The Harder They Come

Name: The Harder They Come
Genre: Crime, Drama, Music
Released: 1972-08-01
Duration: 1 h 43 min
Rating: 6.6
Cast: Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw, Ras Daniel Hartman, Basil Keane

1972·Movie·R·103 min·★ 6.6(125)

Crime DramaMusicMore English titles

“With a Piece in His Hand He Takes on the Man!”

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.

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Where to watch The Harder They Come in United States

Can I watch The Harder They Come in United States? Yes — you can stream The Harder They Come in United States on Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, and Fandor, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

Click a service to open The Harder They Come there. Availability last verified on July 31, 2026.

Where is The Harder They Come streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, Fandor, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	Amazon Prime Video, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Tubi TV	Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Canada	Criterion Channel, Crave, Hoopla, Tubi TV	Google Play Movies, YouTube, Apple TV Store
Australia	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Tubi TV	—
France	—	LaCinetek
Spain	Acontra Plus, Acontra Plus Amazon Channel, Tivify	Acontra Plus

About The Harder They Come

The Harder They Come is a 1972 English-language crime, drama and music film directed by Perry Henzell. The cast is led by Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw. It has a runtime of 1h 43m. Viewers rate it 6.6/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, Fandor.

The Harder They Come was produced by International Films and made in Jamaica. It was released on August 1, 1972, and carries a R certification.

Director: Perry Henzell
Writers: Trevor D. Rhone, Perry Henzell
Release date: August 1, 1972
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: Jamaica
Production: International Films

#cinema on cinema#gangster#disc jockey#jamaica#church choir#reggae#parish#recording contract#record producer#record label#murder#marijuana#drugs

The Harder They Come cast & crew

The Harder They Come was directed by Perry Henzell and written by Trevor D. Rhone and Perry Henzell.

The cast features Jimmy Cliff as Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin, Janet Bartley as Elsa, Carl Bradshaw as Jose, Ras Daniel Hartman as Pedro, Basil Keane as Preacher, and Bob Charlton as Hilton.

Behind the camera, it was produced by Chris Blackwell and Perry Henzell.

Is The Harder They Come worth watching?

The Harder They Come holds an audience score of 6.6/10 from 125 ratings, a solidly received crime films.

At 1h 43m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy crime, drama, and music, The Harder They Come is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Harder They Come

In United States, you can stream The Harder They Come on Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, Fandor, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.