The read
Critics rate it 22 points higher than audiences do. Scores higher than 83% of the 380 1970s crime movies in this catalog.
Synopsis
Ivanhoe Martin 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, 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.
Ratings
IMDb6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes91%
Critics rate it 22 points higher than audiences do.
128 audience votes
Key crew
- Perry HenzellDirector
- Trevor D. RhoneWriter
- Perry HenzellWriter
Cast
- Jimmy CliffIvanhoe "Ivan" Martin
- Janet BartleyElsa
- Carl BradshawJose
- Ras Daniel HartmanPedro
- Basil KeanePreacher
- Bob CharltonHilton
- Winston StonaDetective Ray Jones
- Lucia WhiteMother
- Volair JohnsonPushcart Boy
- Beverly AndersonHousewife
- Clover LewisMarket Woman
- Elijah ChambersLonga
Stills
Movies like The Harder They Come
Shows like The Harder They Come
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
1977
Shares: Mob / Mafia · Mafia & Mob · Crime
Themes
cinema on cinemagangsterdisc jockeyjamaicachurch choirreggaeparishrecording contractrecord producerrecord labelmurdermarijuana
The Best Movies of 1972
The Harder They Come is #26 of 49
