Nickpam’s review published on Letterboxd:
Am I surprised I loved Hardcore Henry? Nope. I'm not surprised one bit at all. This movie is 100% not for everyone, and I wouldn't even recommend it to most people if they asked me about it in the first place. However, to someone like myself who grew up playing first-person shooters their entire life this movie is a dream come true. I have been waiting for a theater experience like this since I started playing video games when I was a youngling, and finally the day has come. First-person shooter games have been a major part of my life since I was around twelve years old, and so personally seeing this film exist in the first place is mind-blowing in itself. Hardcore Henry is a first-person run-and-gun shoot 'em up adrenaline filled action film. That's it. There's countless nameless bad guys Henry has to take down to save the girl. This film has a classic video game setup, except instead of playing through it yourself you get to watch it go down in live action. There's a bad guy with a massive army, random powers and no real agenda except world domination. Come on, that's classic video game setup! I love it! The only real performance to take note of was Sharlto Copley, and he was equal parts badass and hilarious. My own personal connection to the idea of a first-person shooter film like this will without a doubt skew my review, but setting that aside there is some genuinely impressive filmmaking going on here. I'm not saying anyone deserves an Oscar, but credit is definitely due. Between the stunts, the editing and the directing of these action sequences I'm truly impressed with the fact the this film managed to not be a total mess. Everyone involved knew the film they were making and did not try to do anything other than that, which I totally respect. They took a risk and went full on with this idea of a first-person film and nailed it. Risks in the film industry are few and far between, so seeing something like Hardcore Henry come to fruition gives me hope that innovation and originality still have a place in Hollywood.
Should you go see Hardcore Henry? Yes, without a doubt. Hardcore Henry is a theater experience that you do not want to miss. Whether you love it, or hate it. I think the theater is the best place to view this destruction of all things the film industry should be.
Fuck it man. I love this dumb movie and I'm sure as hell not afraid to admit it. Hardcore Henry is completely self-aware and does exactly what it set out to accomplish. It's bloody, it's reckless and it's a straight-up shit show. A beautiful symphony of mayhem, chaos and destruction. I'm all in Hardcore Henry. Thank you for existing!
