Hardcore Henry
Starring Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky
Directed by Ilya Naishuller
A man wakes up in an airborne laboratory as a beautiful woman, claiming to be his wife and referring to him as “Henry,” attaches robotic limbs to his disfigured body. He has no memory of who he is and before long a violent psychopath and his team of henchman burst in, forcing the pair to flee in an escape pod.
So begins Hardcore Henry, the closest thing you’ll ever see to a first-person-shooter film.
Henry embarks on a deadly journey to get back the apparent love of his life with the help of an avatar, Sharlto Copley clearly having a blast playing multiple roles, guiding him through the mission.
Many would be quick to scoff at the format as just another “video game” flick, but director Ilya Naishuller brings enough style and kinetic energy to the plot to keep things consistently engaging. Action movies can often be grim and joyless but Henry even manages to inject some cheeky music cues and absurd humour where it seems appropriate.
The results are often dizzying (remember to sit as far back as possible in the theatre) as the handheld filming provides plenty of erratic camera movement. But, those who can endure the found footage conceit will be rewarded with a truly batshit crazy spectacle. Despite a brisk runtime, Hardcore Henry’s frantic premise grows tedious by the end and the movie won’t redefine a genre, but should garner a healthy cult following and perhaps inspire a new wave of renegade guerrilla filmmakers.
