Hardcore Henry

A few days ago, I was looking for a movie to watch but nothing seemed to match what I wanted. Then, out of the blue I remembered having seen a trailer for an action movie filmed entirely in first person, so I dug it up and watched:

Hardcore Henry (2015).

Henry wakes up in a strange tank in a mysterious lab. A beautiful woman, Estelle, puts him together with cybernetics while explaining that his memories are shot, but that they are married and she loves him very much. Soon, the bad guy, Akan, bursts in with his henchmen and things go very wrong. Estelle is kidnapped, everyone seems to want to kill him and he doesn't know who he can trust, or what he is capable of. Queue a violent, fast paced action comedy with plenty of parkour, chases, fighting and buckets of blood.

Hardcore Henry is written and directed by Ilya Naishuller (Nobody, Heads of State) who has created perhaps the most unique movie I have ever seen. As I said, Hardcore Henry is completely filmed in first person, that is to say, from Henry's perspective. You see what he sees and nothing else. This has caused some people to become violently ill from motion sickness, so if you want to see it, be aware of that fact. Personally I'm not sensitive to that, and I play quite a lot of first person video games, so that helps.

The movie was shot exclusively with GoPro Hero 3 cameras on a special rig, which means that the movie in a sense doesn't really have any cinematography. At times this first person view is very disorienting, especially when Henry falls, rolls around and dives for cover, but eventually you get used to that.

Another interesting fact is that Henry doesn't have an actor. Ten different stuntmen played the role, depending on what was needed and who was hurt. Despite the challenge, only three minor wounds needed stitching, one tooth was chipped and two stuntmen got sore necks from the camera rig. With everything that goes on in Hardcore Henry, that is a miracle!

The story is alright, nothing too remarkable in itself, but it serves as a good excuse for the action. I didn't really like the villain, Akan, as he came across as more of a high school bully than a proper villain. Likewise, the ending dragged a bit, but those are my biggest complaints.

The effects are brilliant and besides all the violence, the movie really shines in the editing department. Some things are edited out like boring car rides, but beyond that you are in the hot seat for the whole ride. There is another aspect where the editing is amazing, but that would be spoilers so you won't get it from me.

The actors all do a great job, and the soundtrack is really nice. I think of it more as a soundtrack than a score, I don't know, it feels more appropriate like that.

So, do I recommend this movie? Absolutely! Hardcore Henry was a blast to watch. I'm not sure I'll watch it again, but as an avid gamer, it was so much fun. It is no coincidence that it feels like a first person shooter, there are in fact several gaming Easter eggs hidden in the movie, like posters and such. Hardcore Henry is a blood drenched movie that just doesn't stop, so if that sounds fun, have at it. Just remember the motion sickness thing.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week!