Editorials
Making John Wick Blush: Appreciating the First-Person Ultraviolence of ‘Hardcore Henry’
First-person storytelling has existed since the very dawn of cinema, but it’s only with the rise of video games that it became commonplace. Sure, there were first-person thrillers before the digital age, such as 1947’s Lady in the Lake, but the visceral thrills of looking through someone else’s eyes are much easier to accomplish when you aren’t hindered by bulky camera equipment and spatial limitations.
That’s why it makes sense that a self-professed “son of rock ‘n roll” who grew up on a steady diet of American action flicks and videogames would see the advent of tiny portable cameras as an opportunity to explore first-person filmmaking. This is what led to the FPS-inspired music videos for the Biting Elbow’s The Stampede and Bad Motherfucker, which were both directed by the Russian-born Illya Naishuller (also the band’s lead vocalist).
These hyper-violent music videos didn’t take long to go viral, and fans – including director Timur Bekmambetov and Samuel L. Jackson – were soon clamoring for more POV filmmaking shenanigans. Fast-forward a few years and Illya soon found himself directing his first feature film in the form of Hardcore Henry, a gritty sci-fi action flick about a cyborg amnesiac who must rescue his girlfriend from a super-powered evildoer.
With a production budget of $2 million – ridiculously low for an action film – Naishuller went about creating a new kind of underground genre flick, going so far as to film without permits and sharing the dual role of main character/cinematographer with 12 other crewmembers. The end result was an incredibly innovative feature that became all the rage at film festivals back in 2015. Unfortunately, the wide release wasn’t as successful, with the film quietly falling into home video obscurity after a botched marketing campaign.
SO WHY IS IT WORTH A WATCH?
Action is really expensive to film, which is why you don’t see a ton of low-budget action flicks at indie festivals. It’s also incredibly dangerous if you don’t have an army of stunt performers and digital wizards to back up your special effects. With that in mind, the mere existence of Hardcore Henry is a guerilla filmmaking miracle, with the sheer amount of passion that went into crafting this insane piece of low-brow art making it easy to forgive an admittedly shallow script and a couple of rough edges.
And while the commitment to low budget exploitation filmmaking is admirable in and of itself, the most bonkers part is that it all comes together in the end to form a cohesive whole. It’s understandable that some audiences couldn’t get used to Hardcore Henry’s first-person shootouts and break-neck pace (which is probably why it isn’t talked about more), but viewers who grew up with FPS games are sure to appreciate its subjective charms. In fact, the POV element makes the action that much more believable even when there are obvious CGI enhancements, and there’s a certain sense of performative wonder once you realize that most of what you’re watching is happening almost exactly as it appears on-screen.
There are actually rumors of the crew being chased by angry cops during filming, as well as numerous stunt-related delays that extended production time into well over four months. And though I firmly believe that crewmembers should never be put at risk for the sake of a mere movie, I respect the hell out of the stunt team here for committing to such an insane labor of love.
This unusual amount of effort extends to the cast, from Danila Kozlovskiy’s memorably hammy comic-book villain to Sharlto Copley’s multi-faceted mentor figure inspired by non-player-characters in a videogame. Tim Roth is also excellent in his brief appearance as Henry’s father, giving our protagonist some heartwarming advice in a clever subversion of the classic “tough-guy dad” trope.
AND WHAT MAKES IT HORROR-ADJACENT?
It seems fitting that a movie with hardcore in the title would feature copious amounts of ultraviolence, and I think that’s going to be the main attraction for horror fans here. Obviously, there are enough firearm-related deaths in Hardcore Henry to make John Wick blush, but Henry becomes increasingly creative with his dispatching of goons as the movie goes on.
From lead pipe fellatio to that gruesome eye-stalk kill in the finale, there are plenty of deaths here that wouldn’t feel out of place in a slasher movie. And the best part is that it’s almost all achieved through clever practical effects (something that Naishuller would also strive for in 2021’s Nobody). This is made even more impressive by the fact that the movie is limited to Henry’s point of view, making every drop of blood that much more visceral.
There’s also plenty of genuinely disturbing body horror here, with Henry being forced to conduct impromptu surgery on himself and even donning brass knuckles made out barbed wire by the end of the picture. And speaking of body horror, the film borrows several elements from David Cronenberg’s Scanners when introducing audiences to the psychokinetic antagonist Akan.
Another interesting detail is that this is almost a Found-Footage movie, as with the exception of the opening credits and Tim Roth’s flashbacks, the entire film is technically being recorded by Henry’s cyborg eyes and edited after the fact (which even justifies the kick-ass soundtrack). This doesn’t necessarily make the film any better, but it does make it one of the most unique examples of Found-Footage filmmaking out there.
So if you’re in the market for an extremely gruesome experience but still want to be able to sleep at night, I’d recommend Hardcore Henry as your next midnight movie – especially if you’re a gamer and/or love guerilla filmmaking. I’d just suggest turning on safe-search before googling this film, lest you encounter some less-savory hardcore movies along the way.
There’s no understating the importance of a balanced media diet, and since bloody and disgusting entertainment isn’t exclusive to the horror genre, we’ve come up with Horror Adjacent – where we recommend non-horror movies that horror fans might enjoy!
Editorials
‘Immaculate’ – A Companion Watch Guide to the Religious Horror Movie and Its Cinematic Influences
The religious horror movie Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Michael Mohan, wears its horror influences on its sleeves. NEON’s new horror movie is now available on Digital and PVOD, making it easier to catch up with the buzzy title. If you’ve already seen Immaculate, this companion watch guide highlights horror movies to pair with it.
Sweeney stars in Immaculate as Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Cecilia’s warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside gets derailed soon enough when she discovers she’s become pregnant and realizes the convent harbors disturbing secrets.
