FEB 11, 2016 @ 12:50 PM 6,754 VIEWS
'Hardcore Henry' Is A First-Person-Shooter Movie, And It Looks Awesome
Erik Kain CONTRIBUTOR I write about the intersection of entertainment and technology.
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
Credit: STX Entertainment
Hardcore Henry is an action film shot entirely in first-person point-of-view. Not only that, it’s a film shot as though it were a first-person-shooter, replete with grenade tossing, melee combat, and a silent protagonist—the titular Henry. It’s probably the most video gamey movie ever made, and holy hell it looks so stupid and wonderful I honestly can’t wait to see it in theaters.
The film was directed by Russian filmmaker Ilya Naishuller, who wrote the script with help from Will Stewart. It stars Haley Bennett (The Equalizer) and Sharlto Copley (District 9) and while he’s not listed on the IMDB credits, that’s definitely Tim Roth in the trailer. You and me—the audience—will play the titular role of Henry.
Hardcore Henry began life on Indiegogo, where it raised over $250,000 back in December of 2014. After a high-profile showing at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, STX Entertainment picked up the worldwide rights to the film for $10 million.
Haley Bennett stars in “Hardcore Henry” (Credit: STX)
At the time, the film was simply called “Hardcore” but was renamed “Hardcore Henry” after STX became involved.
The really good news right now for viewers who’ve always wanted—or at least wondered about—a first-person-shooter movie? It’s pulling down an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes at the moment. That’s not half bad for a movie that looks this bombastic and silly.
Hardcore Henry lands in theaters on April 8th, 2016.