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Havoc (2025) Review: A Raw Action Thriller

REVIEW OVERVIEW

The Film

SUMMARY

Tom Hardy stars as Detective Walker, a volatile cop who battles through a rain-lashed, crime-rotted city to rescue a politician’s kidnapped son, uncovering a labyrinth of corruption, betrayal, and brutal gang warfare along the way.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

A Relentless Onslaught

Havoc doesn’t waste time trying to win you over. It slams your head into the pavement in the first ten minutes and dares you to keep up. Directed by Gareth Evans (The Raid, Gangs of London), this brutal ride stars Tom Hardy as a detective fueled by pain, anger, and a bad attitude.

A Simple Setup, A Savage Underworld

The premise is straightforward: After a drug deal goes sideways, Detective Walker must claw through the city’s criminal underbelly to rescue a corrupt politician’s estranged son. Along the way, he unearths a cesspool of dirty cops, gangsters, and betrayals. The city itself is a rain-soaked nightmare—Gotham stripped of its last shred of soul.

Ugly, Fast, Personal: The Art of Havoc’s Violence

The film is chaotic, messy, and unflinchingly violent. When fists fly, Evans proves he hasn’t lost his edge. Every punch, bat swing, and crowbar strike lands with visceral weight. The fights are raw and frantic—no slow-mo theatrics, just brutal efficiency.

  • Timothy Olyphant in Havoc (2025)
  • Havoc (2025)
  • Quelin Sepulveda in Havoc (2025)
  • Havoc (2025)
  • Havoc (2025)
  • Havoc (2025)
  • Forest Whitaker in Havoc (2025)
  • Havoc (2025)
  • Havoc (2025)
  • Tom Hardy in Havoc (2025)
  • Tom Hardy in Havoc (2025)
  • Tom Hardy in Havoc (2025)
  • Havoc (2025)

A City That’s One Big Crime Scene

Havoc’s greatest strength is its suffocating atmosphere. The city feels like a festering wound, blending Se7en’s nihilism with Gotham’s grimmest alleys (minus the capes). The grime is palpable—you can practically taste the mold and blood through the screen.

Bruises on the Ride

The film isn’t without flaws. CGI-heavy car chases fall flat, their rubbery crashes jarring compared to the gritty realism of Evans’ earlier work (see The Raid 2’s legendary practical chases). Pandemic delays and reshoots stretching into 2024 also leave the final product feeling uneven.

Tom Hardy: The Human Wrecking Ball

Hardy anchors the chaos with sheer intensity. His Walker is no invincible hero—he’s a battered force of nature. Forest Whitaker and Timothy Olyphant lend gravitas in supporting roles, but this is Hardy’s show from start to finish.

Final Verdict: A Bloody Good Time?

Havoc doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It’s a grimy, blood-soaked brawl that knows its audience. If you crave unapologetic brutality with a side of atmospheric dread, this knuckle-dragging rampage delivers. Just don’t expect to leave unscathed.


Havoc is streaming now on Netflix


  • Rating Certificate: TV-MA
  • Studios & Distributors: One More One Productions | Severn Screen | XYZ Films | Netflix
  • Director: Gareth Evans
  • Written By: Gareth Evans
  • Country: United Kingdom | USA
  • Language: English
  • Run Time: 107 Mins.
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
  • Release Date: 25 April 2025
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Tom Hardy stars as Detective Walker, a volatile cop who battles through a rain-lashed, crime-rotted city to rescue a politician’s kidnapped son, uncovering a labyrinth of corruption, betrayal, and brutal gang warfare along the way.Havoc (2025) Review: A Raw Action Thriller