I didn’t know what to expect when I received the screener for Havoc, choosing to go in as blind as possible. What greeted me was a descent into chaos that was equal parts fun and incomprehensible. Directed by Gareth Evans, Havoc arrives on Netflix as an undeniably odd film, delivering over-the-top violence, moral ambiguity, and a gritty city that feels out of place and time. After four years in development limbo, the film finally lands, bringing with it a bruised, battered Tom Hardy, a labyrinthine criminal underworld, action sequences that leave an indelible mark on the genre, and a storyline that is as impenetrable as it is ridiculous.
Evans, best known for The Raid films and the grimy Gangs of London, brings his unique style of filmmaking to this Tom Hardy–focused Netflix project. Set in a rain-soaked, unnamed city that feels both fantastical and lived-in, Havoc wastes no time plunging viewers into chaos and brutal violence.
With a destructive car chase, a shootout, and a drug deal that goes catastrophically wrong—all within the first 10 minutes of runtime—Havoc is not a film that gives its characters or viewers time to breathe. The story follows Hardy’s Walker—a detective whose moral compass is as battered as his body—as he’s forced to descend into the city’s criminal abyss to rescue a politician’s estranged son, while all hell waits to drag him down.
Tom Hardy takes on a role that feels tailor-made for him, bringing his signature brooding presence to the screen. Even with a dreadful American accent, Walker comes across as a man who looks tired, beaten down, and morally ambiguous, even as he angrily tries to do the right thing in the end.
This is a character destined to cause as much carnage and mayhem as possible, and honestly, I couldn’t imagine another actor in the role. Hardy’s physicality here is relentless, his performance a study in exhaustion and endurance. I only wish the script felt a bit more solid, allowing that performance to land more strongly than it does.
The plot, on paper, is familiar: a lone cop against a city’s worth of corruption, conspiracies, and criminal syndicates. But somehow, it never clicked for me. I was left wondering who I should root for—and why I should care. As Walker fights his way through the city’s underbelly, the narrative peels back layers of rot, implicating not only the criminals but also the political machinery meant to keep them in check. As we crash into the film’s climax and the bodies pile up, I was still wondering why I should care about anyone. Everyone feels scummy, even as we’re told to sympathize with a select few.
“…where Havoc truly distinguishes itself is in its action.”
That’s not to say the film’s supporting cast isn’t trying their best. Timothy Olyphant, as a slick adversary; Forest Whitaker, as a desperate parent; and Jessie Mei Li, as the enigmatic Ellie—all manage to add texture to the film’s world and sense of place. But even with that, this is Hardy’s film, and he carries it with a bruiser’s conviction—even when we, as the audience, are left wondering why we should care about his goals or the people he’s trying to help.
As much as I may have issues with the plot, where Havoc truly distinguishes itself is in its action. Evans has long been revered for his ability to choreograph violence with clarity and impact, and here, he outdoes himself. This is a film that grabs you with each set piece and doesn’t let go until the bullet casings and bodies have finally hit the floor.
The nightclub brawl, in particular, is a feast for the eyes, as countless Triad members stop at nothing to eliminate anyone in their path. The result is brutal, bombastic carnage in the best possible way. Even the film’s climax is a crescendo of violence that is both cathartic and, in its own way, beautiful, even as everyone slowly drops like flies in the most graphic, blood-soaked fashion.
Even though it may seem mindless, there’s a twisted catharsis in the way the violence unfolds—a sense that every punch, stab, and gunshot is earned, even if we, as the audience, are left to pick up the pieces once the chaos is over. The film’s visual style—shot by Matt Flannery—leans into neo-noir, with rain-slicked streets, garish neon, and a city that feels perpetually on the brink of collapse. Tyler Bates’ score pulses beneath it all, propelling Walker ever forward, even as the odds continue to mount.
I may have my issues with the film, but even I have to admit Havoc is a rare beast—an action film that honours its influences without slavishly imitating them. It’s a showcase for Tom Hardy’s formidable talents and a reminder that Gareth Evans remains one of the genre’s true visionaries, even if the film leaves no room to breathe or explain the chaos that feels one step away from complete insanity. For those who crave action with consequence, violence with vision, and a protagonist who bleeds as much as he bruises, Havoc delivers—just go in with your expectations in check.
