Henry’s Thrilling Game and the Appeal of Hardcore

A short film released in 2014

HARDCORE quickly became a hot topic.

I also wrote a blog post on the day this video was released, and I found it interesting that it was a work by a Russian director and that it made good use of first-person action.

I remember watching it over and over again.

It was a vivid first-person action video that felt just like a game.

Even if HARDCORE did not have a particularly special story, its flashy action and exciting first-person perspective captivated audiences.

In particular, the action shown through the eyes of the protagonist, Henry, was realistic and highly immersive.

Through this video, I could really feel the director’s skill in making full use of the advantages of the first-person perspective.

That is probably why this video became so popular with many people.

At a time when interest in first-person action had grown so much, HARDCORE seems to have drawn attention as a fresh attempt.

In that sense, this video seems worthy of being evaluated not simply as an action film, but as a work distinguished by a new perspective and direction.

Since the protagonist has no lines, he has to express his emotions and situation through gestures, facial expressions, and action.

For that reason, I think an actor with strong action skills and acting ability would have been cast in this role.

The protagonist’s action could convey a much stronger message than words, and viewers would have been able to feel his situation and emotions more immersively.

Also, in the film’s first-person perspective, the protagonist having no lines allows the audience to experience the situations in the film from the exact same viewpoint as the protagonist.

This choice seems to have increased the film’s immersion and strengthened the emotional connection with the protagonist.

In this respect, the protagonist having no lines actually worked as an advantage for the film.

Actor Sharlto Copley, who appears as the protagonist’s dependable helper Jimmy, makes the film even more interesting.

His many different sides and his constantly chatty character bring energy to the film.

Director Ilya Naishuller also delivers the fun of a first-person music video through the film.

In addition, the various pieces of music Henry uses add to the music-video-like feeling.

Sharlto Copley’s varied image and endlessly chatty character completely fill in the protagonist’s empty audio.

I felt that all of this matched well with the title, which also has “ra” added to the film’s name.

Also, because of the first-person perspective, the action is shown even more directly, and the gruesome scenes on screen are presented without any filtering.

All of this made the film even more interesting.

The film’s level of immersion was quite impressive.

This is because, beyond the action, it also delivered tense scenes through breathless chases and parkour.

It also featured various kinds of action possible from a first-person perspective, which shows that the director was heavily influenced by games.

Jimmy, the protagonist’s helper, keeps giving him assignments telling him where to go, almost like a game quest giver.

The protagonist pushes forward toward his goal while going through all kinds of hardships.

The runtime is also a reasonable 1 hour and 30 minutes, so even after finishing the film, it left a clean, satisfying feeling.

For these reasons, even without a big story, this film drew viewers in with immersive and interesting action.

Henry excels at showing raw action rather than flashy action.

Because the film’s budget was not high, it sometimes looks a bit cheap, but the precise editing of the action gives it the feeling of being shot in one long take.

I also think the simple story actually works better in a first-person format.

If the story were complex and deep, it would have been difficult to watch the film.

Some people may feel uncomfortable with the first-person action, but if you like action, this is definitely a film I would recommend.

Watching this film, I was able to enjoy action that suited my taste for the first time in a long while.