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The Raid Outshines John Wick In Ratings ( Photo Credit – Prime Video )

If you are a diehard fan of action movies and think nothing can beat John Wick, here’s a film that might have flown under your radar. This action-packed gem came out a few years before the Keanu Reeves hit and quietly impressed critics and fans with its high-octane fight scenes and slick choreography. Believe it or not, it even has a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than John Wick.

Not many people have seen it, but those who have only have good things to say. And the best part is that you can stream it on an Indian Ott platform. Can you guess the movie? We are talking about the Indonesian action thriller The Raid (also known internationally as The Raid: Redemption), which was released in 2011 and impressed action movie lovers across the globe. Read on to find out...

The director of Pulp Fiction, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and Inglourious Basterds isn’t exactly the biggest Netflix fan. In fact, in 2017, he told Deadline that streaming movies were so forgettable that “it’s almost like they don’t even exist.” So when Quentin Tarantino recently gave a shoutout to Gareth Evans’ Havoc, fans were thrilled but also a little confused. Did that Quentin Tarantino—the man who once compared streaming tech to emotional apathy—really say something nice about a Netflix original? On the Video Archives podcast, a user believed to be Qt casually dropped: “Who has seen the Netflix movie Chaos directed [by] the guy who did The Raid? It’s pretty f*ing bad-ass.” Of course, fans were quick to correct him: the movie’s not called Chaos. It’s Havoc. But really, who’s going to nitpick titles when Tarantino is out here hyping up Netflix content?...

Gareth Evans’ Havoc premiered on Netflix last month—and it appears to have earned a fan in none other than Quentin Tarantino.

From the talk backs in the Video Archives podcast, “Q.T.,” who is believed to be Tarantino, said, “Who has seen the Netflix movie Chaos directed the the guy who did The Raid? It’s pretty f***ing bad-ass.” Commenters reminded him that the film is called Havoc, but the sentiment still stands.

Havoc soared to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts upon release, racking up 29.8 million views. That impressive debut outpaced several higher-profile films—including The Electric State, the Russo brothers’ star-studded sci-fi adventure featuring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.

Related Havoc tops Netflix’s streaming charts with a better debut than The Electric State

Tom Hardy stars in Havoc as Walker, a “bruised detective fighting his way through the criminal underworld threatening to engulf his entire city.

The Raid: Redemption, directed by Gareth Evans, is often considered to be one of the best action movies of the 21st Century. Starring Iko Uwais, the tense action thriller follows a Swat team's efforts to escape a building run by a violent mobster after a raid goes wrong. The movie features intense hand-to-hand combat using all sorts of improvised weapons and martial arts. But, despite the passion of the fan base, the fights in The Raid aren't very realistic, at least, not according to a real Navy Seal.

Insider recently interviewed DJ Shipley, a former Navy Seal, and showed him various fight scenes from popular action movies. Shipley was shown the machete fight from The Raid: Redemption, a personal favorite of fans. But, despite the intense choreography of the action, it's not very realistic. In the fight, Rama (Uwais) gets disarmed and has to fight two machete-wielding attackers without a weapon.

Tom Hardy has been having a bit of an odd run in the last decade or so. Once a favorite of Christopher Nolan's, Hardy has spent the majority of his last 10 years working on three Venom movies. After wrapping up the trilogy last year with the box office hit Venom: The Last Dance, Hardy branched out with the Paramount+ series MobLand and the long-in-development Netflix action film Havoc. Directed by Gareth Evans, Havoc debuted on the streamer a few weeks ago, after a rather tumultuous production. While it was a hit in the initial few days of its release, the film's mixed audience response sent it tumbling down the Netflix viewership charts. Havocappears to be making a resurgence of sorts now, having climbed all the way up to number four in the Netflix rankings.

According to FlixPatrol, on May 22, Havoc finished behind only the Vince Vaughn comedy Nonnas, and...

For fans of Shadow and Bone, Netflix’s untimely cancellation of the fantasy drama after just 2 seasons felt much like a betrayal, especially when you take Season 2’s jaw-dropping cliffhanger end into account. The show had built a loyal fanbase for itself and earned generally good reviews, which made its axing even more confounding.

But among the disappointed, there was one particular voice that was louder than the others. It was none other than the show’s lead star, Jessie Mei Li, who made it abundantly clear that the cancellation came as a piece of devastating news to her. She has also recently expressed great interest in returning to the show in the off chance that Netflix decides to pick it up again.

Jessie Mei Li’s enduring affection for Shadow and Bone

After Netflix canceled Shadow and Bone, lead actress Jessie Mei Li did not hesitate to express her...