From Will Bates’ gothic score to the filming locations and even shot compositions, Immaculate owes a lot to its cinematic influences. Mohan pulls from more than just religious horror, though. While Immaculate pays tribute to the classics, the horror movie surprises for the way it leans so heavily into Italian horror and New French Extremity. Let’s dig into many of the film’s most prominent horror influences with a companion watch guide.
Warning: Immaculate spoilers ahead.
Rosemary’s Baby
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The mother of all pregnancy horror movies introduces Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), an eager-to-please housewife who’s supportive of her husband, Guy, and thrilled he landed them a spot in the coveted Bramford apartment building. Guy proposes a romantic evening, which gives way to a hallucinogenic nightmare scenario that leaves Rosemary confused and pregnant. Rosemary’s suspicions and paranoia mount as she’s gaslit by everyone around her, all attempting to distract her from her deeply abnormal pregnancy. While Cecilia follows a similar emotional journey to Rosemary, from the confusion over her baby’s conception to being gaslit by those who claim to have her best interests in mind, Immaculate inverts the iconic final frame of Rosemary’s Baby to great effect.
The Exorcist
William Friedkin’s horror classic shook audiences to their core upon release in the ’70s, largely for its shocking imagery. A grim battle over faith is waged between demon Pazuzu and priests Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). The battleground happens to be a 12-year-old, Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), whose possessed form commits blasphemy often, including violently masturbating with a crucifix. Yet Friedkin captures the horrifying events with stunning cinematography; the emotional complexity and shot composition lend elegance to a film that counterbalances the horror. That balance between transgressive imagery and artful form permeates Immaculate as well.
Suspiria
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, an American newcomer at a prestigious dance academy in Germany who uncovers a supernatural conspiracy amid a series of grisly murders. It’s a dance academy so disciplined in its art form that its students and faculty live their full time, spending nearly every waking hour there, including built-in meals and scheduled bedtimes. Like Suzy Bannion, Cecilia is a novitiate committed to learning her chosen trade, so much so that she travels to a foreign country to continue her training. Also, like Suzy, Cecilia quickly realizes the pristine façade of her new setting belies sinister secrets that mean her harm.
What Have You Done to Solange?
This 1972 Italian horror film follows a college professor who gets embroiled in a bizarre series of murders when his mistress, a student, witnesses one taking place. The professor starts his own investigation to discover what happened to the young woman, Solange. Sex, murder, and religion course through this Giallo’s veins, which features I Spit on Your Grave’s Camille Keaton as Solange. Immaculate director Michael Mohan revealed to The Wrap that he emulated director Massimo Dallamano’s techniques, particularly in a key scene that sees Cecilia alone in a crowded room of male superiors, all interrogating her on her immaculate status.
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
In this Giallo, two sisters inherit their family’s castle that’s also cursed. When a dark-haired, red-robed woman begins killing people around them, the sisters begin to wonder if the castle’s mysterious curse has resurfaced. Director Emilio Miraglia infuses his Giallo with vibrant style, with the titular Red Queen instantly eye-catching in design. While the killer’s design and use of red no doubt played an influential role in some of Immaculate’s nightmare imagery, its biggest inspiration in Mohan’s film is its score. Immaculate pays tribute to The Red Queen Kills Seven Times through specific music cues.
The Vanishing
Rex’s life is irrevocably changed when the love of his life is abducted from a rest stop. Three years later, he begins receiving letters from his girlfriend’s abductor. Director George Sluizer infuses his simple premise with bone-chilling dread and psychological terror as the kidnapper toys with Red. It builds to a harrowing finale you won’t forget; and neither did Mohan, who cited The Vanishing as an influence on Immaculate. Likely for its surprise closing moments, but mostly for the way Sluizer filmed from inside a coffin.
The Other Hell
This nunsploitation film begins where Immaculate ends: in the catacombs of a convent that leads to an underground laboratory. The Other Hell sees a priest investigating the seemingly paranormal activity surrounding the convent as possessed nuns get violent toward others. But is this a case of the Devil or simply nuns run amok? Immaculate opts to ground its horrors in reality, where The Other Hell leans into the supernatural, but the surprise lab setting beneath the holy grounds evokes the same sense of blasphemous shock.
Inside
During Immaculate‘s freakout climax, Cecilia sets the underground lab on fire with Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) locked inside. He manages to escape, though badly burned, and chases Cecilia through the catacombs. When Father Tedeschi catches Cecilia, he attempts to cut her baby out of her womb, and the stark imagery instantly calls Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s seminal French horror movie to mind. Like Tedeschi, Inside’s La Femme (Béatrice Dalle) will stop at nothing to get the baby, badly burned and all.
Burial Ground
At first glance, this Italian zombie movie bears little resemblance to Immaculate. The plot sees an eclectic group forced to band together against a wave of undead, offering no shortage of zombie gore and wild character quirks. What connects them is the setting; both employed the Villa Parisi as a filming location. The Villa Parisi happens to be a prominent filming spot for Italian horror; also pair the new horror movie with Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood or Blood for Dracula for additional boundary-pushing horror titles shot at the Villa Parisi.
The Devils
The Devils was always intended to be incendiary. Horror, at its most depraved and sadistic, tends to make casual viewers uncomfortable. Ken Russell’s 1971 epic takes it to a whole new squeamish level with its nightmarish visuals steeped in some historical accuracy. There are the horror classics, like The Exorcist, and there are definitive transgressive horror cult classics. The Devils falls squarely in the latter, and Russell’s fearlessness in exploring taboos and wielding unholy imagery inspired Mohan’s approach to the escalating horror in Immaculate.
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