Hardcore Henry

The pure fire of an avid fan of decadence who pursues the ultimate physical experience with the vigor of a Soviet bulldozer. The creative stubbornness is admirable, but dramaturgically it's pretty bad because, around the 60th minute, it starts to chafe. The frantic ending, however, lifts up the video game concept (literally) into high gear (arcade jumps included) and revs into the red. It’s a progressive genre detour, but unfortunately into a dead end. (23.04.2016)

Eine ultimative Herrenpartie mit vielen ausgefeilten Details. Gewaltsam, blutig, witzig, rasend, visuell einfach geil. Ein wichtiges Genre-Ereignis (endlich ist ES jemandem gelungen!). Ich hoffe, dass ein Nachfolger dieses Konzept auch bei einer inhaltsreicheren Geschichte mit einer atemberaubender Pointe nutzt. Dann werde ich vor Behagen grunzen. (27.04.2016)

Hardcore ist definitiv kein Film für jedermann, keine Frage, aber er hat mich als Zuschauer beeindruckt. Man könnte sagen, dass es sich um eine Art PC-Version von Kill Bill handelt, die von Anfang bis Ende auf einer Mega-Action-Welle voller Gewalt, Blut, Flüchen, aber auch Witzen und schwarzem Humor (für den vor allem Sharlto Copley sorgte) reitet. Außerdem wird alles in der Ich-Perspektive gezeigt, was das Kinoerlebnis noch intensiver macht. Letztendlich ist es ein bissiger Film, der wirklich Mut hat (im Gegensatz zu dem einen schmutzigen Cop im Film), sich nicht scheut, aufs Ganze zu gehen und weiß, wie man es richtig verkauft. (08.05.2016)

Hardcore Henry, or how to use a shaky camera to create a stylish piece from the first person point of view, which draws you in and most importantly, and I feel obliged to say this, you see everything clearly, transparently and without any difficulties. Add in the fact that they did not bother at all with any age restrictions, which makes it a clear R rated film. The only thing that is missing to make this film perfect are some cool lines, as Henry during the whole film does not speak at all. Luckily, the acting is saved by Sharlto Copley, who has multiple roles here and moves between them in the blink of an eye. (03.06.2019)

The Russian Tarantino made all men's dreams come true! Hardcore Henry is a wild and thrilling ride that keeps the throttle on for 90 minutes and doesn't let up until the extreme finale. If anyone remembers the excellent church scene from Kingsman, imagine it in a 90 minute package and you get Hardcore Henry. For a mere two million dollars, the director serves up everything guys crave. Lots of cool action that will make you reminisce about the games like “Counter Strike”, “Modern Warfare”, “Half- Life 2”, “Portal” and “Mirrors Edge”, countless dirty jokes that will put a smile on your face. The scene in the brothel will please our eyes, the amazing soundtrack will please our ears and the breathtaking intensity of the violence and countless gore scenes surpass anything I've seen so far (broken spines, ripped out hearts, open chests, shot up heads and brains, and numerous fractures on every part of the body). On top of all that, the story is not at all naive and infantile, on the contrary, it even pulls out a nice ace in the form of a solid twist at the end. It is quite clear that Hardcore Henry is completely out of reality and at times it really feels like you are playing and watching a very rough action game – I don't even blame the few hysterical ladies who left the cinema. If I were at a Barbie movie, I wouldn’t stay in the cinema long either. If you are a high octane alpha male craving proper entertainment and lots of violence like me, you will not be disappointed. Story 7/10, Atmosphere 8/10, Gore 10/10, Visuals 7/10, Action 10/10, Suspense 8/10,Humor 7/10. Entertainment 10/10. 95%. (02.05.2016)

Hardcore Henry is a creative conglomeration of the tendencies of modern action films and various contemporary audio-visual platforms, from GoPro videos and ASMR channels to comic books and video games, and not just because of its superficial association with FPS games. (10.04.2023)

A mainline adrenaline hit straight to a player’s heart. Memories of Far Cry, GTA, Crysis and other games and others come rushing at you with every minute of the movie. Sharlto Copley’s and his amazing antics drag this movie forward, but the real hero is Naishuller, who pieced the movie together. Great music. A feelgood movie. (05.03.2017)

Rus took the GoPro and shot things that can probably only be done in Russia. An uncompromising first-person-oriented flick, in a way innovative, as it was inspired by this year's Grimsby with the always perfect Sharlto Copley in all (not only) acting positions and roles. Ilya Naishuller really enjoys games and with his debut, he proves that he has what it takes to go far. There won't just be a sequel, but just like I drooled over Wanted years ago, I had similar feelings with Hardcore Henry. Sometimes it might be good to let go of the FPS, but it would lose that unique look, which would not be desirable and I have to bow down to how they filmed it all. 8/10, because it is an incredible gem that one should appreciate. (01.05.2016)

In terms of innovation of the action genre, it’s only an appetiser, because Hardcore Henry is far from a full-fledged cinematic experience. There’s no plot and the frantic sequence of action scenes can’t disguise the feeling that this farce is merely a consumer piece with a short shelf-life. Original, technically very accomplished, but also exhausting almost to the max. And this time there was no need for a second or third part, 90 minutes of the first one was enough. (14.07.2016)

A first of its kind? Gotta give it props for being bold. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or someone who just dabbled in video games back in school, this is an interesting watch. Even though my overall feelings are positive, I’m glad the movie wasn’t any longer. After about an hour of mowing down "helpless" enemies, a bit of fatigue sets in (and no, it’s not because of a lack of creativity in the kills). Bonus points for a few solid jokes and a killer soundtrack—*Don’t Stop Me Now* from the trailer was a standout. 70%. (20.04.2016)

