Tom Hardy fans, it’s time to get your popcorn out as one of the actor’s best films has just landed on Netflix. The 2011 sports drama Warrior sees Tom play ex-marine Tommy Riordan Conlon, who, upon returning home, is trained by his father to compete in a mixed martial arts tournament. But when his estranged brother fights his way into the ring, there’s more at stake than the $5 million prize money.
Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know about the film, including what viewers and critics think.
What is Warrior about?
The film follows ex-marine Tommy, who after returning home to Pittsburgh, convinces his father, Paddy (Nick Nolte), a recovering alcoholic and former wrestling coach, to train him up for the world’s biggest mixed martial arts tournament. But when his estranged brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton), an ex-fighter turned physics teacher, decides to enter the tournament, the pair must go head-to-head in the ring.
The official synopsis reads: "Tommy Riordan, an ex-marine with a tragic past, returns home and enlists his father, a recovering alcoholic and former wrestling coach, to train him for 'Sparta', the biggest MMA tournament ever held." It continues: "But when Tommy's underdog brother, Brendan, fights his way into the tournament, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart. What ensues is the most gut-wrenching, soul-stirring and unforgettable battle of their lives."
What has the response from viewers and critics been?
The film, which was directed by Gavin O'Connor, received mainly positive reviews. Critics praised the cast's performances, with Nick Nolte receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Paddy Conlon. It’s also a fan-favorite among Tom Hardy fans, with one person hailing it as one of the actor’s "best films" on social media. "Warrior is one of Tom Hardy's best films. I highly recommend it," they wrote on X. Another viewer penned: "Warrior is one of the top 10 movies of the past 15 years and it flies totally under the radar. This was a true masterpiece of a movie and performance from Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte."
Who stars in Warrior?
Tom Hardy leads the cast as Tommy, alongside Joel Edgerton as Brendan Conlon and Nick Nolte as Paddy Conlon. Jennifer Morrison also stars as Brendan's wife, Tess, alongside Frank Grillo as Frank Campana and Kevin Dunn as Principal Joe Zito. Warrior is available to stream on Netflix.
Tom Hardy’s Career Highlights
Ever since his earliest appearances as soldiers in Ridley Scott’s Blackhawk Down and the miniseries Band of Brothers and as the villain in Star Trek: Nemesis, Tom Hardy has possessed a uniquely off-kilter screen presence (and a penchant for weird voices). Although his career began when he won a modeling competition, Hardy has pursued challenging and even abrasive roles, playing shady characters with complex moral values.
He’s led blockbuster franchises, including the questionable but popular Venom superhero movies, and he’s been Oscar-nominated for his intense role in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s grueling drama The Revenant. Hardy is currently appearing alongside Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren in the Paramount Plus crime drama series MobLand, and he stars in the upcoming Netflix action movie Havoc.
Five of Tom Hardy’s Best Film Roles
As fans check out Hardy’s latest projects, here are five of his best film roles to stream next:
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
Hardy faced massive expectations when taking over the iconic role of post-apocalyptic warrior Max Rockatansky from Mel Gibson, but he makes the part his own, while retaining the essence of the laconic antihero. Although Max’s name is in the title, he often takes a backseat to Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa, who becomes his mentor and ally in the battle against the warlord Immortan Joe. Hardy provides a grim, grounded presence to anchor the chaos created by filmmaker George Miller, who stages some of the most astounding action sequences ever put onscreen.
2. The Dark Knight Rises
Although his role as Batman villain Bane has been extensively parodied — most notably in the version of Bane on the Max animated series Harley Quinn — Hardy brings both menace and anguish to the hulking, masked killer who takes over Gotham City in director Christopher Nolan’s third Batman movie. Bane is just one of several threats faced by Christian Bale’s Batman in the epic finale to Nolan’s trilogy, which also features Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Marion Cotillard as a woman with mysterious ties to Batman’s past enemies.
3. The Bikeriders
Hardy plays Johnny Davis, the leader of a Chicago motorcycle club in the 1960s and ’70s, in writer-director Jeff Nichols’ adaptation of the book by renowned photojournalist Danny Lyon. Austin Butler co-stars as Johnny’s right-hand man, and Jodie Comer often carries the movie as an opinionated woman making her way among a bunch of macho jerks. Hardy doesn’t hold back on making Johnny one of those jerks, but he also shows the wounded pride under the violent posturing.
4. The Drop
Hardy takes on what may be his most sensitive role as a bartender working at a Brooklyn establishment controlled by the Chechen mafia. While his cousin Marv (James Gandolfini) collaborates with the mobsters, Hardy’s Bob Saginowski seems to prefer standing on the sidelines and staying out of the way as the gangsters use the bar as a drop site for their illicit transactions. Bob even adopts an abused stray dog he finds in a trashcan, and he bonds with a local woman (Noomi Rapace) who helps him take care of the scared animal.
5. Lawless
Hardy’s accent in this Virginia-set period crime drama makes him sound a bit like Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade, but it fits with the Southern gothic vibe that director John Hillcoat is aiming for. Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Jason Clarke play a trio of brothers in 1931 rural Virginia, who’ve built a small empire as bootleggers during Prohibition. They battle with a corrupt local U.S. marshal played by Guy Pearce, ultimately leading to a bloody confrontation.
With all these remarkable roles, Tom Hardy continues to captivate audiences with his dynamic performances and compelling characters.
