Havoc (2025) is a crime-action thriller from Gareth Evans, the director known for The Raid films. Tom Hardy leads the cast, and Forest Whitaker joins in a key role. Released on Netflix on April 25 and rated 18+, the film pulls no punches. Expect intense shootouts, brutal fight scenes, and a trail of chaos soaked in blood. It’s a hard-hitting ride through a violent underworld where every bullet doesn’t count.
The Premise
When a drug deal goes violently wrong, chaos erupts, and Charlie Beaumont, the son of powerful city politician Lawrence Beaumont, is caught on camera at the scene of a deadly shootout that leaves a feared crime boss dead.
Enter Detective Walker, a frustrated dad and a damaged cop with a checkered past. He’s spent years bending the rules with his corrupt unit, led by the cold and calculating Vincent. But Walker still has a sliver of a conscience left. He sees a shot at redemption. His mission is simple but dangerous: find Charlie and bring him to his father before the streets swallow him whole.
With the city in panic and everyone scrambling to cover their tracks, revenge is already in motion. The slain crime boss’s mother, grieving and ruthless, is out for blood. She kidnaps Lawrence, hoping to lure her real target: his estranged son, Charlie.
Walker digs deeper. He eventually tracks down Charlie’s girlfriend, the one person who knows where he is. Now, she’s being hunted too. At every turn, Walker faces vicious ambushes, bloody fights, and gun battles that leave almost everyone dead.
Aided by his partner Ellie, they fight to expose the real killers in a final confrontation that is nothing short of a war zone.
Havoc is exactly that — raw, relentless, and deeply chaotic. But beneath the bullets and blood, it’s also a story about guilt, survival, and a man trying to do the right thing in a world that’s long since stopped caring.
Casts and Performances
Tom Hardy leads as Detective Walker, bringing his trademark intensity to a character worn down by guilt and corruption. While echoes of his Venom role occasionally peek through, he still delivers the energy the role demands.
Forest Whitaker gives a grounded performance as politician Lawrence Beaumont, balancing authority with desperation. Timothy Olyphant adds sharp menace as the morally bankrupt Vincent, while Jessie Mei Li is a solid presence as Ellie, Walker’s partner.
Justin Cornwell holds his own as Charlie, the young man at the heart of the chaos. But it’s Yeo Yann Yann, as the grieving mother of the slain crime boss, who leaves the most haunting impression. Despite limited screen time, her performance is deeply affecting, simmering with rage, sorrow, and quiet intensity. She’s easily the film’s most emotionally charged presence.
The ensemble doesn’t break new ground, but they match the film’s fast-paced, violent tone well, delivering just enough emotional weight to keep the story grounded amidst the bloodshed.
What I liked
Havoc leans into the action, and as someone who enjoyed The Raid films, I appreciated that. You can tell Gareth Evans hasn’t lost his touch for raw, close-quarters combat. There’s a mix of hand-to-hand fights, brutal deaths, and the occasional wild shootout that genuinely had me on edge. Even when the story lost a bit of focus, the action kept pulling me back in. It’s not just flashy, it’s tense, relentless, and messy in an intentional way. If you’re in it for the chaos, there’s a lot to enjoy.
Weak Points
For all its adrenaline and intensity, Havoc struggles where it matters most, the story. The central plot around the failed drug deal never quite clicks, and the reasons behind it feel vague and underdeveloped. There’s an attempt to weave in a backstory about corruption within the police force, but it’s so lightly touched that it never really adds depth or tension. Instead, the film leans heavily on non-stop action to carry the weight, and while that works in bursts, it leaves the overall narrative feeling hollow.
The world-building also took a hit. The city looked and felt like a knockoff Gotham from Sin City, especially during the car chases, which made it harder to buy into the setting. It lacked that sense of a lived-in, believable world.
Some moments don’t add up. Charlie’s girlfriend, who’s supposed to be terrified and on the run, somehow holds her own in fights like a trained fighter; it didn’t feel believable. And then there’s the classic case of plot armour: shootouts where bullets magically miss the good guys, and guns that never seem to run out of ammo.
In the end, Havoc delivers on carnage and chaos, but feels like it left the story, logic, and character grounding behind.
Final Thoughts
Havoc falters where it counts, the story. The plot feels disjointed and underdeveloped, and there are moments where the action seems to overshadow any meaningful character or narrative development. While the non-stop violence will satisfy fans of intense action films, those looking for a more grounded, coherent story might find themselves disappointed. In the end, Havoc is for those who appreciate explosive action and carnage, but it’s a bit too messy in its storytelling to leave a lasting impression beyond the spectacle.
Rating
I would rate Havoc 3 out of 5 stars.
Have you seen Havoc yet? What did you think of the action and the plot? Let me know your thoughts!
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