Tom Hardy‘s 2025 Netflix hit is one of the best action movies on the service, combining the strongest elements of both John Wick and The Raid. Among Hardy’s best movies in recent years, the streaming hit tells an action story that is accessible and compelling, making it the perfect watch for viewers who are looking for fantastic action.
Hardy has been acting for a long time, making his big-screen debut in Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down. Since then, he has made a real name for himself across multiple genres, featuring in dramatic work like Bronson, superhero action films like Venom, and even romantic comedies like This Means War, alongside Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine.
In addition to big films, Hardy has been a big hit on television. Taboo and Peaky Blinders made him into an even bigger star, and he is now appearing in MobLand, one of the best programs streaming on Paramount+. Still, even with all of these appearances, it is in big action films that Hardy works best.
All of this has led to one of the actor’s biggest streaming successes. Alongside one of the best directors in the business, and a strong cast that includes Jessie Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant, and Forest Whitaker, Hardy has made one of the best action films of his career with one of last year’s strongest Netflix projects.
Tom Hardy’s Havoc Delivers The Relentless Action That Made John Wick A Hit
Tom Hardy’s Havoc is a fantastic action thriller that was released on Netflix in April 2025. The film was a big hit for the streamer, and has remained beloved since, largely for its fantastic visual sensibilities and its strong focus on well-choreographed, intense, and virtually unrelenting action.
Like the John Wick films, Havoc gives its tough and indefatigable protagonist a violent goal, and sets him on his way. Following a botched heist, Detective Walker is forced to navigate a city full of violent corruption as he must find and protect a politician’s son over the course of one thrilling night.
Like John Wick, the film delivers one powerful action scene after another, and Hardy does a perfect job of infusing those dark moments with great character action. His Walker character is complex and caught up in something much bigger than himself, but acts as a perfect entry point to this brutal world for viewers.
Thrilling, powerful, and engaging all at once, Havoc is a genuine must-see for its great cast and its strong story. However, it is the film’s approach to action that makes it so refreshing, with much of that ability coming from the well-honed skills of its excellent director.
Director Gareth Evans Previously Redefined Action Cinema With The Raid
<<img src="https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/rama-battling-mad-dog-in-the-raid-redemption.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
</figure>
Gareth Evans, director of The Raid, is one of the most compelling action filmmakers in Hollywood. The Raid tells a simple story about a team being sent in to raid an accomplished drug lord’s tower, and the film’s 101-minute runtime is loaded to the brim with fantastic action sequences as they make their way through the building.
The Raid‘s story is simple, but its execution is anything but. The Indonesian film shows off pencak silat martial arts, a very detail-oriented style of fighting that is dependent on striking, grappling, and very fluid footwork. This made for an excellent visual spectacle in the film’s closely packed hallway scenes.
Brutal, violent, and endlessly creative, The Raid‘s fight scenes were uniquely compelling. Bloody and thrilling, showing real damage and real danger to the characters throughout the film’s unfolding, the movie had a fantastic visual sense that allowed all of the punches to hit that much harder.
All of this was thanks to Evans’ strong direction. Since then, the filmmaker made two great projects with The Raid 2 and 2018’s excellent Apostle. With that in mind, it is hard to deny that Havoc is already among his best projects thanks to its unique blend of violence and tension.
Havoc Combines John Wick’s Gunfights With The Raid’s Brutal Hand-To-Hand Combat
<<img src="https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/tom-hardy-patrick-holding-a-gun-in-havok.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
</figure>
Gareth Evans brings his prowess with fantastic action to Havoc, but the film’s setup allows for a much more gun-based kind of fighting to take the story’s center. Because of this, the film carries a bit of the energy seen in John Wick, where high-octane fist fights interplay with fantastic use of guns.
This kind of close-quarters-based fighting that includes ranged weaponry is often referred to as “gun fu”. Dating back to John Woo’s 1986 film A Better Tomorrow, this type of visual storytelling has only become more popular over the years. And while John Wick may be the most popular contemporary example, Havoc is often even better.
The film’s action is as brutal as it is beautiful, balancing high-tension choreography with stunning violence. Hardy is the perfect performer for the center of this story, where he is given the chance to show off much of his tremendous physical prowess in fantastic fights against corrupt city officials and politicians.
Why Havoc Is The Perfect Netflix Movie For Fans Of John Wick And The Raid
<<img src="https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/timothy-olyphant-in-havoc-2025.jpeg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Image courtesy of Everett Collection</figure>
Few films have reached the highs of the John Wick series, and there are very few filmmakers who are as strong with action as Gareth Evans is. Combining the benefits of both The Raid and John Wick, Havoc does a fantastic job putting together an accessible story and using it to show off some slick and thrilling action.
The exciting film is fairly short, at only 105 minutes, but it packs nonstop thrills and action into its runtime. Hardy does some of his career’s best work, and Timothy Olyphant’s Vincent is a fantastic foil for the hero. Even the ending of the story is fantastic and full of thematic tension.
While reviews for the film were a little more mixed, thanks to its generic dialogue and familiar story, there has been almost universal agreement that Havoc‘s approach to action is fantastic. Fast-paced, and executed on such a high technical level, the film is a strong offering on streaming that is worth watching even just for its incredible action sequences.
For anyone looking for a strong action movie that comes anywhere close to those popular films, while also channeling elements of Extraction, Hard-Boiled, and Layer Cake, Havoc is an essential watch. It remains available on streaming as one of the best Netflix movies of 2025.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
