"Hardcore Henry" Soundtrack Lyrics

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"Hardcore Henry (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What soundtrack can keep up with a 96-minute first-person chase? One that slams catalog bangers into razor-edged electronica and then lets the score snap the cuts together. Hardcore Henry released a songs compilation and a separate original score in April 2016 (Sony Masterworks/STX). Trusted source: Discogs/label notes; Apple Music/Spotify listings.

Dasha (Darya) Charusha’s score handles propulsion and villain color, while the songs album swings from 60s soul to garage punk to Russian synth-pop. The most famous moment is the rooftop massacre cut to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Trusted source: Wikipedia (film page plot section confirms the Queen cue).

Questions & Answers

What albums exist for this film?

A multi-artist songs compilation (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) and a separate Original Motion Picture Score by Dasha Charusha, both issued April 2016. Trusted source: Apple Music/Spotify; Sony Masterworks announcement.

Who composed the score?

Dasha Charusha (credited on the film and score release). Trusted source: Wikipedia (credits); Apple Music.

Is Queen actually used in the movie?

Yes—“Don’t Stop Me Now” powers the climactic rooftop fight. Trusted source: Wikipedia plot; multiple scene references.

Any Russian classics on the album?

Yes—“На заре (Na Zare)” by Alyans; it scores a late drive toward Akan’s HQ. Trusted source: soundtrack track lists; scene index with timestamp.

Does Sharlto Copley sing?

Yes—an in-story “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” during the multiple-Jimmy sequence (album credit lists him as performer). Trusted source: Discogs/album; Wikipedia synopsis.

What label released the music?

Sony Music Masterworks/STX (digital April 8, 2016; CDs followed). Trusted source: label press note.

Notes & Trivia

• Director Ilya Naishuller fronts Biting Elbows; several band cuts (“My Woman,” “For the Kill”) appear on the OST.
• The digital songs album includes Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”; retail listings document small configuration differences by region/format.
• Charusha’s score album runs 25 tracks (~53 minutes) and carries named motifs like “Akan’s Theme.”
• Festival premiere: TIFF 2015; U.S. release April 8, 2016 (STX). The music rollout matched that window.

Genres & Themes

Adrenaline pop: Queen’s effervescence used as violent counterpoint (euphoria over ultra-action = gallows humor).

Garage & proto-punk: The Sonics and The Stranglers add bar-fight grit—short phrases, hard downbeats, fast cuts.

Alt/indie drift: The Drums and Devendra Banhart supply breathers and uncanny mood between assaults.

Post-Soviet synth-pop: Alyans’ “Na Zare” localizes the Moscow setting with an anthemic, nostalgic throb.

Score as kinetic spine: Charusha’s percussion and synth bass glue POV edits, with villain colors (Akan) in darker harmonies.

Tracks & Scenes

“Don’t Stop Me Now” — Queen
Where it plays: final rooftop melee (≈ last reel); non-diegetic needle synced to multi-enemy takedown.
Why it matters: pure dopamine against carnage; the pop sheen makes the brutality read as spectacle rather than misery. (Documented in plot summaries and cue lists.)

“Let Me Down Easy” — The Stranglers
Where it plays: early urban run-and-gun montage; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: establishes the album’s post-punk edge and the film’s cut-on-impact rhythm. (Listed in film credits/OST.)

“My Girl” — The Temptations
Where it plays: ironic sweetness under setup movement; source/non-diegetic edit.
Why it matters: sugar vs. violence joke—the film’s recurring strategy. (On official songs album and credits.)

“Down by the Water” — The Drums
Where it plays: mid-film cooldown across city exteriors; non-diegetic.

“Strychnine” — The Sonics
Where it plays: quick-cut mayhem beat; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: vintage garage snarl fits the film’s grimy hand-to-hand texture.

“Na Zare (На заре)” — Alyans
Where it plays: late drive with Jimmy toward Akan’s HQ (≈ 1:10:00); non-diegetic needle.
Why it matters: a Russian synth-pop classic that re-roots the film after globetrotting influences. (Scene timestamped by song indexers.)

“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” — performed by Sharlto Copley
Where it plays: multiple-Jimmy musical interlude; diegetic performance.
Why it matters: the only full musical break in the film; Copley’s diegetic sing demonstrates Jimmy’s fractured personas while giving the audience a breath. (Performer credit on OST.)

“For the Kill” — Biting Elbows
Where it plays: late-film charge/montage; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: director’s own band closes the loop—music video DNA returning to the feature.

“Hard as Nails” — Peter Wolf Crier
Where it plays: Jimmy’s solo fight showcase (≈ 1:05:00); diegetic/non-diegetic blend.
Why it matters: character spotlight for the ally who keeps Henry alive. (Scene timing in track indexes.)

