“Havoc” Isn't Just a Movie—It's a Roundhouse Kick to Netflix's Streaming Strategy
Nothing prepared me for the moment Havoc slammed through my expectations—and then kept swinging.
Now that the social media embargo has lifted, reactions to Gareth Evans' long-delayed action epic are pouring in like spilled blood on concrete. Most are glowing. Rightfully so. Havoc is brutal, balletic, and, frankly, the kind of action movie that doesn't just land hits—it leaves bruises. But amid all the praise, one decision hangs in the air like a cloud of cordite: Netflix is skipping theaters. For this film.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: Watching Havoc on a couch feels like listening to Metallica on a Bluetooth speaker. Technically possible. But spiritually wrong.
The Punch That Lands—and the One That Doesn't
Let's get one thing clear: Evans is back in Raid mode. Tom Hardy brings the full weight of his physicality to a role that's less about dialogue and more about decimating everything in his path. And a few of the action set-pieces? They're the kind that make you clutch the remote like a life preserver. Rewind. Replay. Repeat.
Forest Whitaker, Luis Guzmán, and Timothy Olyphant round out a cast that's stacked, but never showy. The story—an undercover cop caught in a conspiracy after a drug deal goes bad—is classic Hong Kong heroic bloodshed, shot through with Evans' signature blend of grime and grace.
And yet, the biggest betrayal isn't in the script. It's in the release strategy.
The Streaming-Shrink Ray: When Epic Action Gets Downsized
Evans himself called Havoc a “love letter to the heroic bloodshed genre and the films that came out of Hong Kong in the '80s and '90s.” You know the type: slo-mo shootouts, impossible loyalty, operatic violence. These were movies built for giant screens, cigarette smoke, and Dolby explosions.
To shove Havoc straight onto Netflix? That's like premiering Heat on a flip phone.
This isn't new. In 2020, Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods faced a similar fate—acclaimed, but robbed of a theatrical run. Ditto for Andrew Dominik's Blonde (which, for better or worse, was crafted for the big screen). Netflix has a track record of acquiring director-driven passion projects… only to flatten their impact with same-day digital dumps.
But Havoc is different. It's not a talky prestige piece—it's pure cinematic adrenaline. A throwback that needed the roar of an audience, not the hum of a fridge.
A Movie Made of Muscle—and Missed Opportunity
Here's what separates Havoc from the pack: It wasn't made to be passively “watched.” It was made to be felt. Visceral. Sweat-slick. One critic called it “one of the best Netflix original action movies”—which, yes, sounds like damning with faint praise, but in this case, it's earned.
Still, the path here wasn't easy. Shot in 2021. Shelved for nearly four years. And now—finally—released into a digital void where films vanish after a weekend trending slot.
Evans deserves better. Havoc deserves better. We deserve better.
Would You Risk a Streaming-Only Future for Action Cinema?
If Havoc doesn't convince Netflix to reconsider its strategy, check your pulse. Or maybe your TV settings.
Because some movies need to be seen. This one? It needs to be survived.
