This Gritty Conspiracy Thriller Hit #1 on Netflix in Less Than 72 Hours

Curiosity got the best of me when I saw the title of Netflix's top trending movie. As of now, the gritty action thriller, Havoc, sits in the number one spot, outranking films like iHostage, Murder at Yellowstone City and American Sniper. Also, after a quick Google search, I learned the film was released less than three days ago. So, naturally, I looked up the trailer—and now I can see why it soared to the number one spot on Netflix's top ten list in less than three days.

Directed and written by Gareth Evans (The Raid, Gangs of London), Havoc stars Tom Hardy as Patrick Walker, a homicide detective who is tasked with finding and protecting a politician's estranged son after his involvement in a drug deal gone south. In the process, he unravels a "deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city," per Netflix's official logline. But as Patrick continues to investigate, his dark past comes back to haunt him.

The action-packed trailer includes brutal fight scenes, shootouts, adrenaline-pumping car chases and a pretty intense standoff between Patrick and his boss, Lawrence Beaumont (played by the brilliant Forest Whitaker). At one point, Lawrence says, "I make one phone call, you go down for life." Then, referring to his son, he adds, "Get him back."

To give Patrick a bit more incentive, Lawrence continues, "Don't forget, I know what you did." But without missing a beat, the detective responds, "You have no idea what I did."

In addition to Hardy and Whitaker, the talented cast includes Jessie Mei Li, Justin Cornwell, Quelin Sepulveda, Luis Guzmán, Michelle Waterson, Sunny Pang, Jim Caesar and Xelia Mendes-Jones. Hardy and Evans also serve as producers, alongside Ed Talfan and Aram Tertzakian.