Tom Hardy is our new Johnny Depp

Culture 22:23 25.12.2018

With Venom hitting VOD rental this week, it’s time to have a talk about Tom Hardy. The chameleonic British actor has moved up the ranks of the Hollywood star system primarily through a series of intimidatingly committed performances in grimy, often violent movies. But in the wake of Venom, he’s genuinely among our most interesting movie stars, just in the kinds of roles he takes and in the level of commitment he affords to them. It’s reminiscent of the work of one Johnny Depp, another actor who’s offbeat selection of projects and dedication to fully immersive, unsettling acting choices made him a genre unto himself.

Of course, Johnny Depp has lost a lost of luster in recent years, both for his offscreen scandals — including accusations of abuse against his wife, Amber Heard — and an onscreen product that has been increasingly stale. Which is why it’s high time we let Tom Hardy take over as our new overly-committed acting weirdo. If Venom is anything to go by, he’s having a lot more fun with it these days anyway.

After making a bunch of tough-guy Brit movies like Layer Cake and RockNRolla, Hardy gave his big breakthrough performance for director Nicolas Winding Refn in Bronson, where Hardy played a bald, tattooed, incarcerated criminal. Hardy’s charisma (and, honestly, his body) got him the attention of directors like Christopher Nolan, who cast him first in Inception and then in the role that would make him a “name” quantity (ironically by obscuring his face) in The Dark Knight Rises.

Since then, Hardy has leaned into the “indecipherable dialogue with a sick body” thing hard. He made Locke, where he delivered a virtual one-man show from the driver’s seat of a car, rocking what some surmised was a Welsh accent. There was Mad Max: Fury Road, where his character, Max Rockatansky, was muzzled for most of the film. There was crime drama Legend, where he played his own twin, one of whom mumbled through prosthetic teeth. There was The Revenant where he spoke in a heavy, indecipherable accent. There was Taboo on FX (more mumbles), and then there was Dunkirk, where he may well have been speaking the King’s English, but we wouldn’t know because he had his pilot’s mask on the whole time.

You’d think this would be irritating — and I suppose it is for some people — but the true gag of it is that Hardy has delivered some stellar performances from underneath those voice muffling apparatuses. He was Oscar nominated for The Revenant and award-worthy in Locke and probably Dunkirk too. Unlike these latter years of Johnny Depp’s career, Hardy keeps surprising us. Venom is, of nothing else, light years away from any other superhero movie you were going to see this year. It was strange, sinewy, even oddly sensual. And Hardy’s half of the Venom persona was nearly as interesting as the monster (well, he did a lot less eating people, but he made moral compromises ABOUT the eating of people!).

Look, we had our good times with Johnny Depp. Now it’s all Grindlewalds for the forseeable future. Won’t it be more fun trying to figure out Tom Hardy’s big, muscular mumbles for the next decade? Venom says yes.


Hikmat Hajiyev: "Azerbaijan is a natural link connecting Central Asia and Europe" - VIDEO

News line

EU-Armenia-US joint conference may encourage Armenia to new provocations - Azerbaijan's FM
17:47 29.03.2024
Melting Polar Ice Caps Slow Earth's Rotation, Delaying "Leap Second" Addition
Melting Polar Ice Caps Slow Earth's Rotation, Delaying "Leap Second" Addition
17:29 29.03.2024
EU Delegation to Armenia Signals Push for Stability in South Caucasus - Insights from Arnold Stepanyan
17:14 29.03.2024
Russian MFA calls 102nd Military Base only guarantee of Armenia's sovereignty
17:01 29.03.2024
"The Ukrainian army is addicted to gambling" - says Ukrainian MP
"The Ukrainian army is addicted to gambling" - says Ukrainian MP
16:50 29.03.2024
Why are the US and the EU arming Armenia? - Pundit talks on Ednews
16:39 29.03.2024
Erdogan to visit US on May 9
Erdogan to visit US on May 9
16:26 29.03.2024
Hulusi Akar, US congressmen mull Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process
15:52 29.03.2024
Russian ambassador sees no reasons to expect Russian-US ties to improve
15:36 29.03.2024
British army lifts ban on serving soldiers having beards
British army lifts ban on serving soldiers having beards
15:29 29.03.2024
Hikmat Hajiyev: "Azerbaijan is a natural link connecting Central Asia and Europe" - VIDEO
15:13 29.03.2024
Azerbaijan weather forecast for March 30
Azerbaijan weather forecast for March 30
15:00 29.03.2024
Tajikistan detains 9 people over Russian concert shooting
Tajikistan detains 9 people over Russian concert shooting
14:46 29.03.2024
Washington Is Forming A New Alliance - OPINION
14:32 29.03.2024
Individuals identified as drug users will not be admitted for service in Azerbaijani tax authorities
14:14 29.03.2024
Philippines' Catholic devotees nailed to crosses to re-enact crucifixion
Philippines' Catholic devotees nailed to crosses to re-enact crucifixion
14:00 29.03.2024
Umud Mirzayev: EU's South Caucasus Visit Aims to Maintain Regional Influence
13:45 29.03.2024
Public Television of Armenia Reveals Villages to be Returned to Azerbaijan
13:39 29.03.2024
Death toll of Israeli strike in Syria rises to 42, war monitor says - UPDATED
13:25 29.03.2024
Azerbaijan toughens penalties for non-compliance with rules of state of emergency regime
Azerbaijan toughens penalties for non-compliance with rules of state of emergency regime
13:12 29.03.2024
How will the EU's visit to the South Caucasus affect the peace process? - Former ambassador talks to Ednews
13:00 29.03.2024
Azerbaijan tightens sanctions for breaching special operation zone rules on religious extremism
12:45 29.03.2024
Azerbaijan toughens penalties for non-compliance with rules of social emergency environment regime
12:33 29.03.2024
About $7 bln of foreign direct investment was invested in Azerbaijan last year
12:00 29.03.2024
Number of people injured in Crocus City Hall terrorist attack reaches 382
11:48 29.03.2024
Media: Netanyahu rejected the Mossad Chief's proposal for a possible agreement in Gaza
11:37 29.03.2024
Azerbaijani Parliament's meeting kicks off
11:26 29.03.2024
An American couple founded a website, which identifies brands that support Israel
An American couple founded a website, which identifies brands that support Israel
11:07 29.03.2024
US scientists name infection more dangerous for brain than coronavirus
US scientists name infection more dangerous for brain than coronavirus
11:00 29.03.2024
Parviz Shahbazov: Foundations of 4 new renewable energy plants will be laid this year
Parviz Shahbazov: Foundations of 4 new renewable energy plants will be laid this year
10:50 29.03.2024
Japan eyes self-driving expressway lane network
10:40 29.03.2024
Oil prices end 1Q24 with strong growth
10:30 29.03.2024
SECRETS of the European Union's visit to the South Caucasus - Fikret Sadigov EXPLAINS
10:25 29.03.2024
Ammunition found in Khankandi
Ammunition found in Khankandi
10:10 29.03.2024
Iran’s top diplomat: Military presence of third countries in Caspian Sea goes against interests of region
Iran’s top diplomat: Military presence of third countries in Caspian Sea goes against interests of region
10:00 29.03.2024
Armenia officially announces freezing its participation in CSTO
09:50 29.03.2024
US hopes to return to purchase of 72 fighter jets per year amid budget cuts
09:38 29.03.2024
Another 138 IDPs leave for Fuzuli
09:28 29.03.2024
Netanyahu: "We have strategic assets of Hamas"
09:17 29.03.2024
Date of next meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Parliament Speakers announced
09:00 29.03.2024
Hamısı