For those who have basked in the action thriller delights of Tom Hardy and The Raid director Gareth Evans’ Netflix outing, Havoc, the streamer has in treat in store for you. Once again finding a man with a particular set of violent skills on a rescue mission, Netflix has now unleashed the first trailer for the upcoming action movie K.O., which you can check out below.

Written and directed by Antoine Blossier (Prey), K.O. finds professional Mma fighter Ciryl Gane (Den of Thieves: Pantera) taking the lead as a fighter who, after accidentally killing his opponent in the ring, finds a shot at redemption when the widowed wife asks for his help in saving her teenage son from a gang of criminals. The rest of the cast includes Alice Belaïdi, Faued Nabba, Maleaume Paquin, Anne Azoulay, Ibrahima Keita, Samuel Jouy, and Virgile Bramly, and you can check out both...

Once feared lost, the original negative of John Woo’s action classic Hard Boiled has been rescued and restored. The 4K disc is due in June.

There’s cool, and then there’s ‘Chow Yun-fat sliding down a banister, shooting bad guys with a toothpick in his mouth’ cool. It’s an early, iconic moment in an action thriller stuffed full of them: 1992’s Hard Boiled cemented director John Woo’s reputation in Hollywood, and remains a high point in Hong Kong cinema.

For years, however, it was thought that Hard Boiled's original print was lost. Although that film – and other films in Woo’s back catalogue – can be purchased on disc online, some knotty rights issues mean a new 4K release was long thought to be impossible.

In the mid-90s, Golden Princess, the production company that made Hard Boiled and numerous other Hong Kong classics, went bust.

Tom Hardy’s new series, MobLand, has only three episodes remaining in its first season, but the show has been mostly well-received thus far. Hailing from creator Ronan Bennett and writer Jez Butterworth, Guy Ritchie directed several episodes of the Paramount+ series. While it may be a surprise, especially considering their overlap in styles, MobLand marks the first project of Ritchie’s that Hardy has starred in. The series follows Harry Da Souza (Hardy), a local crime fixer who is caught in the middle of two warring crime families. Hardy recently sat down for a tell-all interview with Esquire to talk about MobLand and his other new project, Havoc, and he revealed that he hasn’t always been the hottest on some of Ritchie’s projects:

"I love Guy Ritchie when he’s on, right? I don’t like his take on ‘Oi oi, awight mate! Awight geezah!’ I’m not really into that.

Thanks to his performances in The Dark Knight Rises, Warrior, and more, Tom Hardy has cemented himself as one of the most legendary action stars of all time. Hardy has never shied away from taking the most intense roles, and he’s famous for doing his own stunts, which has now come back to bite him. Hardy’s latest action vehicle comes in the form of Havoc, the bone-crunching thriller written and directed by Gareth Evans that sees its leading star get pummeled on more than one occasion. Hardy recently sat down for an interview with Esquire to talk about Havoc and his career as a whole, and he even revealed that doing his own stunts over the years has taken a toll on his body that’s “not going to get better”:

"I loved playing Eddie in Venom. Juggling chainsaws. … Put me on a unicycle and throw everything at me!

Its time to see what was scoring the most views last week on Netflix. Tudum has been updated and we can reveal below the top five most watched movies and shows in the week to May 5. As usual it is an eclectic pair of lists with several new entries.

On the movie list, old favorites return to our screens as we also see another of the popular murder documentary movies arrive. The top five though offers plenty of action two with a couple of hard hitting films. Look out also for two that are all about grabbing a quick bite!

There's no surprise to see a witty comedy on the list, those are always popular. But Netflix live events continue to prove their value to the platform too. The top five shows list is also where we have some past favorites bringing in viewers and a new series that may...

After a day of rumors involving Neve Campbell joining the X-Men franchise, it has finally been confirmed that she is joining the cast of X-Men '97. On May 12, 2025, rumors began to circulate that Scream star Neve Campbell had been cast as the mutant Polaris, in either Avengers: Doomsday or the upcoming X-Men reboot Marvel Studios is planning. However, with the X-Men reboot only now hiring a director, that felt unlikely. Meanwhile, others questioned why Avengers: Doomsday would introduce a new character in what already looks like a stacked cast.

Now, Comic Book Movie is reporting that Neve Campbell has, in fact, been cast as Polaris, but instead of playing the character in live-action, she will voice her in X-Men '97. Former X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo confirmed this news on X, saying he cast her for Season 2 while still on the series. Despite DeMayo being fired from X-Men '97 for inappropriate workplace behavior,...

