The concept of a film shot entirely in the first-person has traditionally been somewhat of a cinematic fantasy, an unattainable idea that’s extremely difficult to put into practice. Other genres, like found-footage, have experimented with similar tropes, but never wholly embraced such a framework. But all of this changes with “Hardcore Henry,” a moviegoing experience that can be summarily described as a machismo grenade blast of insanity. Directed by Ilya Naishuller and starring Sharlto Copley and Haley Bennett, “Hardcore Henry” combines its innovative technical framework with a story that, while bizarre and sometimes discombobulated, holds surprising thematic resonance.
The protagonist of “Hardcore Henry” is — surprise — a man named Henry. At its core, the central plot of the film is relatively straightforward, but various extraneous elements, like the ambiguity of the motivations of certain characters, add more flavor to the embedded events. While these inclusions certainly give the film more flair, they are sometimes completely zany and strange to the point of absurdity.
However, the film does possess a few fundamental themes, such as the ownership of memory and courage in the face of opposition, which resonate surprisingly well in key moments. “Hardcore Henry” would have certainly benefitted from more fleshed out human relationships, but for a movie shot in such a style, combined with the fact that the protagonist cannot even speak, it does a fine job.
While the narrative, albeit sometimes odd to the point of inanity, is definitely engaging, the main draw of the movie is undoubtedly its unique technical perspective. Shot almost entirely with a Go-Pro camera, “Hardcore Henry” never deviates from a first-person view, and it utilizes the uncommon technique with an innovative spirit. While the limited vision of the first-person has the stigma of being a handicap, the film actually uses it to its advantage. By changing aspects of the scene that exist beyond the viewer’s field of perception, they inherently become more jarring and surprising when they do eventually enter the screen.
The first-person perspective also makes the visceral nature of the film feel more personal, and the film pushes on this point by cranking the gore meter up to eleven. However, while the first-person view is handled well overall, it inevitably possesses a few flaws. One of the more notable drawbacks is how the film frequently cuts between frames in self-contained scenes. To be clear, such a technique is certainly needed so as to prevent the movie from feeling too procedural between moments of action, but “Harcore Henry” simply does it too much and ultimately doesn’t intersperse enough scenes of tranquility within its framework of high octane action. Still, even though such spacing could have been utilized to a greater extent, it nonetheless exists in some capacity, which saves the film from desensitizing the viewer.
“Hardcore Henry” is certainly not a movie for everyone. Its high levels of gore may be displeasing to some, and its rare filming technique could prove to be too jarring for others. But it cannot be denied that the film champions its unconventional nature. While “Hardcore Henry” is certainly not perfect, it is abundantly clear that its filmmakers truly believed in the uniqueness of their product, and the final result is an admirable effort, one that manifests itself in a flawed yet fine execution of a risky proposition.
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