Netflix’s Havoc plunges viewers into the neon-soaked underbelly of a decaying metropolis, where Detective Walker (Tom Hardy) battles through a night of relentless violence to rescue a politician’s missing son—and uncovers a conspiracy that implicates the city’s entire power structure. Directed by Gareth Evans (The Raid), this adrenaline-fueled thriller combines bone-crunching action with a labyrinthine plot of political corruption, narcotics empires, and police betrayal. As Walker fights his way up the criminal food chain, from street-level dealers to suited kingpins, the film evolves into a harrowing odyssey of redemption and revenge.
Evans’ signature kinetic fight choreography meets Hardy’s physical intensity in what may be the actor’s most visceral performance since Bronson. Shot entirely at night in a rain-drenched urban hellscape, Havoc delivers set pieces that escalate from knife fights in drug dens to a showstopping highway chase involving a hijacked armored truck. With a supporting cast of rising stars and character actor heavyweights, the film builds a world where every alleyway hides new threats and no one—not even cops—can be trusted.
Cast of Havoc
1- Tom Hardy as Detective Walker
Tom Hardy delivers a career-defining performance as Walker, a compromised detective whose quest for redemption becomes a descent into urban hell. Hardy trained in Filipino Kali knife fighting and tactical firearm reloads to execute the film’s brutal close-quarters combat, including a now-legendary stairwell brawl filmed in one continuous take. The actor’s physical transformation—30 pounds of muscle layered with increasingly grotesque injuries—mirrors Walker’s psychological unraveling across the night’s events.
Hardy’s signature grumbling intensity finds new depth in Walker’s quieter moments, particularly a phone call scene with his estranged daughter where his voice cracks with barely contained grief. His chemistry with Timothy Olyphant’s villain crackles during their final confrontation—a dialogue-heavy standoff that suddenly explodes into one of the year’s most shocking fight sequences.
2- Timothy Olyphant as Vincent
Timothy Olyphant (Justified) steals the show as Vincent, the silver-tongued political fixer whose manicured hands pull the city’s strings. Olyphant brings chilling charm to the role, delivering threats with a smile and quoting Machiavelli between sips of single malt. The actor’s real-life sharpshooting skills inform Vincent’s precise, economical violence—a stark contrast to Walker’s brute-force style.
The character’s layers peel back in a monologue about “the calculus of corruption,” where Olyphant’s calm explanation of why he had Walker’s family targeted becomes more terrifying than any physical threat. His final scene, involving a betrayal no one sees coming, solidifies Vincent as one of 2025’s most memorable antagonists.
3- Lockhart Ogilvie as Undercover Cop
Breakout star Lockhart Ogilvie (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself) delivers a star-making turn as an undercover officer trapped in the drug den where the nightmare begins. Ogilvie’s raw physicality sells the character’s desperate survival instincts, particularly in an early sequence where he improvises weapons from broken glass and furniture springs.
The actor’s background in parkour informs his character’s frantic escape attempt through ventilation shafts—a claustrophobic sequence that leaves audiences breathless. His final whispered warning to Walker (“It goes all the way up”) haunts the rest of the film.
4- Quelin Sepulveda as Mia
Quelin Sepulveda (The Wilds) brings unexpected warmth as Mia, a trafficked chemist forced to manufacture the lethal “Havoc” drug. Sepulveda learned real pharmacology to lend authenticity to lab scenes where Mia subtly sabotages production. Her character’s sign language communication (a result of vocal cord damage) becomes a poignant narrative device, with Walker learning basic signs to earn her trust.
The actress’ most powerful moment comes when she silently mouths along to a childhood lullaby while preparing to detonate a meth lab—a scene that required 18 takes to perfect the emotional timing.
5- Justin Cornwell as Charlie
Justin Cornwell (I’m a Virgo) radiates doomed nobility as Charlie, the idealistic politician’s son whose disappearance triggers the crisis. Cornwell’s performance in flashbacks—showing Charlie’s transformation from privileged heir to anti-corruption whistleblower—makes his offscreen presence loom large.
A recovered voicemail where Charlie begs his father for help, recorded while hiding in a meat locker, becomes the film’s emotional anchor. Cornwell’s real-life MMA training informed his character’s brief but brutal fight against cartel enforcers.
Supporting Standouts:
- Serhat Metin as Cortez: A Turkish cartel lieutenant whose weaponized prosthetic arm fuels the film’s most inventive kill.
- Gordon Alexander as Hayes: The police chief whose “shoot first” policy hides darker secrets.
- Xelia Mendes-Jones as Johnny: A nonbinary hacker whose livestream of Walker’s rampage goes viral.
- Jim Caesar as Wes: A corrupt DEA agent with a penchant for vintage revolvers.