This week on the Film Stories Podcast Network: frenetic action, iconic actors, zooming camerawork and much more. Here’s what we’ve been up to…

At the Movies in the Noughties

Wazzup?! It’s a brand new week and brand new podcast on Fspn as Dev Elson begins a show focused on the 2000s, looking at a film an episode, starting with Mark McManus and The Bourne Identity, plus don’t miss Aj Black and Rob Turnbull discuss 2001’s Planet of the Apes…

Reel Talk

Gareth Evans, he of The Raid films, is back with another action fest for Netflix in Havoc, which Sam Stokes and guest Nick Chandler fight their way through the streets to explore…

Writers on Film

John Bleasdale gets into the mind of a great, much lamented actor as author Jason Bailey joins him to discuss his tome on the mighty James Gandolfini…

The X-Cast

Conspiracies...

After years of waiting, Gareth Evans’ action thriller Havoc has finally stormed onto Netflix in all its grit and glory. Starring Tom Hardy as a battered detective navigating the dirty underworld, the film has delivered bone-crunching action that will compel audiences to physically get up and sit on the edge of their seats. The rawness of each action sequence has been a wonderful delight for fans.

Yet, its journey to release was not without a few major bumps in the road. The project was apparently initially wrapped in October of 2021, but it faced a 4-year-long delay before its celluloid debut in 2025. In a candid interview, director Evans has described the ordeal as a “perfect storm” of hindrances. So, what exactly kept this high-powered, action-thriller on the shelf for so long?

Gareth Evans opens up about Havoc’s fair share of setbacks Tom Hardy in Havoc (Credit: Netflix)

Havoc’s journey...

Lera Abova made quite a buzz when her role in the One Piece live-action was announced. The news spotlighted her previous roles in various films and showcased her diversity as an actor. From Anna to Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, she has dabbled in various genres of movies.

Other than that, Abova has modelled for Gucci, Ysl, Dior, Chanel, and Prada. She is a multitalented artist. When it comes to acting, though, it seems she has luck on her side. Her recent thriller movie Extraterritorial has topped the charts, but hold up! It dethroned a movie starring a top-shelf actor.

Tom Hardy’s Havoc was surpassed by the thriller movie, and it is an impressive feat. The trailer seemed so promising, and so did Abova’s acting, which makes one thing certain. Her role in the upcoming One Piece live-action is highly favorable for the franchise, and here’s why.

Gareth Evans’ Havoc, starring Tom Hardy, debuted on Netflix on April 25, 2025, after a prolonged production period. The film quickly climbed to the top of Netflix’s charts, amassing 29.8 million views and 53.1 million hours streamed in its first week . With its intense action sequences and a gripping narrative, fans are eager to know: Will there be a Havoc 2?

Is ‘Havoc 2’ in the Works?

While no official announcement has been made regarding a sequel, director Gareth Evans has expressed openness to continuing the story. Initially conceived as a standalone film, Evans acknowledged the lingering questions about Detective Walker’s fate, stating there’s “definitely a hell of a lot of intrigue about what happens next with Walker’s journey.”

The film’s ending leaves room for continuation, with Walker, portrayed by Hardy, surviving the events and facing potential consequences for his actions. Evans confirmed Walker’s survival, adding fuel to the sequel speculation.

There were more surprises and a big turnover as updated lists of the most viewed Netflix movies and shows were revealed on Tudum. We’ve lost the rom-coms that were holding firm. Also gone are some superb shows and movies that have made a big impact over recent weeks.

On the top five movies list, there is one huge blockbuster drawing in large numbers of viewers. It’s accompanied by a package of past films that have proved popular again. They aren’t top quality in terms of great cinema, but they bring plenty of thrills, spills, and suspense.

The top five shows see Adolescence finally drop out of the top five after its tremendous run. We do have some strong competition there, with another new release arriving and a new season drawing the viewers to the franchise. Another Netflix live event proves this type of show could be a...

Netflix continues to release original movies and TV shows at a regular cadence. The streamer recently released titles like The Electric State (2025) and The Life List (2025), with Havoc starring Tom Hardy marking one of Netflix's most recent films. Havoc reviews weren't glowing from critics or audiences, but the gritty action movie has been a big viewership hit, topping the charts upon its release on April 25.

Though Havoc and many of the streamer's other big titles are presented in English, Netflix is a platform with a global reach, meaning non-English titles continue to be an important part of the service's offerings. Recently, Netflix released non-English titles like iHostage (2025), Demon City (2025), Counterattack (2025), Bullet Train Explosion (2025), and The Eternaut (2025–). Now, another recent non-English title has broken through.

Exterritorial Has Become A Major Global Hit For Netflix The Bilingual Thriller Just Beat Havoc

Exterritorial has just become a major Netflix global hit, beating some major titles.

