{ "id": "epabd1bpc8", "slug": "havoc-2025-film", "title": "Havoc (2025 film)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure", "label": "Action and adventure films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s", "label": "Action thrillers, 2020s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers", "label": "Crime, assassin, and vigilante thrillers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers.alpha-symbols-to-l", "label": "Titles symbols to L", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers.alpha-symbols-to-l" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Action thrillers, 2020s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure", "label": "Action and adventure films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s", "label": "Action thrillers, 2020s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Havoc (2025) is a Netflix action thriller written and directed by Gareth Evans, starring Tom Hardy as detective Walker. Shot entirely in Wales, delayed from 2021, released April 25, 2025; 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.", "snippet": "Havoc (2025) is a Netflix action thriller written and directed by Gareth Evans, starring Tom Hardy as detective Walker. Shot entirely in Wales, delayed from 2021, released April 25, 2025; 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers.alpha-symbols-to-l", "markdown": "# Havoc (2025 film)\n\n**Havoc** is a 2025 action thriller film written and directed by [Gareth Evans](https://www.edgepedia.org/gareth-evans-filmmaker) and starring [Tom Hardy](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hardy) as Walker, a bruised detective who fights his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician's estranged son after a drug deal goes wrong, uncovering a web of corruption that ensnares his entire city.[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81330790) It was released on Netflix on April 25, 2025.[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81330790)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | Netflix, April 25, 2025[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81330790) |\n| Director / writer | Gareth Evans (The Raid, The Raid 2, Gangs of London)[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81330790) |\n| Lead cast | Tom Hardy (Walker), Jessie Mei Li, Justin Cornwell, Luis Guzmán, Yeo Yann Yann, Timothy Olyphant, Forest Whitaker[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81330790) |\n| Production | Severn Screen, One More One, XYZ Films; shot entirely in Wales[2](https://www.rabbit-reviews.com/movie-recommendations/action/havoc-2025/) • [3](https://media.service.gov.wales/news/biggest-feature-film-shot-entirely-in-wales-released-today) |\n| Filming timeline | Wrapped October 2021; reshoots in summer 2024 after delays including the 2023 Hollywood strikes[4](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/havoc-director-gareth-evans-on-his-netflix-action-thrillers-reshoots-exclusive/) |\n| Runtime / rating | 1 hour 45 minutes; rated R[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/havoc_2025) • [6](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/title/havoc/) |\n| Reception | 64% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (110 reviews), 34% audience score; Metascore 57 on Metacritic[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/havoc_2025) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/havoc/) |\n| Viewership | Peak week of 29.8 million views (April 21–27, 2025); 112.4 million views in Netflix's 2025 engagement report[6](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/title/havoc/) • [8](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/what-to-watch/the-netflix-movie-hits-and-flops-of-2025/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot and characters\n\nWalker (Tom Hardy) is a detective coerced into doing dirty work for corrupt politician Lawrence Beaumont ([Forest Whitaker](https://www.edgepedia.org/forest-whitaker)). When Beaumont's son Charlie (Justin Cornwell) becomes wanted for involvement in drug running and the apparent slaying of a young figure in the Chinese gangs, Walker must rescue him from both the police and a vengeful triad, aided by rookie officer Ellie ([Jessie Mei Li](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessie-mei-li)) and opposed by the corrupt officer Vincent ([Timothy Olyphant](https://www.edgepedia.org/timothy-olyphant)).[9](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/apr/24/havoc-review-tom-hardys-gonzo-gun-mayhem-misses-the-point) The gang boss pursuing Charlie is played by Yeo Yann Yann, a character identified by her Triad status as \"big sister\" and officially credited as Tsui's mother.