3 weeks Ago By Lucas Hill-Paul
Tom Hardy is flexing his action muscles in the latest Netflix sensation, Havoc, directed by none other than Gareth Evans, the genius behind the bone-crunching The Raid films. Evans, who's also the brains behind Sky's intense crime saga Gangs of London, has joined forces with the heavyweight star known for Mad Max: Fury Road and Venom to deliver a heart-pounding tale of a battle-hardened detective diving deep into the criminal abyss. In Havoc, Hardy steps into the shoes of Walker, a detective burdened with guilt, who plunges into a treacherous web of crime to rescue a politician's distant son from a dangerous network of crooks and killers.
The Peaky Blinders lead didn't just act; he leapt into some of Netflix's most jaw-dropping action sequences, all orchestrated by Evans' seasoned hand at high-octane cinema. Evans dished out to Express Online that Hardy might have picked up a trick or two during filming, saying, "I think so. I think it was a different experience for him", reports the Express .
He added, "One of the things that was brilliant about bringing Tom on board was that I knew that all of the action components existed within my wheelhouse." Hardy, along with his go-to stunt double Jacob Tomuri, wasn't just pivotal in executing Havoc's gripping combat scenes; he also injected a hefty dose of creativity into shaping his character's complex psyche. Evans couldn't contain his excitement about diving into his character alongside Hardy for the upcoming film, explaining the dynamic process they shared.
"But what was great about working with Tom is that we could do this intense deep dive into character, a deep dive into Walker," Evans said. "We started mining for things we could play and explore within the film. The trauma and the guilt that kind of haunts him as a character, that all came from discussions with Tom.
He was looking for the other elements to it. "I came to him saying, 'I've got this blistering action film that is set with an influence of that 70s American vibe', so he latched onto that and said, 'Great, now let's bring more of an emotional element to the character'. "So, when you get those big set pieces, there's story and character being told at the same time as the spectacle of the set piece.
" Havoc not only stars Hardy but also features Jessie Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant, and Forest Whitaker, already drawing comparisons to the John Wick series and harboring potential as a new franchise for Netflix. For anyone who has enjoyed Hardy's previous performances, from Eddie Brock/Venom to playing the Kray twins in Legend, Evans promises an unforgettable portrayal in one of Hardy’s most intricate roles. Critics are already buzzing as reviews come in for Havoc, which arrives on Netflix later this week.
Mitchell Beaupre lauded the film as "a relentlessly brutal neo-noir punctuated by two of the best action sequences of the decade". Barry Hertz from The Globe and Mail took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the film, which had a lengthy four-year production journey he says paid off: "This is a squib-heavy bloodbath that's mythic, messy, manic. "Missing THE RAID 2's Mad Dog flavor (and that film's enjoyably dense gangland-war narrative), but when it rips, it rips so hard.
" Havoc will be released Friday, April 25 on Netflix..
