With his superhero run as Venom (hopefully) done, it looks like Tom Hardy is leaning back into the tough, hard-nosed roles that made him a star. We got a good reminder of him at his best in last year’s underrated and underappreciated “The Bikeriders”. And he completely lets loose in his latest feature “Havoc”, a gritty underworld action thriller that sees Hardy teaming with writer-director Gareth Evans.

Evans first grabbed attention in 2011 with his Indonesian action thriller “The Raid”. He followed it with “The Raid 2″ in 2014 and the unsettling gothic folk horror feature “Apostle” in 2018. His latest pulls some technical inspiration from each of his previous films, but overall it has a noticeably different flavor. It’s a little bit of John Wick mixed with a little bit of John Woo. But Evans puts his own furiously violent stamp on the action which is what gives “Havoc” its style and energy.

“Havoc” opens with an electric car chase sequence as the cops pursue a speeding 18-wheeler through the downtown of an unnamed American city. I won’t spoil how the pursuit ends, but it sets in motion the events that will unfold over the film’s mostly propulsive 100 minutes. As Evans’ story unfolds, her serves us a veritable buffet of bullets, blood, and bodies that is only matched by heaping helpings of corruption, betrayal, mistaken identities, and underworld retribution.

Hardy plays Walker Mackey, a hardened homicide cop haunted by the shady dealings from his past. One evening he and his strait-laced new partner Ellie (Jessie Mei Li) are called to investigate a horrific crime scene. Three heavily armed masked men busted in on a drug deal and massacred a room full of Triad members including Tsui (Jeremy Ang Jones), the son of a powerful mob boss and crime family matriarch (Yeo Yann Yann).

While looking for clues, Walker discovers a video showing two young people fleeing the scene, Charlie (Justin Cornwell) and his girlfriend Mia (Quelin Sepulveda). Walker immediately recognizes Charlie as the estranged son of mayoral candidate Lawrence Beaumont (played by Forest Whitaker). But are he and Mia eye-witnesses or suspects? Walker informs Beaumont about his son and we quickly learn the two have a complex relationship. Beaumont implores Walker to find Charlie in return for wiping away any debts between them.

From there the story kicks into overdrive as Walker races to find Charlie and Mia as they look for a way to escape the city. Meanwhile the Triad is hunting the young couple who they believe are responsible for the massacre. And the real killers are after them too, hoping to erase any potential witnesses. Once all of these parties and their motivations are established, the story leans almost exclusively on the action. Don’t expect much character development, any thematic depth, or unexpected plot twists.

But here’s the thing – the action is more than able to carry the movie through to its finish. Evans doesn’t shortchange his audience, creating extended action sequences and infusing them with equal amounts of chaos and brutality. Admittedly they aren’t for the squeamish as the blood sprays just as much as bullets. But they are brilliantly choreographed and shot in a way that helps “Havoc” easily earn its name.

As for Tom Hardy, he’s the perfect fit for this tough and merciless world, bringing his rugged edge and signature swagger to the kind of character he was chiseled to play. Whitaker is always a welcomed presence as is Timothy Olyphant who gets a juicy role as a crooked police detective. They all add flavor to a wickedly entertaining, high-octane action showcase that keeps us riveted by delivering exactly what it promises. “Havoc” premieres April 25th on Netflix.

VERDICT – 4 STARS