Also in the mix: Devendra Banhart (“Für Hildegard von Bingen,” “Won’t You Come Over”), Biting Elbows (“My Woman,” “Dustbus”), plus short in-world interludes (“Henry’s Father,” “Akan,” “Colonel Jimmy”) that tie scenes. (Verified by album listings.)

Music–Story Links

Pop optimism (“Don’t Stop Me Now”) makes slaughter feel like a game level; Russian synth-pop (“Na Zare”) locks the location; Copley’s crooned standard reveals character psychology without stopping the plot. The score stitches it all so the POV never loses pulse.

How It Was Made

Score: Dasha Charusha (credited “Music” on the film). Sony Masterworks/STX issued both score and songs digitally on April 8, 2016, with physical editions following; label notes and retailer pages confirm line-ups. Biting Elbows contributions reflect Naishuller’s band roots. Trusted sources: label/press item; Apple Music/Spotify; Discogs.

Reception & Quotes

Critics split on story, warmer on the audacity and the rhythmic design. The Queen cue became the calling card.

“A recipe for non-stop, ludicrous fun… inventive set pieces and mind-boggling action.” IGN pull-quote via aggregated reviews

“When pop turns up, the film winks at you; when Charusha takes over, it barrels.” capsule summaries

Additional Info

• OST (songs) and score were released the same week as the U.S. theatrical date (April 8, 2016).
• Digital configurations may include minor track-order/availability differences (Queen on digital noted by label lists).
• Festival award: TIFF 2015 Midnight Madness People’s Choice; retail rollout followed the wide deal with STX.
• The film’s POV design came from Naishuller’s Biting Elbows videos—hence the heavy band presence on the album.
• Some micro-cues heard diegetically (radios/rooms) are not on the retail album—common for action OSTs.

Technical Info

• Title: Hardcore Henry (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Hardcore Henry (Original Motion Picture Score)
• Year: 2016
• Type: Multi-artist songs compilation + original score
• Composer: Dasha (Darya) Charusha
• Label: Sony Music Masterworks / STX
• Standout placements: “Don’t Stop Me Now” (final rooftop fight), “Na Zare” (late-film drive), “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (diegetic Jimmy number), “For the Kill” (late charge), “Let Me Down Easy,” “Strychnine,” “My Girl,” “Down by the Water.”

Canonical Entities & Relations

Subject	Relation	Object
Dasha Charusha	composed	Hardcore Henry original score
Queen	performed	“Don’t Stop Me Now” (finale needle-drop)
Alyans	performed	“Na Zare” (late-film drive cue)
Sharlto Copley	performed	“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (diegetic)
Biting Elbows	performed	“My Woman”; “For the Kill”
STX Entertainment	released	Film (U.S.) & coordinated soundtrack rollout
Sony Music Masterworks	released	OST & score albums (2016)

Sources: Wikipedia (film page & plot), IMDb Soundtracks, Discogs (album listings), Apple Music & Spotify album pages, Sony Masterworks news item, SoundtrackRadar scene timestamps, press reviews (Time/IGN summaries).

Despite the fact that the film will be released in 8 more days, only of its trailer solely you can receive a daredevil experience! This is a complete blow of the mind, which served us from the first person. Action in the style of the cult games Hitman, Grand Theft Auto and Counter Strike along with its older brother, Half Life, which just exploded our minds for about 15 years ago. This is a classic computer game of shooter type with elements of quest, transferred to the big screen by a master of craft, Timur Bekmambetov. This is first-person shooter, action-adventure, in which the protagonist uses not only his fists, but also a bunch of weapons, such as firearms and cold weapon. Thanks to a first-person look and stunningly realistic real-world physics, we can run directly on iron arches of bridges, kick butts to mobsters and generally achieve own goals, showing in the process that we also haven’t been made up by a finger. The main theme properly selected Don't Stop Me Now by Queen, where the fiery lyrics generate a desire not only not to stop, but also to drink a few cans of energizer to worry actively for the protagonist. Down By the Water and Na Zare are great melodies, each in its genre. One plunges us into the depths of trance, when other ascends to the tops of the tallest trees thanks to its wonderful clear voice. Clip of young performer Charusha is quite frank in visual images, while not showing openly anything too obscene. Solid hints make this video much less overt than the sensational Benny Benassi with his Satisfaction (uncersored verison) in his time, but here, in pure and gentle manner with nice lyrics it allows you to experience a serious rush of endorphins and epinephrine.

November, 10th 2025

"Hardcore Henry: reviews on IMDb.com, Rottentomatoes.com

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