Tom Hardy’s new action movie, Havoc, has only been streaming on Netflix for a couple of weeks, but it has been anything but well-received by general audiences. After debuting with a solid critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, it seemed like Havoc was heading in the right direction, but fans have been much harsher on the film than reviewers. Hardy’s Havoc finished last week with a 40% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which has since dropped to 37%, which makes it one of Hardy’s 10 lowest-rated movies ever. While the film was promoted as a bone-crunching, no-holds-barred action thriller, audiences have criticized the weak writing of the characters and overuse of CGI during fight scenes that detracts from any realistic feel.

Havoc was written and directed by Gareth Evans, who is best known for his work on The Raid: Redemption and its sequel, The Raid 2. Evans also recently worked on...

The following contains spoilers for Havoc.Director Gareth Evans entered the Netflix arena with the high-octane ultraviolent offering that is the recently released Havoc. Starring Tom Hardy, the film impressed action fans across the globe, who reconnected with the director's peculiar manner of executing the genre. Naturally, the next question that comes to mind is whether Havoc could get a sequel, and, per Evans' claims, the most important player at the moment is open to returning. Hardy has asked Evans about a sequel and even juggled some ideas for the director to consider.

Evans sat down with The Playlist for their podcast The Discourse, and he shared a few details about the Netflix movie that also stars Forest Whitaker and Timothy Olyphant. The director highlighted how he bonded with the actor, and he revealed that Hardy's Mad Max: Fury Road may have been a strong inspiration for the movie:

"Our...

Only three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and the most-watched movie on Netflix changing as quickly as it takes you to press play. At the end of April, the Tom Hardy-led actioner "Havoc" held strong in the top spot among the streamers' programming in the U.S., but according to viewership aggregate site FlixPatrol, it's since been unseated from number one by the new German thriller "Exterritorial."

Written and directed by Christian Zübert, "Exterritorial" stars "Barbarians" actress Jeanne Goursaud as a mother on the hunt for her missing kid. The twist? The child apparently disappeared inside a U.S. consulate building in Germany, and Goursaud's Sara has to bend and break more than a few rules to find him. Fortunately, Sara is an ex-Special Forces officer, so she's equipped to fight her way through the consulate building and get to the bottom of her son's disappearance – potentially...

Here’s the latest episode of The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmaker’s Podcast #450: Gareth Evans – ‘Havoc’, ‘The Raid’ and ‘Gangs of London...

Netflix might have gained popularity as a studio with popular series like Stranger Things, Wednesday, and Bridgerton, but the streamer has also focused on giving a platform to foreign titles. After Squid Game's undeniable success, Netflix further branched out with many new foreign films and TV shows that were extremely popular online.

Netflix non-English language movies have received millions of views in the past year, with Under Paris reaching the top of the charts, and being joined in the Top 10 list by this year's French action movie Ad Vitam and Mexican military film Counterattack. It also found success with titles like Revelations, the Swedish limited series The Glass Dome and the Dutch thriller iHostage. Now, the bilingual German-English action thriller Exterritorial beat Tom Hardy's Havoc to the top of the charts after just one day on the platform, per FlixPatrol.

Exterritorial premiered on Netflix on Apr. 30, just five days after Havoc.

In Havoc, director Gareth Evans (The Raid) returns to the gritty terrain he knows best in his new Netflix produced action thriller, Havoc. In the film, Tom Hardy stars as Walker, a troubled cop caught in a desperate search for a missing politician’s son amid a seedy underworld riddled with betrayal, corruption, and bone-crunching violence.

Written by Evans, the film begins with an almost mundane errand: Walker scouring a convenience store for a last-minute gift for his daughter. It’s a quiet introduction to a man on edge, and Hardy is once again, all in. But as flashbacks reveal his involvement in a botched drug operation, the layers of his guilt and rage begin to surface, propelling him into a present-day mission to find Charlie (Justin Cornwell), who vanishes after his own deal goes sideways.

Evans, known for the kinetic chaos of The Raid and the sprawling crime epic Gangs of London,...

Tom Hardy’s new action movie has been streaming on Netflix for a week, but fans are already starting to lose interest in the film. Things didn’t look all that bad for Havoc the day before its debut — it landed with a solid score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes — but the feedback from general audiences has told a different story. The audience score on the aggregate site currently sits at 39%, making it one of the lowest-rated movies of Tom Hardy’s career. Havoc spent less than a week in the #1 spot on Netflix, and its descent has already begun. The film has dropped to the #2 spot on the streamer’s top 10, now falling behind Exterritorial, the mystery action thriller written and directed by Christian Zübert.

For the Tom Hardy fans who perhaps didn’t enjoy Havoc but are looking for something else to watch, look no further than MobLand.

Netflix debuted the new action thriller Havoc last Friday. And the film has already established itself as the most-watched title on the platform in the days since. Judging from the marketing materials, Havoc looks like a gritty actioner that throws back to the exploitation output of yesteryear. Critics are already drawing comparisons to early John Woo, with many praising the fight choreography and dynamic action sequences.

