HAVOC

It feels rather unfortunate that a new action film from the director of The Raid films is arriving on Netflix this week with little to no fanfare. Havoc from Gareth Evans may not reach the heights of the aforementioned films, yet it does do exactly what it says on the tin, deliver total havoc. 

After a drug deal gone wrong, bruised detective Walker Mackey (Tom Hardy) must fight his way through the criminal underworld to rescue a politician's estranged son, unravelling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.

Havoc opens with a frantic car chase as cops go after a lorry full of drugs. It may seem like a cool way to start a film however, the garish use of CGI makes it feel right out of a computer game, totally foreshadowing the absurdity of what is to come. The action comes thick and fast after that, Evans doing the lord's work again when it comes to hand to hand combat, where the film is at its absolute best. There's an insane sequence in a nightclub that you just have to take in because it's a hell of a lot, the close quarters fighting something to really get the adrenaline going.

It's a real shame though that the majority of the action is over-reliant on gunfire, some scenes just verging on noise as a result. Maybe it's because it's set in America that everyone is so trigger happy but it actually dilutes some of the otherwise thrilling action sequences. The club sequence previously mentioned is tarnished by all the loud gunfire but a sequence towards the end in a cabin is next level use of loud noises that become jarring. Pair that with an incredibly basic script and Havoc falters a little. Now, I know dialogue isn't what people are here to see with this film but at least make it sound like these characters are up against it and not just coasting through such insane situations.

As for the performances, Tom Hardy leads the film with a grizzled turn as Walker Mackey - his classic mumbling nearly out in full force but luckily stamped out early on in the film. The physicality of the role is not to be underestimated and Hardy plays it perfectly as expected, his sense of comedy something that also works well for the character. The only other performance of note in the film is Jessie Mei Li as Ellie, a rookie cop paired with Walker on his case. Not only is her character one of the more interesting in the film, the journey from innocent rookie to someone willing to play dirty to get results brings out a fine performance in Li.

Sadly, Havoc never reaches the heights of either of The Raid films, lacking in any iconic sequences that made people fall in love with them. Gareth Evans though proves he is one of the best directors working in action today, so I will be seated for whatever he brings us next.

Verdict: ★★★½