1973

1973

Summary Reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff is Ivan, a rural Jamaican musician who journeys to the city of Kingston in search of fame and fortune. Pushed to desperate circumstances by shady record producers and corrupt cops, he finally achieves notoriety—as a murderous outlaw. Boasting some of the greatest music ever produced in Jamaica, The Harder The...

Written By: Chris Salewicz

1973

1973

The Harder They Come

Name: The Harder They Come
Genre: Crime, Drama, Music
Released: 1973-02-08
Rating: 77

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 16 Critic Reviews

User Score Available after 4 ratings

tbd

My Score

Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Written By: Chris Salewicz

Critic Reviews

View All

Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 16 Critic Reviews

88% Positive
14 Reviews

13% Mixed
2 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

View All

Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 16 Critic Reviews

88% Positive
14 Reviews

13% Mixed
2 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

100

The Guardian

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.

By Peter Bradshaw FULL REVIEW

The A.V. Club

Oct 3, 2019

While it was ultimately the songs—You Can Get It If You Really Want, Many Rivers To Cross, Pressure Drop, and the title track, among other classics—that carried the day, The Harder They Come remains a powerful testament to their meaning.

By Scott Tobias FULL REVIEW

Variety

Oct 3, 2019

Perry Henzell emerges a director with a solid visual flair who can mix action and inchoate rage sans excess to give the film a taut pacing and use the local color and a basically predictable tale with a few new twists.

FULL REVIEW

Austin Chronicle

Oct 3, 2019

The movie's critiques of the music industry, the ganja trade, and organized religion still ring true.

FULL REVIEW

The New Yorker

Oct 3, 2019

The film, directed by Perry Henzell, is feverish and haphazard, but the music redeems much of it, and the rhythmic swing of the Jamaican speech is hypnotic.

By Pauline Kael FULL REVIEW

Chicago Sun-Times

Oct 3, 2019

The characters aren’t consistent, and Cliff eventually becomes so unbelievable that we just stop caring. The movie’s ending is an exercise in plot; its beginning and its music deserve better than that.

By Roger Ebert FULL REVIEW

Time Out

Jun 5, 2012

But make no mistake: As a movie, it's Mystery Science Theater 3000 bad: atrocious acting, amateurish camerawork and a hackneyed story line all make for one painful slog.

By Stephen Garrett FULL REVIEW

See All 16 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

View All

Production Company Conquering Lion Pictures, Xingu Films

Release Date Feb 8, 1973

Genres

The Harder They Come

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

Details

Details

Related Movies

The Godfather

Touch of Evil

Pépé le Moko (re-release)

Rashomon

The Night of the Hunter

Rififi (re-release)

The Maltese Falcon

12 Angry Men

Mean Streets

Pulp Fiction

Collective

Double Indemnity

Taxi Driver

The Irishman

Carlos

The French Connection

Elevator to the Gallows

Shoplifters

The 39 Steps

Uncut Gems

Band of Outsiders

Days of Being Wild (re-release)

Related News

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz