After more than four years of whispers, delays, and strike-induced standstills, the highly anticipated Havoc from The Raid mastermind Gareth Evans is finally here — and it’s exactly the kind of brutal brawler you’d expect. Having been in production hell since first being announced in 2021 for Netflix, the ultraviolent crime saga starring Tom Hardy has the charm of a bone-snapping action flick, which seemingly works on the surface. But as the film crashes onto the screen with style to spare, the popcorn flick doesn’t quite hold itself together amid the carnage.
Not only is the 105-minute film paper-thin with its steady stream of broken bones and beautifully choreographed chaos, but all the bloodshed and violence start to feel comical and more like a distraction from a plot that never finds its footing. Messy, overstuffed, and tragically, a film that is overwhelmed by its own ambition, Havoc stumbles in its balance of stylish brutality with something deeper.
Even if some of the action sequences are a lot of fun and elevate the stunts seen in blockbusters like John Wick or Netflix’s Extraction, Havoc is far from flawless. Following multiple reshoots just last year, there’s a strong, disjointed feeling in the film from beginning to end that makes you wonder if the film is held together through sheer willpower and blood. While Havoc does a decent job of setting the tone for a high-stakes action thriller that takes you deep into the heart of a city’s criminal underworld, the ultraviolence is loud, fast, and stylish enough to distract you from just how messy everything underneath really is.
What ‘Havoc’ Is About
Getting right down to business in the first scenes, Hardy stars as Walker, a detective who looks like he’s been punched more times than he’s slept. Narrating his troubled journey while also holding “father of the year” honors as a deadbeat dad, Walker navigates a moody, Sin City-type world filled with vengeful gangs led by an angry mommy (Yeo Yann Yann), dirty cops who just want to sell and snort coke, and a botched drug deal that leaves an innocent man dead. As the film’s early moments are shrouded in mystery with a visual style that blends comic book visuals with gritty realism, Walker is a man who has been through it. But across these rather murky threads that also involve a powerful politician’s (Forest Whitaker) missing son (Justin Cornwell), the first 15 minutes make you feel like you missed a prologue somewhere.
As the plot unfolds, Walker — bruised, bleeding, and increasingly twitchy with a tinge of neuroticism — plunges deep into a criminal labyrinth tied to a woman named Mia (Quelin Sepulveda), whose debt seems to have triggered this whole mess. On top of the rundown cop trope, Walker’s got a new partner, Ellie (Jessie Mei Li), who is trying to salvage his holiday spirit and be a reliable, trusting confidante. Together, the two work cases in that “watch this guy solve a murder in his head!” kind of way that feels like Hardy’s character is part Sherlock, part Good Will Hunting. With a barrage of characters and stories that feel too cramped, Havoc lives up to its title and is, tragically, all over the place. But, luckily, when the fists fly — especially in a standout fight sequence at the club between Hardy, Timothy Olyphant, and some very hardworking stuntmen — you stop caring about logic and start counting all the cracked ribs or guesstimating the gallons of corn syrup used.
‘Havoc’ Lacks Originality in Its Messy Clutter
There’s a version of Havoc that might have delivered a lean, thrilling crime saga, but sadly, this isn’t it. While Evans tries to layer the movie with grit and a grounded tone, it never quite rises above its own tangled mess of genre clichés. Across almost two hours, Havoc feels like it’s trying too hard to impress its audience. Between a few awesome action sequences that genuinely hold your attention and high-octane thrills, it does a good job of keeping viewers engaged till the very end.
But, as the film unfolds its numerous webs of betrayal and revenge, that’s when it feels way too cluttered and tangled. Ticking off familiar genre beats without injecting anything truly fresh, Havoc plays to more of a disappointing routine with structures that borrow heavily from better films. Despite being framed with its tagline “No Law. Only Disorder,” the twists feel too manufactured for shock value and rarely land. Rather than the film building momentum and actual substance for its characters, it piles on explanations, inner monologue-type commentaries, and just more betrayals that make the film feel exhausting.
