Tom Hardy is no stranger to playing characters who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Whether it’s gritty historical figures or men on the wrong side of the law, he’s an actor who’s built an illustrious career portraying unforgettable tough guys — and his latest project, director Gareth Evans’ feature film Havoc, gives him an opportunity to do so once again.
An action-packed Netflix crime thriller, Havoc returns Hardy to familiar narrative territory — the heart of a dark and dangerous underworld, where survival is the only rule.
In the new movie, which hits Netflix on April 25, Hardy plays Walker, a detective who finds himself fighting his way through a crime-riddled city after a drug deal goes horribly wrong. It’s a high-octane thriller that has all the elements of a classic Hardy role: A man pushed to his limits, facing off against overwhelming odds. After the deal goes south, Walker is targeted by a vengeful crime syndicate, a corrupt politician, and even his own colleagues. The stakes get even higher when Walker attempts to rescue the estranged son of the politician involved in the deal, uncovering a web of corruption and conspiracy.
The movie, which is already drawing comparisons to John Wick, also stars Jessie Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant, and Forest Whitaker.
Fans of Hardy’s work know that he thrives in these types of roles, playing characters that are complex, morally ambiguous, and often teetering on the edge of redemption or destruction. In Havoc, Hardy’s detective is weighed down by his personal demons, forced to navigate a world of crime and deceit to protect those who need him most. The tension and intensity are palpable, as Hardy brings to life a character who’s as much a prisoner of his past as he is a warrior against the forces trying to take him down.
It’s easy to see why he’s so drawn to these kinds of roles. From his portrayal of iconic historical figures like Dunkirk’s fighter pilot to the Jewish gang leader Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders, Hardy has a knack for embodying a blend of vulnerability with intensity, which makes him one of the most versatile and captivating actors of his generation.
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Hardy about his role in MobLand, a new Paramount+ show where he plays a gangster’s fixer. Like Walker in Havoc, Hardy’s character in MobLand is wrapped up in a world of crime and violence, offering another example of his affinity for gray characters in morally compromised settings. Hardy told me these kinds of stories offer an irresistible mix of escapism and adventure-driven entertainment.
And speaking of MobLand — for what it’s worth, the Havoc trailer below is set to Starburster by Fontaines D.C., which also just so happens to be the theme song to MobLand. A subtle reminder that crime dramas and Tom Hardy are as essential to each other as bullets in a gun.
