Warning! This article contains spoilers for Netflix’s Havoc.

Gareth Evans’ Havoc is unique in more ways than one, but it also draws some inspiration from a cult classic 1967 movie. Serving as Gareth Evans’ ninth directorial endeavor, Havoc has been highly anticipated because of the director’s track record of delivering some of the most gripping action flicks. With Tom Hardy as its lead, Havoc was in the works for quite some time but was held back by several reshoots and other behind-the-scenes issues.

Although the critical response surrounding Havoc has been fairly lukewarm, viewers and critics, as expected, have praised the movie for its creative and violent action sequences. It may not be as memorable as Netflix’s other recent crime movies like Rebel Ridge, but Havoc is undoubtedly a unique addition to the genre. However, as different as it may seem from most other action-packed crime dramas, the Gareth Evans movie and its Tom Hardy character are loosely based on another renowned 1967 flick in the genre.

1967’s Point Blank Inspired Havoc & The Character Of Walker

Lee Marvin’s Character In Point Blank Was Also Named Walker

In terms of storytelling, Havoc adopts many tried and tested action tropes. Owing to this, it cannot be ᴀssociated with any specific action movies. However, when it comes to its portrayal of the “verticality” of destruction that Tom Hardy’s Walker triggers with his pursuit of seeking justice, it seems reminiscent of John Boorman’s 1967 cult classic, Point Blank. It is also hard not to notice how, like Boorman, Gareth Evans cleverly uses several sH๏τs of high and low angles during action sequences to ensure viewers are able to distinguish Walker from his surroundings.

The fact that the protagonist’s name in Point Blank is also Walker should be enough of an indicator that Tom Hardy’s Havoc character is loosely based on him. A closer look at the heroes from both films highlights how they have a sense of minimalism in their writing. Both Walkers are men of few words, and their actions are primarily driven by their survival instincts rather than elaborate dialogue. The lone-wolf archetype has been overused in action movies, but Tom Hardy and Lee Marvin in Havoc and Point Blank, respectively, bring a similarly unique intensity to their characters with their screen presence.

What Else Inspired Gareth Evans When Making Havoc

Gareth Evans Drew Inspiration From Many Other Classic Action Flicks

Netflix’s production notes for Havoc confirm that the action movie’s similarities with Point Blank are not accidental. Gareth Evans disclosed that he consciously drew inspiration from the cult classic while directing his film. Evans also revealed that he looked at several other American action movies from the sixties and seventies for inspiration. For instance, French Connection was another movie that became a source of ideas for Havoc.

Apart from that, he also noticed what John Woo did with movies like The Killer, Hard Boiled, and other Yakuza films he loved. With so many inspirations behind its action, character beats, and storytelling, Havoc risks being too derivative of well-known flicks of the genre. However, despite this, it gets away with its heavy influences because Gareth Evans injects it with some of his own elements, like white-knuckling, quick-paced action sequences grounded in gritty realism and stomach-churning violence.