Hardcore Henry: A First-Person Action Extravaganza

Hello everybodies! Ever wanted to murder everyone and not have to face the consequences? Check out Hardcore Henry.

HARDCORE HENRY

DIRECTED BY: Ilya Naishuller

STARRING: Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, Tim Roth

GENRE: Science fiction, Action

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: United States, Russia

Hardcore Henry is an action film told from a first person perspective: You remember nothing. Mainly because you’ve just been brought back from the dead by your wife (Haley Bennett). She tells you that your name is Henry. Five minutes later, you are being shot at, your wife has been kidnapped, and you should probably go get her back. Who’s got her? His name’s Akan; he’s a powerful warlord with an army of mercenaries, and a plan for world domination. You’re also in an unfamiliar city of Moscow, and everyone wants you dead. Everyone except for a mysterious British fellow called Jimmy. He may be on your side, but you aren’t sure. If you can survive the insanity, and solve the mystery, you might just discover your purpose and the truth behind your identity. Good luck, Henry. You’re likely going to need it…

Haven’t you ever wanted to watch a movie from a first person point of view? While we were able to snag a taste of this with the enhanced FPS scene in Doom, it was about time someone had stylized a whole film that way, Now how is it? Meh. Hardcore Henry isn’t much more of a showcase of this style and technology. On the surface however, Hardcore Henry is a fun, gory, action film that isn’t afraid to throw some punches.

Once you get past the first-person aspect though, you don’t have quite the same film. The story is mediocre at best, as it relies to heavily on tropes of the action genre to create a fluid picture. Don’t even get me started on the sub-par acting, as most of the cast could have done much better. That is just on the surface however, as the first person view quickly becomes a problem. This style is cool for the first 30 minutes, but quickly devolves down to nothing more than a gimmick. Then again, that is what it all was to begin with…just a gimmick.

PROS:

• Showcase of FPS style and tech.
• Fun, gory, action film.

CONS:

• Lukewarm story.
• Disappointing acting.
• FPS becomes nothing more than a gimmick.

SCORE: 5.5 / 10

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Brandon Stuhr

Who am I? Just some guy who decided to start writing on the Internet years ago and now operates his own brand and site. Owner/Operator of Modern Neon Media, I make all kinds of niche content to suit my interests at the time. DIY Enthusiast, Brewmaster extraordinaire, and avid freak for geek culture. Follow on my socials for a more “on” version of me.