in Hardcore Henry | Posted on February 10, 2016Runtime: 2:25
Trailer for Hardcore Henry, originally titled Hardcore.
Strap in. Hardcore Henry is one of the most unflinchingly original wild-rides to hit the big screen in a long time: You remember nothing. Mainly because you’ve just been brought back from the dead by your wife (Haley Bennett). She tells you that your name is Henry. Five minutes later, you are being shot at, your wife has been kidnapped, and you should probably go get her back. Who’s got her? His name’s Akan (Danila Kozlovsky); he’s a powerful warlord with an army of mercenaries, and a plan for world domination. You’re also in an unfamiliar city of Moscow, and everyone wants you dead. Everyone except for a mysterious British fellow called Jimmy (Sharlto Copley). He may be on your side, but you aren’t sure. If you can survive the insanity, and solve the mystery, you might just discover your purpose and the truth behind your identity. Good luck, Henry. You’re likely going to need it...
Hardcore Henry, which started strictly as a concept under the title (which we like better) Hardcore, was shot almost entirely with a GoPro Hero3. Using these cameras allowed for the FPS (first-person shooter) effect seen throughout the film's entire running time.
The concept reel was such a hit, that filmmaker Ilya Naishuller went to IndieGoGo to raise an additional $256,000 to complete production. The director promised a POV (point of view) experience like no other, and used the short film Bad Motherf*cker as evidence of what he was capable of.
The TrailerAddict crew have been fans of Hardcore Henry since the first reel all the way back in 2014. Oh crap -- has it been that long?! When we first saw the footage (oh so long ago) we couldn't help but think of the mind-blowing rescue sequence in Kick-Ass or the FPS sequence in Doom. Both were awesome, but neither dared keeping up with that perspective for longer than a few minutes.
As seen in the trailer for Hardcore Henry, the film will likely be one helluva test to see if audiences can handle a film that provides this sort of perspective for a whopping 90 minutes. Will people get burned out or, worse, get sick?
The trailer itself is obviously awesome and whoever decided to use the song "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen is an absolute genius. The song works, just like how it worked when Simon Pegg and his buddies kicked the shit out of a zombie in Shaun of the Dead. Remember that? Yep, just as fantastic.
Conclusion: We can't wait for April, but remain curious on why some of the larger studios passed on this one.