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Hardcore Henry

Hardcore Henry

First they made him dangerous. Then they made him mad.

201596 minRMidcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Director
Ilya Naishuller
Starring
Andrei Dementiev, Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovskiy, Haley Bennett

Henry, a newly resurrected cyborg who must save his wife/creator from the clutches of a psychotic tyrant with telekinetic powers, AKAN, and his army of mercenaries. Fighting alongside Henry is Jimmy, who is Henry's only hope to make it through the day. Hardcore Henry takes place over the course of one day, in Moscow, Russia.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Hardcore Henry?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Hardcore Henry streaming on MovieSphere+ via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Hardcore Henry?

Hardcore Henry earns 10 badges, led by Spectacle and One of a kind.

Show 2 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Hardcore Henry worth watching?

Hardcore Henry's Midcredits score is the 70th percentile of all films, from 234K ratings across 6 sources. 63% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

70th percentile

Better received than 70% of films

83rd percentile among Action70th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)68th
Approval (how many liked it)70th

67 /100

68th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Action68th percentile among 2010s

Critics 51 · Audience 68

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.8 — solid but not unanimous.

63% liked it

70th percentile of all films

80th percentile among Action70th percentile among 2010s
63% rated it 7–1037% rated it 1–6

Critics 52% · Audience 55%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 1 noms overall

97th percentile

233K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 37% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$2M
Opening weekend$5.1M
Domestic gross$9.3M
Worldwide gross$17M

Returned 8.4× its budget — 65th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A non-stop, first-person action spectacle that mimics a video game, with minimal plot and relentless violence.

Fans praised

  • reinvents action cinema with a audacious first-person POV and breathless stunt work
  • over-the-top humor and Sharlto Copley's wildly entertaining multiple roles
  • relentless adrenaline from start to finish, grounded in real stunts and practical effects

Detractors panned

  • nauseating shaky cam that makes the film unwatchable for many viewers
  • paper-thin plot with no character development, feels like watching someone else play a video game
  • gratuitous, numbing violence that serves no purpose beyond shock

What stands out

Effects and spectacle85

Stunning real stunts, parkour, and practical effects despite low budget; some dodgy CGI

Originality80

Pioneering full-length POV action film; though some see it as a gimmick

AtmosphereDivisive70

Immersion in Moscow's gritty, video-game-like world; effective for fans

PacingDivisive60

Relentless, non-stop; fans love the breakneck speed, detractors find it exhausting

CinematographyDivisive55

Innovative GoPro POV but plagued by shaky cam; disorienting for many

ActingDivisive50

Sharlto Copley's energetic turns praised; Henry's mute role, lack of other performances noted as weak

CharactersDivisive30

Paper-thin, one-note characters; Henry a blank slate, Copley's Jimmy the only standout

Plot and storyDivisive25

Minimal, derivative revenge story; little narrative depth, serves as excuse for action

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 24 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is Hardcore Henry like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want a fun ride.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you entertained. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingManic
Heaviest: throughout
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Exuberant · 2% of films: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.Absurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
TonePlayed with straight-faced absurdity—the film commits utterly to its video-game logic, treating extreme violence and cartoonish situations with deadpan sincerity.
The rideThe film maintains a relentless, high-octane tension from start to finish with very few pauses for breath.
StructureConventional three-act rescue plot, but told entirely from Henry's first-person point of view without cuts away, creating a unique perspective.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayAdrenaline-fueled ride that leaves you grinning at the audacity and sheer kinetic energy, not much to ponder but thoroughly entertained.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeHenry's mission to rescue his wife Estelle from Akan drives the story, with a secondary monster-slaying structure against Akan and his cyborg army.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalIdentity · 14% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeHenry fights through an unrelenting gauntlet of mercenaries to survive, while also grappling with fragmented memories and the revelation that his wife is a deception.
StanceThe film presents survival as a brutal, matter-of-fact imperative without moralizing or celebrating it.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalWildernessScience fiction
ElectronicRockForeground music · original score
SettingA near-future Moscow overrun by a warlord's private army and cyborg technology.
MusicThe soundtrack is a high-energy mix of electronic and hard rock that underscores the relentless action.

Content guide

Is Hardcore Henry okay for kids?

R

Hardcore Henry is rated R: “Rated R for non-stop bloody brutal violence and mayhem, language throughout, sexual content/nudity and drug use” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (95/100), sexual content at intense (75/100), language at severe (85/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (68/100) and frightening material at severe (89/100). Overall it is heavier than 97% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK18
  • CanadaR
  • AustraliaR 18+
  • Germany18
  • France16
  • Ireland18
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-18
  • GreeceΚ-18
  • Hong KongIII
  • LTN-16
  • Netherlands16
  • PortugalM/18
  • Russia18+
  • SK18
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland18
Overall
Severe · all five categories
Heavier than 98% of all filmsHeavier than 97% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 96%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 94%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 82%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 86%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 93%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, language, sexual content, and drug and alcohol content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Hardcore Henry have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Hardcore Henry?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Andrei Dementiev
as Slick Dimitry
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Sharlto Copley
as Jimmy
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Danila Kozlovskiy
as Akan
Haley Bennett
as Estelle
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tim Roth
as Henry's Father
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Svetlana Ustinova
as Olga the Dominatrix
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Darya Charusha
as Katya the Dominatrix
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Oleg Poddubnyy
as Yuri
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jack Hahn
as Young Bully #1
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Cyrus Arnold
as Young Bully #2
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

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What are movies like Hardcore Henry?

Movies like Hardcore Henry include The Darkest Hour (2011), Tron (1982) and Iron Man 2 (2010). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set in Moscow, and several are action comedies.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

3 of these 12 share its world: tech startup. Those cards say what else they share.

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