[10](https://time.com/7280146/havoc-netflix-ending-gareth-evans/)\n\nThe film is set in an unnamed American city, described by reviewers as having a Gotham-like quality, though it was shot in Cardiff, Wales.[11](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/havoc-movie-review-2025) • [9](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/apr/24/havoc-review-tom-hardys-gonzo-gun-mayhem-misses-the-point)\n\n## Production and delays\n\n**A four-year gap.** Evans finished principal filming in October 2021. The first edit suggested about a week of additional photography to clarify story threads, but assembling the ensemble cast in the same place proved difficult, and the 2023 WGA and [SAG-AFTRA](https://www.edgepedia.org/sag-aftra) strikes halted work for seven or eight months. The reshoots finally took place in the summer of 2024, nearly two years after the edit was delivered.[4](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/havoc-director-gareth-evans-on-his-netflix-action-thrillers-reshoots-exclusive/) Evans said the long post-production let the team experiment with the cut so that the additional photography was focused only on what was needed.[4](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/havoc-director-gareth-evans-on-his-netflix-action-thrillers-reshoots-exclusive/)\n\n**Welsh production.** The film was shot at Great Point Studios in Cardiff, Dragon Studios in Bridgend, and on location across [South Wales](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-wales), and Netflix reported it as the biggest feature film ever shot entirely in Wales. It was produced with Creative Wales support, and Netflix made it available with Welsh-language subtitles.[3](https://media.service.gov.wales/news/biggest-feature-film-shot-entirely-in-wales-released-today) It was financed in part through the Ffilm Cymru Wales Feature Film Production Fund via the National Lottery and Creative Wales.[12](https://filmhubwales.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Made-in-Wales-Welsh-Films-to-watch-2025-Release-ENG.pdf)\n\n## Style and influences\n\nEvans described the film as a love letter to the Hong Kong heroic bloodshed genre of the 1980s and 1990s, citing [John Woo](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-woo), Johnnie To, and Ringo Lam as influences; heroic bloodshed films typically feature police officers and criminals as two sides of the same coin.[13](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3307686/netflixs-havoc-director-how-tom-hardy-thriller-ode-hong-kong-action-films) • [14](https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/thats-what-disruption-does-for-me-gareth-evans-on-havoc) Unlike the martial-arts-driven Raid films, Havoc relies mainly on gunplay, with action design and choreography by Evans's regular collaborator Jude Poyer, who worked on the choreography and pre-visualization before the film was cast.[15](https://www.joblo.com/exclusive-gareth-evans-on-havoc/) • [16](https://thehollywoodnews.com/2025/04/24/jude-poyer-havoc/)\n\nTwo sequences drew particular attention: an opening car chase and a sustained nightclub fight, which Evans called a sequence of a scale he had never taken on before.[14](https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/thats-what-disruption-does-for-me-gareth-evans-on-havoc) • [17](https://www.aol.com/havoc-director-gareth-evans-breaks-001051740.html)\n\n## Reception\n\nCritical response was mixed, with praise concentrated on the action. The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus calls it \"an anemic crime saga punctuated with bravura action sequences,\" and the site recorded a 64% Tomatometer from 110 reviews against a 34% audience score.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/havoc_2025) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 57 based on 24 critic reviews, classifying the reception as mixed or average.[7](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/havoc/) Reviewers repeatedly singled out the action choreography, especially the nightclub sequence, as the film's strongest asset, while criticizing an overloaded plot juggling many factions and betrayals.[2](https://www.rabbit-reviews.com/movie-recommendations/action/havoc-2025/) Some reviews were more favorable: [The Daily Beast](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-daily-beast) scored it 85, calling it the chaotic action extravaganza of the year, while RogerEbert.com scored it 38, finding the screenplay formulaic.[7](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/havoc/)\n\n**Viewership.** Havoc reached number two among films streaming worldwide on Netflix in early May 2025, behind the German-language thriller [Exterritorial](https://www.edgepedia.org/exterritorial).