(Credits: Netflix)

Tom Hardy is back on everyone’s radar with his long-anticipated film Havoc. This gritty action thriller is now streaming on Netflix and is a perfect watch for adrenaline lovers. The film is moody and messy and is basically everything you expect from a Gareth Evans film. And while Hardy’s fans are rightly losing their minds over his blockbuster return, there is another Hardy-led film which is quietly sitting in the catalogue of Netflix that deserves just as much attention.

So if you have already burnt through Havoc and are looking for a double dose of Hardy, Legend on Netflix should be next on your watchlist. This 2015 biographical crime drama has everything you expect Tom Hardy to do.

He has taken it up a notch and done the nearly impossible. He has played both of the infamous Kray twins in one of his most underrated double performances. Released nearly a decade ago, this film still gives you the same chills and is one of those timeless masterpieces you keep visiting.

In his latest release, Havoc, Hardy plays a disillusioned detective named Walker, who navigates through a criminal world riddled with corruption and violence. His character in the film is built on silence, scowls and brute force. It won’t be wrong to say that Walker is more of an instinct than dialogue; it is a character that is driven by exhaustion, fury, and survival. In the entire film, Hardy has played a relentless fighter who makes his way through bloodied hallways, claustrophobic alleys and endless fight sequences. The film has everything you expect from Tom Hardy.

Legend, on the other hand, can be termed as the polar opposite of Havoc. The film is set in the London of the 1960s and takes the viewers through the rise and fall of the Kray twins, Reggie and Ronnie. These twins ruled the East End with charm and intimidation. Hardy has done an exceptional job playing both the twins and effortlessly switching between Reggie’s calculated charisma and Ronnie’s unhinged volatility. Unlike Havoc, this film has no high-speed chases or rooftop stunts, but you can see the tension simmering beneath every scene.

What makes Legend a great watch is watching Hardy pull off two completely distinct characters, often in the same frame, without it feeling like a gimmick. The actor’s ability to shift posture, accent, gaze and energy between the twins is staggering. While Reggie is all about strategy, Ronnie is explosive and dangerous, and together they form a portrait of power and loyalty, ultimately leading to self-destruction.

The loud one vs the layered one

If you compare Havoc and Legend, the former can be termed as a physical marathon, while the latter is a psychological slow-burn. While the former rarely lets you breathe, the latter is a longer game. Legend draws you in with elegant visuals, vintage suits and velvet chaos and drags you through the smoky pubs of the ’60s. It is not merely gangsters throwing punches. It is a full-fledged show of a kingdom cracking from the inside.

Not just that, the film has also made room for strange humour and romance. There are scenes in the film where you see Reggie trying to hold onto love while watching his empire slipping through his fingers. You also see Ronnie’s instability bleed into heartbreak. Legend is a story of two men trying to be kings, only to fall like brothers in the end.

So when you ask us which one of the two is a must-watch, the answer is both! You can enjoy Hard in peak action mode in Havoc, rough, scarred and deadly. It is exactly the kind of film you want to watch when you want to turn off your brain. But if you want to appreciate the actor for his acting skills truly, Legend is where you go next. It is, in many ways, theatrical and a character-driven masterpiece.

And the best part is, you do not have to choose, as both films are available on Netflix. Add these two to your watchlist and watch Tom Hardy take it to an entirely different level.