The Harder They Come

Play trailer

The Harder They Come

R,

1972,

1h 45m,

Drama/

Crime/

Music

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

90%

41 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Ivanhoe Martin (Jimmy Cliff) arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton (Bob Charlton), soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.

Critics Consensus

The Harder They Come boasts hard-hitting drama and insightful social commentary, all matched beat for beat by a flawless soundtrack.

Read Critics Reviews

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Aug 5, 2022

4/5

An epic character arc, wall-to-wall reggae standards and a suitably strutting turn from star Jimmy Cliff are the hallmarks of this Jamaican crime classic.

Go to Full Review

Danny Leigh

Financial Times

Aug 5, 2022

5/5

[Henzell conjures] Kingston’s bristle and chaos with a diamond-hard vérité, spiced with wit and lyricism.

Go to Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Aug 3, 2022

5/5

The reggae soundtrack throbs and crunches and shudders in concert with the raw energy of Henzell’s storytelling and Cliff’s performance, but this doesn’t preclude a shrewdly self-aware debate about representation.

Go to Full Review

Daniel Allen

Loud and Clear Reviews

Jul 25, 2024

4/5

50 years since the release of The Harder They Come, Jamaica’s first feature film is still a brilliant take on its people’s struggles – with one of the best soundtracks of all time.

Go to Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Apr 8, 2023

It’s a simple film shot on a shoestring, rough and sometimes ragged but vital and explosive and filled with a superb reggae soundtrack that brought Cliff’s music to the world.

Go to Full Review

Christopher Machell

CineVue

Aug 5, 2022

4/5

With a sensational soundtrack, a terrific central performance from reggae master Jimmy Cliff, and violence as unvarnished as Mean Streets, The Harder They Come has lost none of its excitement.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Draco L

Dec 28, 2017

a nice looking film and its an interesting setting. i wouldnt call this a masterpiece though. also its the only jamaican movie from the 70s i know of

See more

Read all reviews

Perry Henzell

Director

Jimmy Cliff

Ivan Martin

Janet Bartley

Elsa

Carl Bradshaw

Jose

Ras Daniel Hartman

Pedro

Basil Keane

Preacher

Bent

76%

43%

Bent

Watchlist

The Girl on a Motorcycle

38%

50%

The Girl on a Motorcycle

Watchlist

Superfly

92%

70%

Superfly

Watchlist

Girl

84%

75%

Girl

Watchlist

Viva

80%

85%

Viva

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Viva

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Nine Movies That Bring the Funk

Hit Movie Songs from the 1970s

The Weekly Ketchup: A Third "Starship Troopers," Jack Black Collaborates With Michel Gondry, Tension Between Fox And Marvel Over "X-Men," And More!

View more photos

Synopsis

Ivanhoe Martin (Jimmy Cliff) arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton (Bob Charlton), soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.

Director: Perry Henzell
Producer: Perry Henzell
Screenwriter: Trevor D. Rhone, Perry Henzell
Production Co: Xenon Pictures, International Films
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Crime, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2015
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Mono

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings