I have two warnings for those who decide to see ‘Hardcore Henry‘, the first and the only feature film made so far by Russian director Ilya Naishuller. It’s an action movie, but it’s not an ordinary one either, it’s a first-person action movie. The story is told from a perspective similar to that of a player in command of a first-person shooter (FPS) video game and those unfamiliar with this type of games or unprepared for this experience risk ending the viewing with a serious headache, if they have not given up watching after 10 or 20 minutes. The second warning is for those who hate violence on screen. It’s one of the most violent movies I’ve ever seen. The convention is clear, we are in a movie designed as a game, but even so, I do not recommend to those who avoid ‘tough’ movies to see ‘Hardcore Henry‘. Those who have after all decided to watch the film despite my warnings may be enthusiastic by the end. Or very disappointed. In a way it is a unique experience, for better or worse. But at least if they’ve read this far, they’re all warned.
The story is more of a pretext. The hero of the film wakes up after a traumatic event, his memory seems to have vanished, and soon we realize that he himself is or has become an android robot or maybe a human-robot hybrid. Thrown (literally) from a helicopter into a modern, dangerous and violent Moscow, he will have to understand who he is, to distinguish between enemies (a lot) and friends (a few), to look for and save the beautiful blonde who told him that she was his wife, and especially to survive having at hand the whole arsenal of the FPS video game players.
I don’t know if the hero of ‘Hardcore Henry‘ has finally figured out who he is, I have not in any case. But I don’t think it’s important. The focus of this international production is on the visual experience and we witness and take part in an exceptional cinematic technical performance combining acting, amazing stunts and graphic computerized effects. Everything is seen through the eyes of the hero, whose image we see only twice, in reflections. The alert montage gives the feeling of ‘one-shot’, although it is composed of separate scenes interleaved with 1800 CGI effects. The feeling of immersion is almost perfect, as spectators we are in a virtual reality show similar to video games with the addition of adequate soundtrack. Director Ilya Naishuller is talented and has a good command of the technical means. Interesting where he will go from here. One direction he already masters is that of action anticipation films. If he will decide to add different content and approach more consistent stories, it will be even more interesting.