CHAOS THEORY

Director Gareth Evans and star Tom Hardy outline the planning that went into the 'gunplay' of action thriller Havoc and reveal why they always save the best punchline for last.

- KERRI-ANN ROPER

SO much is often made of the on-screen chemistry between a film’s leading stars. But what about the interaction between actors and the director?

In the case of British actor Tom Hardy and Welsh director Gareth Evans, it’s easy to see why their latest collaboration, the high-octane, Netflix action thriller Havoc, was a meeting of minds.

‘The pair are seated next to each other in a London hotel to talk about the film which stars Tom, 47, in the lead role of Walker, a detective whose already dangerous life is about to get more complicated.

Written and directed by Gareth, one of the brains behind Sky series Gangs of London, Havoc sees Tom's character caught in the middle between a vengeful crime syndicate and a crooked politician after a drug deal goes wrong.

Add some of his fellow cops, who also appear to have ulterior motives into the mix, and a task to find the politician’s estranged son becomes even murkier as his past demons come back to haunt him.

‘The film also stars Deadwood and Santa Clarita Diet actor Timothy Olyphant (as a cop called Vincent) and Oscar-winning The Last King Of Scotland actor Forest Whitaker (as politician Lawrence Beaumont).

Tom, who can also be seen in MobLand on Paramount+ at the moment, and Gareth, whose other films include crime thrillers The Raid and The Raid 2, joke between themselves and it’s clear to see how they work well together.

While Havoc lives up to its name (the action never stops with gory fight scenes galore), how do they find moments of quiet in their own lives amid the chaos of day-to-day life?