Havoc writer/director Gareth Evans came onto our collective radar with the scrappy action picture The Raid: Redemption and from there he went on to write and co-direct the V/H/S/2 segment ‘Safe Haven.’

Evans is quickly making a name for himself in the genre space. On many of his projects, he takes a producing credit, a writing credit, and a directing credit. Having a role in multiple steps of the filmmaking process is a good way to maintain a higher level of creative control.

Tom Hardy in Havoc (Photo Credit – Netflix)

Havoc has been in development for quite a while, and it finally dropped on Netflix recently. But did this Tom Hardy-led, Gareth Evans-directed film, which went through multiple reshoots, actually live up to the hype? According to Popcorn Meter, the audience rating system scored just 38%, so… not really. Funny thing is that it somehow got a much better score on the Tomatometer, 64%! How does that happen? Aren’t critics supposed to be the tougher crowd to impress? Let’s dig into this weird little twist in the rest of the article.

Why the Plot Fails to Connect?

The film runs on a pretty familiar setup; we’ve seen this kind of storyline countless times. The lead character is your typical saviour figure, but the problem is, the story doesn’t give us much reason to actually care about him, or anyone else,...

Havoc (2025) isn’t your typical action thriller. Directed by Gareth Evans — the man behind The Raid — this Netflix Original stars Tom Hardy as a detective who dives deep into a city crumbling under corruption after a drug deal spirals out of control. From what we’ve seen in early reviews and trailers, it’s not just about high-octane fights and shootouts. There’s a darker layer about broken systems, survival, and redemption. If that kind of gritty, relentless energy is your thing, then you’ll definitely want to check out these movies like Havoc. Each one brings its own intense flavor of crime, chaos, and complicated heroes.

Kill Zone (Spl)

If you’re on the hunt for movies like Havoc that mix intense action with heavy emotions, Kill Zone (also known as Spl) is a solid pick. Just like Havoc, this one’s all about the blurry lines between right and wrong.

The action cinema of John Wick, Havoc and John Woo’s The Killer has constantly evolved as it’s travelled between filmmakers and eras.

Now on Netflix, writer-director Gareth Evans’ Havoc is an ultra-violent stew of influences. It’s set in a benighted US city, but was shot in Wales; its bullet-strewn action is directly inspired by Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo.

Then again, action cinema has always been a particularly international genre, taking in disparate bits of American westerns, low-key French thrillers and more besides. When John Woo directed A Better Tomorrow, released in 1986, its contemporary gangland setting and ferocious shoot-outs changed the look and feel of action cinema forever. Widely credited with inventing what was later dubbed the ‘heroic bloodshed’ genre, it made a star out of its lead, Chow Yun-fat.

Woo continued to hone his signature style – slow-motion photography, close-quarters action, and his characters’ habit of holding...

You. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 503 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025 Netflix’s week of April 21st had some fascinating changes in the streaming scene, with well-known faves bidding farewell and new releases creating a significant splash. Goodbye, Joe Goldberg: It seems everyone was ready to bid adieu (for now?) to the captivatingly creepy Joe Goldberg. The final season of You landed at the No. 1 spot on the English TV list with a strong 10.1 million views. The obsession is real, with the show amassing over half a billion views across its five seasons! This farewell even spurred a nostalgic rewatch, with Season 1 re-entering the Top 10 for the first time in over a year. It’s the kind of goodbye that feels more like “see you later,” isn’t it? Havoc Wreaks Havoc: Over on the English film list, Havoc stormed in at No. 1 with a massive 29.8 million views.

Be it Pigs and Whistle in Legends, a barren wasteland in Mad Max: Fury Road, or an old wooden cabin in Havoc, seeing Tom Hardy fighting in films gives us this one thought: ‘If you ever come across a guy like this, don’t even plead, just run.’ Because, one, he won’t listen; two, if he gets you, you are done. The English actor was recently seen in Gareth Evans’ street-level John Wick-esque film, where he plays a corrupt cop, Walker, on mayoral candidate Beaumont’s (Forest Whitaker) payroll, trying to save the politician’s son.

Recently, Hardy and Evans appeared in a chat with Letterboxd, one of the most beloved communities among moviegoers, where the former shared how he brings that animalistic personality into those fearsome fighting sequences. He said:

With fighting, I always look for an animal. I think of animals like the orangutan or the gorilla,...

Tom Hardy is having a great year. After wrapping up the Venom trilogy in 2024, the actor had two projects that headed straight to streaming and both experienced exciting success on different platforms.

The most recent release is Netflix's action thriller Havoc, which follows the successful Paramount+ series MobLand. Gareth Evans of The Raid fame wrote and directed Havoc, which starred Hardy, Timothy Olyphant, and Forest Whitaker in the main roles. Although the movie opened to mixed reviews from the critics and even worse ratings from the audience,Havoc undeniably became a major hit on Netflix, topping the charts in its first week, per Tudum.

