by Jon Partridge
Some may have glimpsed the trailer for Hardcore Henry and assumed, at the very least, the film would provide big dumb fun. It’s a gimmicky concept, assuming the “first person perspective,” and while it has been done before, it was typically as part of a short setpiece (see Doom or V/H/S/2). With technology such as Go-Pros becoming more affordable and compact, a film adopting this approach for its entire length was inevitable. But now that it’s here, the gimmick has already outstayed its welcome.
The film unfolds through the eyes of the titular Henry, a man who awakens as the final touches are being made to his cybernetically enhanced body. With no memory of who he is, a woman identifying herself as his wife Estelle (Haley Bennett) begins to explain his situation before she is interrupted by a armed team breaking into the facility, determined to take them captive. Estelle manages to help him escape but Henry finds himself endlessly pursued by the psychotic Akan (Danila Kozlovsky), a man determined to capture Henry and use him to help build an army of enhanced super soldiers. His only ally is Jimmy (Sharlto Copley), a stranger who continues to appear when Henry needs him most and guide him on his quest to stop Akan and save his wife from his clutches.
The film is selling itself on its technical approach which is an impressive component to the film. It was predominantly filmed using a Go-Pro mounted on a stuntman’s head, which obviously gives the film an immersive quality but one forever tinged with a frenetic quality. Elaborate setpieces don’t unfold in front of you, they happen around you; meaning you catch glimpses, a barrage of visuals, rather than see a composed scene unfold. It’s certainly a unique presentation and something that sets itself apart from traditional action movies. Your appreciation for the film will largely depend on how much you embrace or more appropriately tolerate the concept.
The film unfolds at a relentless pace, aided by a pulsating score by Dasha Charusha (with a little help from Queen). But even the most hardened action junkie will experience fatigue with this unrelenting frenzy of parkour, violence, and vulgar humor. A paper thin plot leaves it more akin to a string of video game cut scenes being cut together. It’s an assault on the senses that you eventually become numb to. Wave after wave of faceless enemies being mowed down, a misogynistic incorporation of women and even the main cast lacking any depth. The exception is Sharlto Copley and the various iterations of his “Jimmy character.” It’s a performance verging on the farcical, which feels appropriate, that also lends to a a mildly humorous running gag in the film where he seems to keep returning even though he is seemingly killed. The over the top nature of the film brings comparisons to Crank, but without the charm and blunt nature of a Statham-like presence to cut through the dumbness.
With some development of the characters and story the film may have sustained more interest, but as it stands, the overall feeling you’re left with is surprisingly one of boredom. With the barrage of violent imagery you become desensitized. The makers have acknowledged the inspiration of first person shooters such as Left 4 Dead and Call of Duty, but with such forms of entertainment you become immersed because you take control. In film, you are drawn in through a compelling narrative and characters. Hardcore Henry offers neither of these things; instead it is a form of force-fed cinema, more suited to a 10 minute ride at a theme park than something that should grace a film theater. An exhausting and hollow endeavor to endure rather than enjoy.