There’s no denying Evans plays the action stuff well, but there are times when the sequences suffer from some rather choppy editing and overused CGI that distracts rather than immerses the viewer. While it’s unclear if that was the intention in terms of giving the film a comic book feel with its grainy finish, some of it is jarring in its execution. The beloved filmmaker’s reputation for visceral, grounded fight sequences in films like Merantau or even The Raid 2 takes a hit here, as many of the brawls are cut to ribbons with edits that undermine the choreography. While some sequences manage to pop, like the very cool kinetic brawl in the club, there’s a glossy artificiality that feels at odds with the film’s more gravelly outlooks.
Take, for example, the film’s first action sequence involving the chaotic police pursuit of a big rig at night. It looks like something out of a video game, without actually giving us a realistic sort of feel. It’s a far cry from the tactile tension of Evans’ The Raid, which managed to heighten the tension organically. Instead, these choices in Havoc that feel rushed and choppy end up distancing the viewer, contributing to a film that’s trying to do too much and ends up saying very little.
Tom Hardy and His Supporting Cast Ground ‘Havoc’
But even when Havoc falters, Hardy is still magnetic to watch. While it’s a shame because he deserves a more robust and hearty story, he does help to keep the film on track. His portrayal of Walker is a familiar archetype — gruff, emotionally fractured, and weighed down by past misdeeds — but he finds small, expressive moments to make his character feel more human. Whether he’s nursing past regret or beating down bad guys with extreme brute force, he knows how to command the screen by injecting a layer of internal tension not visible in the writing. It’s this kind of subtle performance work that gives Havoc its rare moments of emotion.
As a character playing Walker’s counterbalance, Li is a welcome addition to the chaos as she brings an earnestness to the film that is refreshing and necessary amid the darkness. She helps ground the film’s more absurd plots with believable reactions and a vulnerability needed to make Havoc feel a bit more in touch with its audience. While there isn’t much chemistry between her and Hardy, Li helps bring a much-needed dynamic to Walker’s rough exterior that feels natural in terms of their relationship and the newness behind it.
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“My name is Max. My world is fire. And blood.”
Meanwhile, Yann delivers a performance that lingers well after the credits roll. As the grief-stricken mother of a murdered gang leader, the award-winning Malaysian actress channels an intensity that simmers beneath every scene she’s in. There is a strong and striking quiet menace she holds that lends a sense of real consequence to Walker’s mission, elevating her scenes beyond what’s written. And then there’s Olyphant, who shows up and does exactly what Olyphant does best — steal scenes with a cool, unpredictable energy. Not sure if it’s his buttery voice that leads the charm, but whether he’s offering a veiled threat or just casually dominating the room with his trademark swagger, he brings a jolt of charisma that cuts through the film’s grittier moments. He may not have the most screen time, but his impact is felt every time he’s on camera, reminding you just how much more fun Havoc could’ve been if it let its cast off the leash a little more.
Havoc might deliver on its promise of blood, guts, and glory, but it’s these committed performances that keep it from completely collapsing under its self-induced chaos. While the vision by Evans swings hard as a stylishly savage brawler, it rarely lands with meaning, which also feels like an injustice to the filmmaker’s incredible past work. Despite a top-tier cast and bone-rattling action to keep you engaged, the Netflix flick buckles under a cluttered story with chaotic execution. It’s watchable, even entertaining in bursts — but beneath all the bruises and broken bones, there’s not much else to hold onto.
Havoc comes to Netflix on April 25.
A brutal, bone-crunching ride that collapses under its own ambition.
- Release Date
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April 24, 2025
- Runtime
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105 minutes
- Director
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Gareth Evans
- Writers
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Gareth Evans
- Tom Hardy’s brooding performance brings depth to an otherwise thin script.
- Standout action sequences, particularly a gritty club fight.
- Strong supporting cast, especially Timothy Olyphant and Yeo Yann Yann, who steal scenes with ease.
- Messy, overstuffed plot that buckles under its own ambition.
- CGI-heavy action feels overly stylized and at odds with the film’s grounded tone.
- Disjointed editing and pacing issues make it hard to stay fully invested.