Havoc premiered on Netflix on Apr. 25, and had only two days to make an impact before the streamer stopped the clocks. That makes its viewership even more impressive because, for the week between Apr. 21 and 27, Havoc received 29.8 million views, and 53.1 million hours viewed.

Havoc entered the top 10 in 93 countries,...

We’re now five days removed from the final season of You making its debut on Netflix, and viewership information for the series has finally been made available. Netflix has announced that the fifth and final season of You has scored 10.1 million viewers in its first few days on the platform. This comes despite Season 5 being the lowest-rated season of the show to date, earning scores of 82% from critics and 56% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. You has now garnered over 500 million views through its five seasons, and the recent release of Season 5 has even propelled Season 1 back into the Netflix top 10 for the first time in more than two years. The series stars Penn Badgley and was created for TV by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble.

Following behind You on the Netflix charts is Havoc, the new action thriller starring Tom Hardy and directed by Gareth Evans. Havoc scored 29.8 million...

Fans of MobLand will be used to seeing Tom Hardy in their current streaming history in a gritty, action-packed drama, with their attention quickly turning from the Paramount+ series to Netflix's Havoc, a brand-new thriller that has attained positive attention from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Havoc has stolen a solid 64% from critics, although its audience score of just 38% tells a somewhat different story. However, success isn't simply measured by quality, with Netflix execs likely better pleased by the hugely impressive streaming numbers Havoc has been receiving.

Officially, Havoc is currently topping Netflix's movie streaming charts in almost every country it is available in, according to FlixPatrol. In 79 out of a possible 93 countries, from Argentina to Vietnam, Havoc is number one for the world's biggest streamer, with most of the few places it doesn't hold the top spot seeing the movie finish second. This is nothing short of remarkable,...

A huge Deep Cover exclusive leads issue 55 of Film Stories magazine – here’s what’s inside, and how you can get a copy.

Meet issue 55 of Film Stories magazine, with 168 pages! On really nice paper too. A film magazine the kind of which people used to make, and we’re still making. Please order a copy and spread the word!

We’re 100% independent, so this is an absolute labour of love for us.

We’re really proud of it. We hope you’re going to like it, and we hope you might consider supporting it. Sold primarily via mail order, and popping up in a few WHSmiths stores around the country too, here’s the cover of the new issue…

Inside:

Deep Cover: How on Earth does this film exist? A British blend of crime thriller and comedy, with an international lead cast – Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Mohammed, Orlando Bloom...

Before titles like John Wick became the gold standard for sleek and stylish action choreography, action fiends were already getting their fix with Gareth Evans' The Raid – a film that would go on to inspire theKeanu Reeves-led franchise. Released in 2011 to both critical and commercial acclaim, The Raid was followed by The Raid 2 (also known as The Raid: Retaliation) in 2014, which met with similar success. Since then, fans have eagerly awaited a third installment to complete the trilogy. Though Evans developed a script several years ago, the project never materialized. Now, more than a decade after the last film, Evans continues to ruminate on new ideas he could take the film, recently teasing that a trilogy could still become a reality.

Since The Raid 2, Evans has continued to leave his mark on Hollywood. Renowned for putting Indonesia's pencak silat martial arts on the global map, the action maestro...

While he is currently causing Havoc on Netflix, director Gareth Evans has given a surprisingly positive outlook for fans on another of his blood-drenched action movie franchises after more than ten years. In 2014, Evans unleashed The Raid 2, an incredible symphony of violence starring Iko Uwais, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadewo, Alex Abbad, Julie Estelle, Ryuhei Matsuda, Kenichi Endō, and Kazuki Kitamura. Regarded as one of the best action movies ever made, word about another sequel has been deathly quiet – until now.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly to promote the Tom Hardy-led Havoc, Evans addressed the chances of fans ever getting to see The Raid 3, and he initially dashed hopes by detailing how he scrapped the idea of a third movie due to the time that had passed. He said:

"I'll see when it can happen, if it can happen, is my really sort of non-committal answer to that question.

After waiting four, long years, action movie fans had reason to celebrate this weekend as the Tom Hardy-led Netflix thriller, Havoc, was released at last. However, while many have quickly found themselves wonderfully wrapped up in Hardy and The Raid director Gareth Evans’ bullet-ridden tale of a bruised detective forced to battle his way into the criminal underworld, there is one thing that stood out to many viewers. And it’s been met with a mixed response...

