Hardcore Henry (2016) Film Review

Hardcore Henry is an interesting film to discuss because of how unique it is with its singular gimmick of being shot via a go-pro, recreating the first-person shooter feel of a plethora of video games for the sake of creating an interesting and intriguing action film. With a rather small budget to its name and its slew of actors being mostly small-scale (the biggest names being Sharlto Copley – Neill Blomkamp's go-to actor – and Tim Roth), it'll be interesting to see just how this film fares not only with myself and other critics, but also with audiences and action film buffs, just due to how unique a movie it is in its execution. So will this experimental film be balls-to-the-walls action galore? Or a motion sickness-inducing squander that'll help director Ilya Naishuller on deciding whether to pursue filmmaking or sticking to his music career?

Following an unknown incident off-screen, Henry (in this case, we are Henry through the POV filming style) awakens inside a scientific research facility which resides in the air with a number of limbs detached from his body. Due to the accident, he has lost his memories, and with a set of cybernetic attachments administered by his loving scientist wife Estelle (Haley Bennett). But before he can be given a proper explanation for what happened to him, or even before he gains access to a voice, an organisation ran by a telepathic being called Akan (Danila Kozlovsky) storms the base and steals Estelle away, with the intention of abducting Henry too. Henry of course escapes, and together with numerous iterations of aide Jimmy (Sharlto Copley in an NPC-esque role) must push past his weaker tendencies and win back his wife...with guns, explosions, and set-pieces galore. 

The story, as you can tell, is very reminiscent of the classic first person shooter formula that many a video game has, complete with Super Mario Bros.' incentive of a kidnapped love interest and a flurry of interchangeable goons to beat up. What gives it its higher 18-rated certificate is the mere eccentricity of some of the kills – ranging from a standard bullet to strangling somebody with a part of the body – alongside the somewhat generic scenery of labs, abandoned warehouses and strip clubs. But it's a film that relies less on its story and more on the sheer violence and gimmick that it beholds, as evident by how standard it is. Yes, there are plot twists invoked to the whole ordeal, but the whole time it’s more questioning as to why there are so many Copleys about (an explanation doesn't turn up until about an hour in) than the actual plot that the villainous corporation are planning. Add an ending which, while certainly increasing in sheer magnitude of enemies to defeat, does leave the credits rolling almost immediately after a final kill. But again, the very premise of the film is just to experiment with the GoPro and see if they can create a film teenagers will adore for all the blood and violence. 

Those with weaker stomachs may find it difficult to watch Hadcore Henry for its sporadic camera movement rather than the disgusting attacks that our mute lead must make, as it can perhaps move a little too erratic for some to tolerate. Granted, it works within the context of what’s being carried out, and unlike the standard action movie it does succeed in being unique, but those who can tell from the trailers that the camera is moving perhaps just a little quickly for them to stomach will likely need to wait for a later time. If anything though, the format would better suit the VR technology that's beginning to roll out rather than the big or small screen, as the viewing would feel more natural and realistic than when against a large or small screen that's placed a certain distance away from the audience. But for what it is, it's an big-screen experiment on a project that brought success to director Naishuller in the past. 

One thing that sadly does have to be brought up though is the editing given to the film. While the cuts via glitches in the system work well the overall computer effects and sound design do leave much to be desired, with certain screams of anguish or gunshot SFX are repeatedly reused – especially in the final fight where it's even more prominent – and a particularly large explosion during a break-in turning into something you'd see on an amatuer direct-to-DVD feature. Perhaps with a larger budget such elements could have been fixed or improved upon, but these elements make it seem less like they were done with the film in mind and more that they were running low on funds (although cutting certain songs from the soundtrack and the miniscule Tim Roth cameo would likely have fixed that). It's a small but rather distracting element during the umpteenth battle. 

With technically no leading man outside of the mute hero that the audience seemingly represents, a lot of the talking and explanation – and even heart – comes in the form of the multitude of Sharlto Copleys as Jimmy, with his iterations ranging from bodyguard, hippy, British WWI soldier (yes, really) and punk all having the same basic purpose as per a standard NPC albeit with distinguishable features. And it's safe to say that Copley is having heaps of fun in his numerous roles; giving him plenty of room to show off his range with numerous one-trope archetypes. He's massive fun in a film that's entire premise is a fun action-packed POV film. Haley Bennett as Estelle is perhaps a little too much like the conventional kidnapped love interest from video games, and certainly lacking in as much character as fellow fun shoot-em-up film Deadpool earlier this year, and it's clear that Bennett isn't too invested in her performance either. The somehow-superpowered Danila Kozlovsky has a little trouble looking at the camera – which is meant to be the eyes to our character, so quite a problem – but comes across as threatening enough to warrant hatred, while Tim Roth is there only for one scene that's used twice; not exactly worth the big pay he may have gotten but he did his minimal role as well as he tends to. There's also the dozens of militarised goons, a handful of strippers and a duo of sword-wielding women, but there's so little to say about anything of them that there's no real point. 

Hardcore Henry is a film that ought to be applauded for its experimental ploy – a great extension over the music video that made Ilya Naishuller so popular to begin with – and it's well worth noting that the camera quality is perfect for the big screen despite its miniature camera. But with nothing really to it other than the massive violence that it's based around that perhaps isn't as "hardcore" as one would expect, over time it just becomes a bit dull. Add a set of characters that mostly have little dimension to them and a small budget which is quite evident, it makes the journey made somewhat disappointing. But it's worth a watch solely for what it is – a new and interesting take at the action movie genre, and perhaps the best video game-like movie since Scott Pilgrim VS The World. 6/10.