There was always something going on and there were so many ideas, but I still got bored, and quite a lot, unfortunately. It’s basically like the first or second Machete, nothing would have been lost if it had remained as a short. Regardless, the form is interesting and it was the only reason I stuck with it until the end. (25.06.2016)

I applaud the idea, admire the technical realization, and criticize the rest. Hardcore Henry is an unimaginably slick and stylish action flick, where some of the opening scenes (especially the free fall in the escape pod) spike the level of the viewer's experience to unprecedented, and you can really say revolutionary, heights, while the optimally set runtime and a lot of black humour, brilliantly provided by the film's best character(s), the outrageously loud Sharlto Copley, are also a hit. But that's where the good stuff ends, as the frantic, B-movie sci-fi story makes no sense, we know absolutely nothing about most of the characters, including the confused Henry, and the vast majority of motives remain unexplained and unfinished. It's simply too much chaos, which can still be excused for the adrenaline-fuelled action scenes, but even pure cinematic entertainment should strive for a more meaningful or at least more atmospheric plot – we can't even worry about Henry, as he's clearly a blend of every invulnerable Hollywood hero in history. And the last criticism is directed to the final long battle, which, instead of a climactic ending, is in my eyes the weakest action set-piece of the film. I did have fun and if I weren't such an opponent of computer games I might not have objected. 65% (29.04.2016)

Rated R for non-stop bloody brutal violence and mayhem, language throughout, sexual content/nudity, and drug use. ___ It's only been five years since Henry was in theaters, and I already feel the need to retrospectively appreciate it as a throwback to the trend of the GoPro videos which YT was fed up with in their day, before they started being replaced by passive YouTubers in the quiet of their homes, and also the end of the era of big video game titles driven by the promise of technological advancement before that market shifted and games started being developed on social platforms. Here we find the usual climbing over buildings (Assassin's Creed, Mirror's Edge), sniper missions (Call of Duty), escaping from unknown snipers (Half-Life), augmentations (Deus Ex, even with a very blatant rip-off of the soundtrack of Human Revolution at the beginning), obstacles you can shoot through, or papers flying around during the gunfights (FEAR). Add to all that the familiar nightmare of falling somewhere you don't actually fall. Hardcore Henry is actually a fan film in the best way imaginable. It's incoherent (tied together, thankfully, by the FP format), doesn't know when to calm down, and just tosses in one idea after another, whereas it carries the film's tricky and thorough choreography all the way through with tremendous effort just for the sheer spectacle of it. Besides, despite his muteness and anonymity, the protagonist is somehow actually quite likeable, and that's only through the way he occasionally gesticulates with his hand, turns his head, and when he knocks a girl down on the stairs waits to see if she's okay, despite having a bunch of evildoers at his back. The shenanigans he comes up with during the action sequences is actually his way of expressing and building character. But I recognize that this may be because I'm a pretty die-hard gamer who would ideally live his entire alternate life somewhere in a fictional universe, and I can tune into that kind of storytelling much more easily. "Take down the proto-baby!" (23.04.2016)

An interesting first-person combat film until about halfway through. Then it starts to get boring by repeating virtually the same plot over and over again. I kept wondering how many more enemies Henry would have to shoot, slash, beat or tear apart with his bare hands for the plot to move forward. I still don't know the answer. Even after the death of the last villain, I don't really know what it was all about, or why the main bad guy had telekinetic powers. The film just lacks a point. The plot goes from point A to who knows where or why. 3 stars are for the first 40 minutes and for all Sharlto Copley’s incarnations. (10.07.2016)

Hardcore Henry has, in my opinion, sparked a revolution in first-person films. Such movies are difficult to make, but they allow the audience to experience everything much more intensely and to empathize with the main character. I was even more surprised that the Russians took on the first film of its kind. However, they succeeded in every respect. The most important and successful aspect, in my view, is the entertainment value of the entire film, where the audience does not have to experience any dull moments. The action is intense, and I was surprised by how catchy and well-executed it was. Sharlto Copley was undoubtedly fantastic; his disguises, lines, and the behavior of the various characters were flawless. The ending was polished to perfection, thanks in part to the excellent soundtrack. I give it 90%. (14.08.2016)

Sure, this is a movie you'll watch mainly because it has an interesting form, and you want to know if a film shot entirely from a first-person perspective will work. Well, since there is a story, it actually works. But the form degrades it a bit in places because it loses its power with blurry shots where nothing can be seen. I simply don't like that about the movie. (26.04.2016)

One thing is certain, falling asleep during this film is not possible. I chose Hardcore Henry quite blindly at the open-air cinema, because they weren't showing anything I wanted to watch there. Henry turned out to be a fairly pleasant alternative and I had been curious about him for a while. And I can't say I was disappointed at all. On the contrary. I haven't experienced such action in a long time. Hardcore Henry is an incredibly action-packed, almost brutally action-packed film that resembles more of a playstation game and sometimes you even think: Is this animated now? Anyway, besides the constant action, this Russian piece also offers a gigantic dose of humor in the form of Sharlto Copley, who takes care of all the wild humor around here and I can't imagine it without his character now. It is a huge experience to enjoy this in the cinema, because at home it wouldn't be anything special. Najšuller didn't forget about a decent dose of gore and beautifully balanced the story. I'm probably not giving it five stars only because of a slightly stereotypical ending, but it's very close to full throttle. (26.08.2016)

Thumbs up for the courage to make this. I really appraciate it as it's exactly what I'd wanted to see for a long time. However, I’m not planning on watching another similar movie, because Hardcore Henry is as good as it gets. Although it was fun, pretty badass, and tried to be original in every scene, it still didn't work to the fullest at times, which is a bit of a shame. I'm not saying that I won’t revisit it someday when I feel like some mindless entertainment. (23.04.2016)