Hardcore Henry Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

A hyper-energetic roller coaster ride, Hardcore Henry proves to be a smart new addition to the action genre, blending an ego-shooter’s first-person perspective.

Genre: Action / Sci-Fi

Director: Ilya Naishuller

Cast: Sharlto Copley, Haley Bennett, Danila Kozlovsky, Oleg Poddubnyy, Svetlana Ustinova, Darya Charusha & Tim Roth.

Run Time: 96 min.

US Release: 08 April 2016

UK Release: 08 April 2016

German Release: 14 April 2016

This highly explosive blockbuster is an experimental, low-budget, first-person action flick that happened to be made because of the high demand from fans of the Russian Indie-Rock band Biting Elbows’ FPS music videos, The Stampede and Bad Motherf***r. Frontman Naishuller, who also directed the band’s music videos, makes his big cinematic debut with this really amusing and very violent action sci-fi flick. But is Hardcore Henry worth spending money at the cinema?

If I were to describe this movie, I would say it is a cross between Crank and RoboCop, all experienced through the eyes of the protagonist Henry. Sadly, the plot is so thin, also at times frustratingly linear, that there is not much I could discuss, which makes it my biggest issue with Hardcore Henry, since it doesn’t explore the story it sets up at the beginning. I never expected this blockbuster to have a profound story with a message, but I was hoping it would resolve some of the questions raised during the first couple of minutes. That sadly never happens, leaving the audience without a feeling of closure, as we are pondering who Henry really is.

Having said that, this is an homage to first-person shooter video games and what it tries to achieve; it accomplishes with flying colours! As I said, I never expected a groundbreaking story, and even though it did not explore its world as much as I wished it could have, yet I still found the account very amusing! 

Ilya Naishuller is aware of the absurdity of the premise; as a result, the complete film does not take itself seriously, which helps in reaching its goal. The structure of the narrative is basically built like a video game; Henry starts off encountering smaller enemies, which he can dispose of easily; however, the further he progresses, the harder the levels get until he reaches the final boss fight, and that battle is not only extremely bloody but also very satisfying.

As far as character development goes, most of the personas in the movie are just as thinly penned as the story of this action spectacle, which includes protagonist Henry. It does not hurt the premise, though, as Henry is supposed to be an everyman the viewer can identify with. Just like in any FPS, we - the audience- are supposed to experience the events depicted on screen as if it were happening to us, and in that term, Hardcore Henry succeeds, as I felt in control of the protagonist from time to time. Still, I wished for just a little bit of information on this guy when the movie concluded.

This is Sharlto Copley’s best role I have seen him in since District 9, playing such a versatile character. I won’t give away anything about his role, simply to avoid spoiling the experience, though I can honestly say that I haven’t seen Copley have so much fun acting in a film since District 9. He is not only the comedic relief of this film but also manages to prove that he is able to portray a variety of different characters, making it an incredible joy to see him in this feature.

Danila Kozlovsky portrays the villain in this story named Akan. He is a Russian business mogul with telekinetic powers who wants Henry’s technology to build an army. More is not known about the character, and the movie does not really flesh him out either, which is a shame because it would have been interesting to have a villain who is not being evil just for evil’s sake. Kozlovsky does a good job with what he is given, and I buy into him being a megalomaniac, but there is simply no depth at all to his character.

Haley Bennett plays Henry’s wife, Estelle. She gives Henry the motivation to move forward. At first glance, she seems like a damsel in distress, who Henry needs to save over and over again, but it is revealed that her character serves a more vital purpose. Having said that, her character is not explored at all, just like Akan.

The picture was shot almost entirely on the GoPro Hero 3 camera, using a special build rig with two GoPros used as a mask to emit the first-person perspective. It is a very interesting novelty to experience, though audiences need to be aware that it might not be for everyone, as its very shaky frame might create some motion sickness! Nevertheless, it is very impressive to see the stunt work in that movie from the first-person perspective, reminiscent of games like Mirror’s Edge. The special effects are also really well realised; the opening scene that sees Henry being “re-assembled” is jaw-dropping.

Darya Charusha, who was also given a small role, composed the music for this FPS film. It also makes use of popular songs from different bands or musicians, such as Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”, which is not only used in the trailer but also in the flick itself. There is also some use of cheap sound effects, I guess, to intensify the feeling that you are watching an FPS video game movie.

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Verdict: Hardcore Henry is, generally speaking, an entertaining and intriguing new form in the action genre. That said, I don’t think that there is much need to re-watch it once you have seen it because, after having experienced the novelty of the film, audiences are left with a weak plot that includes characters with no depth. Still, the film manages to excel at what it is going for, and that is paying homage to FPS shooters, such as Call of Duty or Mirror’s Edge. I need to give it big props for that! So, if you know what you are walking into and if you do not suffer from motion sickness, I do recommend you go experience Hardcore Henry in cinemas. I will give it a 7.5 out of 10.

Thank you very much for reading my review & if you want to discuss this movie, leave a comment below. My next review will follow this Sunday, so keep an eye out.