The concept of first person shooters is nothing new to the video game world. When you are controlling the star of your own personal action movie with your X-Box or Playstation, the point-of-view you want is that of the first person. In movies, however, this visual gag has been less than successful. Think back to the 2005 movie Doom, starring a less fast and furious Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. That was a low point in the conceptual application of first person, and a video game adaptation to boot.
Since then, first person movies have evolved a bit. Found footage is the closest this concept has come to success with movies like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. And while found footage has become a growing trend, the concept of true first person narrative has been pretty scarce. Julian Schnabel accomplished something special in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly in 2007, while Gaspar Noe immersed us with sex, violence and death in 2009’s Enter the Void. These are two recent examples of movies shot in the first person that at the very least won some critical acclaim, mostly for their experimental nature. That said, beyond the thrillers in the found footage category, success in the realm of first person action continues to be elusive.
This is perhaps why the first trailer for Ilya Naishuller’s Hardcore seems so confident with its opening titles about every generation having that one special movie. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Hardcore probably isn’t that one special movie, but it is interesting. It’s the story of you, shortly after being brought back from the dead, in a world where you are being chased and shot at while you uncover the mysteries of your circumstances. It has Sharlto Copley in it. It looks like a wild ride, but who knows how quickly the novelty of frenetic first person action will wear off.
Early reviews from its Toronto Film Festival debut are scarce, but there is one very interesting quote from Jason Gorber, who you’ll recognize from our own coverage of TIFF, writing for Dork Shelf:
“The most shocking part of the whole film isn’t that it’s heart-poundingly intense (it is) or that it feels new and inventive (it does that too), but that it’s at times pretty damn witty with some terrific story beats (no, really).”
Consider our interest piqued. Hardcore is currently making the festival rounds. Here’s the official synopsis:
You remember nothing. Mainly because you’ve just been brought back from the dead by your wife (Haley Bennett). She tells you that your name is Henry and congratulations, you’re now a cyborg.
5 minutes later, your wife has been kidnapped and you should probably go get her back. Who’s got her? His name’s Akan (Danila Kozlovsky), he’s just a psychotic megalomaniac with telekinetic powers, and a never-ending army of mercenaries. You’re also in an unfamiliar city of Moscow, Russia and everyone wants you dead. Everyone, except for a mysterious British fellow called Jimmy (Sharlto Copley). He might be on your side. Good luck Henry. You’re very much likely to need it.
Timur Bekmambetov presents a film by Ilya Naishuller.
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