Oscar-nominee Tom Hardy has become known for his hardman persona and intensity on-screen. But there’s something else he’s become somewhat infamous for too: accents. Whether it be mumbling through Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant, delivering something highly unexpected vocally with Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, or providing two very different voices as Eddie Brock and Venom in the Marvel franchise, Hardy loves to do a voice. Havoc is no different,...

Tom Hardy's 2011 movie Warrior has a planned sequel series that's all set to go. However, it still might not see the light of day after apparent issues with securing its streaming home.

Warrior was directed by Gavin O'Connor, whose newest movie,The Accountant 2, is now in theaters. To promote his new film, O'Connor addressed Warrior in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. He recalled how the initial plan was to make the Warrior follow-up for Paramount+, only to have the deal fall through for reasons that are still unclear. The project was seemingly saved when Max executives took interest, only for the series, dubbed Warriors, to similarly get the rug pulled out from under it. Though O'Connor says he's very passionate about Warriors, there's a chance the series will never end up getting made, as it will now depend on if any other streaming platforms come in...

There still might be hope for another entry in The Raid franchise.

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly about his new Netflix action film Havoc, director Gareth Evans revealed that he initially had an idea for a third The Raid movie, but ultimately dropped it. However, a few years ago, he gained new inspiration after reuniting with lead actor Iko Uwais in Indonesia, stating, "We keep in touch, we WhatsApp each other all the time, but this was the first time I'd seen him in a long time. And I've always seen Iko, because of the nature of how we met and the projects we've done, as my younger kid brother. And then, seeing him after the seven-year gap of time, I was kind of struck by how much he'd grown, how much he'd matured, how many different experiences he'd had."

From that reunion, the filmmaker "came away feeling like I...

Tom Hardy's new action movie, Havoc, has one of his co-stars raving about the actor's abilities. According to Luis Guzmán, Hardy is the perfect choice to play the next James Bond in Amazon's new film.

Havoc was released on Netflix on April 25, with Hardy starring as Patrick Walker, a jaded cop on a mission to save a politician's son in the high-octane thriller. During Guzmán's time on set with Hardy, he revealed to Screen Rant how he believes the Venom actor can succeed at anything he puts his mind to. "Tom Hardy can do anything he wants to. That’s how good he is," Guzmán gushed.

He went on to cite Bronson, Hardy's 20008 biographical drama, as proof of the actor's ability to nail any role. "Have you ever seen the movie Bronson? Check that movie out that he did. You want to see something intense? See that … and when you see that movie,...

Eight years after his last feature, Director Gareth Evans has returned to his favorite crime action genre with Netflix’s Havoc, a no-nonsense kill-or-be-killed venture that fires on all cylinders to deliver a memorable, bone-crushing, blood-splattering action spectacle. Aside from that, what makes Havoc really special amidst the director’s filmography is that there is a distinct pulp-noir style quotient evoked by the visuals, with all the elements of grunge, smoke, and darkness capturing the essence of corruption, a kind of world-building usually seen when characters like Batman or the Shadow are involved. The characterization, much like the plot details, is very simplistic—in most cases not that much developed, but it is enough to provide justification to the maddening violence and bloodshed, which makes viewers forget about any possible drawbacks anyway. There is some solid star power in the ensemble cast of Havoc, a discussion of which can’t...

What a weekend this is for action fans! Not only is Ryan Coogler’s bone-crunching vampire horror/action hybrid Sinners still playing to packed theaters, but the movie gods have given us two brand-new, but nicely old-fashioned run-and-gun action movies to entertain us this weekend—one on streaming – and one in theaters. So, regardless of whether or not you make it to a theater this weekend, you’re guaranteed a rip-roaring good time.

That said, these are two different kinds of action movies. The Accountant 2, in addition to being a sequel, is much more in the vein of American action movies from the 80s and 90s. It’s the kind of movie a guy like Mel Gibson would have made in his heyday, with someone like Richard Donner directing it. By contrast, Havoc is firmly entrenched in the Hong Kong action style of the same period, with it very...

Beware: This article contains minor spoilers about Tom Hardy's new movie on Netflix.

Gareth Evans directed Havoc as a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat film that transformed our understanding of contemporary action cinema, drawing on his legacy from The Raid films. One particular fight sequence inside a cabin stands as the viral highlight from the movie Havoc.

The cabin sequence in this isolated fishing location stands out as one of the most savage battle scenes from recent times. This includes six minutes of action-packed excitement as the movie merges every aspect we adore from action movies into its violent six-minute showdown.

Hardy's character, the hardened enforcer, survives the mob attack by using harpoons and a sharp fishhook, along with other household items, in a brilliant, choreographed sequence that stands out as both inventive and raw.

Why Havoc’s cabin fight scene will make you rethink action movies forever

This action thriller is available on Netflix.

