It’s practically a movie law: Any big city will always have corrupt politicians and dirty cops. Sometimes small towns, too. The crime drama or action thriller genres are essentially founded on this precept. When a film crafts something fresh out of this timeworn setting, that’s worth your time. Netflix’s new film Havoc attempts to do this. While it doesn’t always succeed, the film has a superb cast and a watchable story.
Havoc follows cop Patrick Walker (Tom Hardy). He has clearly done something in the past that he is not proud of, involving money, drugs, and other cops. He is even estranged from his wife and child because of his guilt. As Christmas approaches, a violent theft spirals into a drug deal gone bad that puts a politician’s (Forest Whitaker) son in the crosshairs of a Triad gang. Walker agrees to find the young man and bring him to his father in order to be free of his past. Of course, the Triad and other corrupt police are not going to make that easy.
Actors like Hardy and Whitaker are a significant reason why Havoc maintains a bit of interest throughout the mostly predictable plot and the graphic, bloody action sequences. They make the most of the best parts of the story they’re given. Including the details viewers expect in this genre.
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“You live in this world, you make choices.”
One expectation in this type of story is the jaded veteran cop interacting with an idealistic, younger newbie officer. And, what do you know, Walker was recently assigned Ellie (Jessie Mei Li) as a partner. Writer-director Gareth Evans manages to avoid the more irritating outcomes of this set-up, though. Ellie is not presented as incompetent or naive at any point. She is physically brave and quick to adjust as events occur. Walker and Ellie’s interactions don’t take up that much screen time, but they work well. If by some chance this film becomes a streaming hit and a sequel happens, this relationship is definitely the one that offers continuing story potential.
Ellie is not the only strong female character in this film. The politician’s son, Charlie (Justin Cornwell), initially got himself into this situation to help his girlfriend, Mia (Quelin Sepulveda). She had a debt to the Triad she needed to pay. Mia proves to be quite the fighter herself when goons track them down in the middle of a club. You have to accept a bit of the ridiculous here (where did a meat cleaver come from in a club?). But all the knives and what feels like millions of bullets are just accessories to well-choreographed fight scenes. While you are questioning certain details a bit (how many Triad members are there in this city?), you are also cringing at each cut and gunshot. Visceral is a good word to describe these sequences. Seriously, the amount of fake blood used for this film must have been astounding.
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“You don’t get to walk away from this.”
Evans doesn’t just emphasize the action as a director. He often uses the movement of the camera to add to the momentum of the imagery, like in the opening car chase. Sometimes he creates similar shots for fight scenes. However, there are so many of those that they become a bit repetitive. Evans also does a decent job of assembling the production values into a believable atmosphere, a gritty urban landscape of neon and concrete. Don’t expect much visual reference to the Christmas setting. There aren’t really any Christmas trees or twinkly lights to be seen here, and I do wonder what effect that would’ve had on the film.
One thing that shouldn’t be changed is the cast. Hardy, working an American accent, does world-weary very well, and Walker also requires a physical toughness that Hardy has always exhibited. Li does a wonderful job as Ellie, as well. Forest Whitaker is a performer I have enjoyed watching for many years. He always adds value to the time you invest in a film, and this film is no different. Timothy Olyphant is another welcome presence here. This time, he puts his talents to villainous use. I like seeing Luis Guzman show up in a supporting role, too. The acting is probably the thing that stands out most about this film. Havoc has moments of style, but the story is quite typical of this genre, and nothing in the plot or dialogue is all that distinctive. Watching Netflix‘s Havoc is more about the acting and the action.
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3 ½ stars out of 5
Havoc is streaming on Netflix.