[18](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/thriller-movies/an-unexpected-netflix-thriller-movie-just-beat-out-tom-hardys-long-delayed-action-hit-for-the-number-one-most-watched-spot/) Its peak week drew 29.8 million views (April 21–27, 2025), it spent 42 days in the Netflix Top 10, and Netflix's 2025 engagement report recorded 112.4 million views, ranking it among the year's most-watched English-language Netflix films.[6](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/title/havoc/) • [8](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/what-to-watch/the-netflix-movie-hits-and-flops-of-2025/) • [19](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/what-to-watch/biggest-netflix-movies-misses-2025/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Havoc, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81330790)\n2. [Havoc (2025) Review — Rabbit Reviews](https://www.rabbit-reviews.com/movie-recommendations/action/havoc-2025/)\n3. [Biggest feature film shot entirely in Wales released today, Welsh Government News](https://media.service.gov.wales/news/biggest-feature-film-shot-entirely-in-wales-released-today)\n4. [Havoc: Director Gareth Evans on his Netflix action thriller's reshoots, Film Stories](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/havoc-director-gareth-evans-on-his-netflix-action-thrillers-reshoots-exclusive/)\n5. [Havoc (2025), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/havoc_2025)\n6. [Havoc – Latest News and Viewing Statistics, What's on Netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/title/havoc/)\n7. [Havoc Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/havoc/)\n8. [The Netflix Movie Hits and Flops of 2025, What's on Netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/what-to-watch/the-netflix-movie-hits-and-flops-of-2025/)\n9. [Havoc review – Tom Hardy's gonzo gun mayhem misses the point, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/apr/24/havoc-review-tom-hardys-gonzo-gun-mayhem-misses-the-point)\n10. [Why Havoc's Most Crucial Scene Is Also Its Subtlest One, Time](https://time.com/7280146/havoc-netflix-ending-gareth-evans/)\n11. [Havoc movie review & film summary, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/havoc-movie-review-2025)\n12. [Made in Wales: Welsh Films to watch 2025, Film Hub Wales](https://filmhubwales.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Made-in-Wales-Welsh-Films-to-watch-2025-Release-ENG.pdf)\n13. [Netflix's Havoc director on how the Tom Hardy thriller is an ode to Hong Kong action films, South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3307686/netflixs-havoc-director-how-tom-hardy-thriller-ode-hong-kong-action-films)\n14. [That's What Disruption Does For Me: Gareth Evans on Havoc, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/thats-what-disruption-does-for-me-gareth-evans-on-havoc)\n15. [Gareth Evans on Havoc and Hong Kong cinema, JoBlo](https://www.joblo.com/exclusive-gareth-evans-on-havoc/)\n16. [Jude Poyer explains the creation of the action in Gareth Evans' Havoc, The Hollywood News](https://thehollywoodnews.com/2025/04/24/jude-poyer-havoc/)\n17. [Havoc director Gareth Evans breaks down those 2 epic action scenes, AOL](https://www.aol.com/havoc-director-gareth-evans-breaks-001051740.html)\n18. [An unexpected Netflix thriller movie just beat out Tom Hardy's long-delayed action hit, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/thriller-movies/an-unexpected-netflix-thriller-movie-just-beat-out-tom-hardys-long-delayed-action-hit-for-the-number-one-most-watched-spot/)\n19. [2025's Most Watched Netflix Movies: The Hits and the Misses, What's on Netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/what-to-watch/biggest-netflix-movies-misses-2025/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Action thrillers, 2020s › Crime, assassin, and vigilante thrillers › Titles symbols to L*\n\n*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/havoc-2025-film", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/havoc-2025-film.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Havoc (2025 film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/havoc-2025-film. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Havoc (2025 film)](https://www.edgepedia.org/havoc-2025-film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/havoc-2025-film](https://www.edgepedia.org/havoc-2025-film). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Havoc (2025 film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/havoc-2025-film. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Havoc is a Netflix action thriller written and directed by Gareth Evans, starring Tom Hardy as detective Walker." }