Havoc Review: Gareth Evans Revisits The Raid in a Familiar, Bone-Crunching Action Film

      Tom Hardy takes on corrupt officers and the Triad in a film directed by the creator of The Raid, which sounds like an impressive concept. Combining Hardy’s gritty return to genre films—like MobLand—after spending years in the Venom territory with Evans’ skill in crafting and capturing thrilling action sequences makes Havoc stand out among Netflix's typical offerings.

      However, following the bold move into folk horror with 2018’s Apostle—Evans’ first Netflix project and arguably his best—it seems that Havoc represents a step back for this talented director. Fast-paced, darkly humorous, and somewhat ridiculous, Havoc fits right in with Extraction, Heart of Stone, The Mother, and the many other Netflix action originals that you might have forgotten. Is it slightly better than a lot of those films? Absolutely. Evans excels at choreographing action. The film also features two of the most thrilling and intense sequences I've seen since The Raid 2. Yet outside of those approximately 20 minutes, the movie plods along with a clichéd script that feels like a fill-in-the-blank exercise. It's clear where Evans’ passions lie; the rest feels like filler.

      Hardy plays Walker, a corrupt homicide detective enlisted to track down the estranged son of Mayor Whitaker's character. The son, Charlie (Justin Cornwell), ends up on the run from various factions after stealing drugs from the Triad during the opening scene, igniting a night-long chase involving Hardy, Timothy Olyphant’s fellow corrupt officer, and the Triad. The three are caught in a growing series of encounters that become increasingly violent and grim as the film progresses.

      Not that anyone is watching Havoc for its storyline—something Evans is likely aware of. The film kicks off in medias res, showing Charlie and his girlfriend Mia (Quelin Sepulveda) being pursued by the police in an 18-wheeler, quickly establishing a hyper-violent atmosphere—even if the chase relies too much on subpar CGI and a grainy filter that makes everything appear somewhat dingy. For a film so dedicated to making you feel every bone-breaking moment, it’s surprising that the CGI quality is so lacking.

      Those who are fans of The Raid will likely not be let down. Bullets are fired at an alarming speed, with every unnamed antagonist requiring at least ten shots to be taken down, resulting in blood spilling in all directions. Evans clearly enjoys devising increasingly outrageous ways for Hardy to eliminate the foes he faces, including a particularly gruesome murder involving a fishing hook that’s best not revealed.

      Not much can be said about Hardy, who grumbles through the quieter moments as if eager to reach the action, a trait reflected in the filmmaking. He performs well, especially in the action scenes, but never manages to be particularly captivating—though Havoc doesn't seem to focus on this character. An early storyline involving Walker's poor parenting on Christmas Eve leads nowhere. Some strangely pretentious voiceover that begins the film disappears so quickly that it raises questions about whether it was added in later. Whitaker plays a variation of his character from Godfather of Harlem, while Olyphant feels somewhat miscast as a cop even more corrupt than Hardy's. Other characters, except for Jessie Mei Li's rookie Ellie, essentially serve as pawns to create choreographed mayhem.

      Is Havoc good? Sort of. It understands its identity and doesn’t attempt to be anything beyond a hyper-stylized, excessively violent chase film. Those seeking something akin to The Raid will find plenty to appreciate here. However, it remains a lesser iteration of those films, prompting curiosity about why Evans returned to this format. After achieving the remarkable heights of The Raid 2, it seemed logical for Evans to explore different genres. Thus, Havoc feels like a diminished copy. Yet, for those two standout scenes—one at a nightclub and another at a lakeside house—there’s enough to make it worth watching.

      Havoc will be available for streaming on Netflix starting April 25.