wrong.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
“Havoc” follows Detective Walker (Tom Hardy), a troubled cop attempting to cope with the fallout of a failed drug sale. He is out of time to save Charlie (Justin Cornwell), son of a bribed politician, and his lover Mia (Quelin Sepulveda) from both the revenge of an organized crime outfit and Walker’s own police unit. Walker, struggling with his conscience, has a dysfunctional marriage with his ex-wife Helena (Narges Rashidi) and buys last-minute Christmas gifts for his daughter at convenience stores. You’ve seen this character type before, but Hardy is so committed to the performance that you almost care about Walker between the action sequences. The chaos begins with a wild car chase involving an 18-wheeler pursued by police cars. Four teenagers, including Mia and Charlie, are behind the wheel of this hijacked truck carrying appliances and hidden drugs. The pursuit is disastrous, especially for the police. After this first-round carnage, Charlie and Mia go to Chinatown to leave drugs for an up-and-coming crime lord (Jeremy Ang Jones). They’re hanging outside his nightclub, and masked figures burst in to kill everyone they see. There’s gruesomely graphic carnage – blowing heads, lopped limbs, blood spraying. The young crime lord is gunned down and leaves Charlie and Mia in bad trouble even though they didn’t participate in the carnage. The crime lord’s mom, Yann Yann Yeo, shows up looking for revenge with her legion of mercenaries, including a lethal henchwoman (Michelle Waterson). Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker), a corrupt businessman and Walker’s associate, demands the detective find and protect his son from the law as well as the vengeful members of the gang. Director Gareth Evans, who cut his teeth with “The Raid” and “The Raid 2,” knows how to stage terrific action sequences. That nightclub battle shootout is a setup act. There’s a lakeside cabin rampage by one crazed dude and a gunfight-tinged, gore-soaked climax with gunfights and some brutal hand-to-hand combat, including one harrowing harpoon kill. Evans goes all in on the violence – it’s gratuitous, non-stop, and precision-choreographed like a gore-covered ballet. Walker is joined by rookie cop Ellie (Jessie Mei Li) in the movie. Even though he demeans her at first, she turns out to be a good partner throughout the film, enduring difficult fight scenes and displaying her worth as an equal. The supporting actors are decent, with Timothy Olyphant acting as Walker’s supposed buddy Vincent, Luis Guzmán, and SunSunny Pang, though some underutilized characters exist. The work of cinematographer and camera operator Matt Flannery stands out especially. Handheld action filming never dissolves into a blur of confusion. Jarring rapid cuts, overhead wide shots, and flashing strobes produce disciplined chaos. Editing by Sara Jones and Matt Platts-Mills preserves coherence between the bewildering dance steps. The setting possesses a gritty, rough look with shadows and stylized hues inviting you to this depraved world. The movie takes its time initially, establishing itself before launching into the action. However, once it does get going, “Havoc” barely provides you with time to catch your breath between huge action sequences. It’s outrageously over-the-top – people shoot whole clips at a single opponent, and even innocents like Mia resort to appalling violence in fending off attackers. Plot-wise, “Havoc” is not innovative. Dirty cop stories, drug-running stories, gangster stories, and corrupt politician stories have been action movie staples forever. There are not that many surprises in store here – the plot really serves as an excuse for delivering a setup for the amazing action sequences. Walker is not the classic hero type; he just wants to clean up his act while leaving scores of corpses in his wake. The film combines live sets with computer expansions to create its stylized cityscape. Far from always real, it plays along with the tongue-in-cheek mood. Aria Prayogi’s music complements the atmosphere, ranging from creepy jazz to shrill action scoring, including one memorable stretch of violence scored to “O Holy Night.” “Havoc” succeeds because it knows what it is. It isn’t trying to reinvent the crime thriller – it’s trying to provide you with some of the most visceral, exhausting action sequences you will ever see. Don’t watch it if you’re a screamer. Otherwise, Evans’ movie rewards in huge quantities. Unlike most Netflix action originals, “Havoc” is exceptional in its quality and intensity. It should have been released in theaters first before arriving on the streaming platform. Although the plot won’t shock you, how it’s presented will. It’s exhausting in a good way, exhausting audiences tired but satisfied by its commitment to contained mayhem. Ultimately, “Havoc” is the experience of seeing a cartoonish amount of violence brought to life on screen – so outlandish it’s almost ridiculous, but done with such finesse that you can’t help but admire the craftsmanship of the gore. It’s not attempting to be deep; it’s attempting to blow you away with glorious mayhem. On its own terms, it completely succeeds.
OUR RATING – A BLOODY 5