Following the culmination of his Venom trilogy, Tom Hardy entered a very eventful 2025: the release of his gangster series, MobLand, and the recently released Netflix action film, Havoc. The latter has been in development for a long time, with several reshoots, but it still wasn't enough to convince the audience.

Havoc premiered on Netflix on Apr. 25. The action film, with Gareth Evans at the helm, debuted with a disappointing score of 61% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics, which was barely enough for a "fresh" score. However, as more reviews came in,Havoc's critics' score slightly improved to 66%, but as the audience started reviewing it, they were less and less impressed, as Hardy's new film has an unfortunate 49% approval from the audience.

While the critics praised Havoc's action and fight sequences and directorial style, the audience was less impressed. One review highlights that Havoc "tries to be too many things at once,...

Director Gareth Evans rose to prominence with his work on The Raid franchise, starring Iko Uwais in the lead role. The first and second installments both received critical acclaim and set a new benchmark for martial arts and action cinema. As a result, there has been ongoing speculation about Evans helming a third installment.

During a recent interview, Evans discussed his latest directorial venture, Havoc, starring Tom Hardy in the lead role. In the interview, Evans was asked about the possibility of Raid 3. The filmmaker revealed that while he had a concept in mind, he was skeptical for one reason. Here is what Evans had to say about a potential Raid 3.

Gareth Evans reveals the real reason he isn’t rushing to make Raid 3

Gareth Evans’ most recent directorial venture, Havoc, starring Tom Hardy, recently debuted on Netflix. The film received mixed reviews from critics, unlike the more universally beloved...

Rare are such moments in Hollywood when you find an actor practically gushing over a filmmaker’s vision, throwing all caution to the wind. Yet that is exactly what Tom Hardy seems to be doing with Gareth Evans for their latest Netflix thriller, Havoc.

The move is not much different than Leonardo DiCaprio’s daring collab with Quentin Tarantino in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Both actors, who are celebrated for their highly selective and meticulous approach to picking projects, chose to have faith over being in charge, and the results could be, let’s just say, spectacular.

Tom Hardy practically took a leap of faith with Gareth Evans

The Venom star, whose career is essentially a compilation of master classes under the likes of Christopher Nolan and George Miller, is not someone who usually plays his hand blindfolded. But Havoc seems to be different for Tom Hardy. Talking...

Havoc plunges us into an unnamed city where rain never ceases and danger lurks around every neon-lit corner. During one violent Christmas Eve, Gareth Evans returns to the world of uncompromising action, trading the claustrophobic apartment tower of The Raid for a sprawling urban battlefield.

At its center is Walker (Tom Hardy), a detective whose badge feels heavier than his conscience. He’s paired with Ellie (Jessie Mei Li), a beat cop whose idealism clashes with his war-weary pragmatism. Their mission—rescuing Charlie (Justin Cornwell) and Mia (Quelin Sepulveda), two civilians caught in a botched triad operation—serves as both catalyst and excuse for an escalating chain of set pieces.

Evans cloaks the story in classic noir trappings: slick reflections on wet pavement, long shadows, and whispery voice-over that hints at regret and shattered morality. Yet the film refuses to stay in one stylistic lane, weaving sudden bursts of slow-motion brutality with guerrilla-style camerawork.

Jessica Mei Li is wreaking Havoc — literally. Whew. And that was violent, huh? If you’re here, I’m gonna go ahead and assume you’ve already watched Netflix’s latest gut-punch action flick, Havoc, where Jessica Mei Li and Tom Hardy tear up the screen like it’s nobody’s business.

Now, you’re probably wondering: why am I writing about Jessie Mei Li? What went down behind the scenes? And most importantly, who really deserves the credit for her absolute takeover?

Quick rundown: She first made waves leading Netflix’s fantasy hit Shadow and Bone — but Havoc? This was her first real foray into blockbuster chaos. And she crushed it. The thing is, Jessie’s kind of shy by nature. When Shadow and Bone dropped and catapulted her into the spotlight, she was admittedly overwhelmed. But fast forward to today, and it’s pure ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ energy.

While we’ve been hearing about Gareth Evans’s Havoc since 2021, it’s finally made its long-awaited debut on Netflix this week. Action fans have been waiting with bated breath for this one, with it the director’s first all-out action movie since The Raid 2, with his most recent film Apostle being a detour into horror. At the same time, he also tackled the TV series, Gangs of London (which has plenty of bone-crunching action of its own).

While The Raid films mainly relied on martial arts for the action sequences, Havoc is done in a different style, with Evans revealing that it’s his tribute to the heroic bloodshed genre that rose to prominence in the 1980s, and made Chow Yun-Fat into perhaps the era’s great action hero.

“I love the Hong Kong heroic bloodshed genre. I grew up watching those movies, where it was John Woo,...