With the persistent popularity of first-person shooters in the world of video games, I’m honestly surprised it’s taken this long for the film world to catch up. Sure, we’ve seen first-person sequences on the big screen before – the poorly received adaptation of classic shooter Doom tried this gimmick – but Hardcore Henry is the first full-length action film shot entirely from this perspective.
The film began popping up on the festival circuit last year under the title Hardcore, and will be making a stop at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival next month en route to a wider release in April. Check out the Hardcore Henry trailer below.
While I’ll certainly admit to being intrigued by the premise – not to mention fascinated by director Ilya Naishuller’s ability to pull of something so ambitious – the trailer is disorienting enough that I’m not sure I would be able to sit through 90 minutes of this. It’s a strange feeling – I can play Call of Duty or Star Wars Battlefront for hours on end, but this two-minute clip gave me a splitting headache.
We’re hoping to catch Hardcore Henry during our trip to SXSW next month, so keep an eye out for our review – provided that I don’t succumbing to motion sickness first.
Hardcore Henry opens in theaters on April 8.
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 trailer sxsw sxsw 2016 sxsw film festival