Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- gritty
- sparse
- brooding
- classic action night
- walter hill marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly find the film's slight, brutish story elevated by strong performances, atmospheric period grit, and Walter Hill's sparse direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chaney and Speed rely on illegal street fights, gambling, and promotion to survive during the Great Depression.
Walter Hill's debut uses Chaney's taciturn presence and direct confrontations to create a restrained, fatalistic atmosphere.
The film places drifters, gamblers, promoters, and street fighters within an atmospheric Great Depression New Orleans.
Chaney earns money through illegal bare-knuckled street fights arranged by Speed and rival promoters.
Films like Hard Times, and why
The Driver
A lean, hard-edged crime film centered on a taciturn professional outsider and brutal personal codes.
The Warriors
Shares Walter Hill's stripped-down action style, morally marginal characters, and terse masculine confrontation.
Cinderella Man
A Depression-era boxing drama about survival, exploitation, and a fighter navigating corrupt promoters.
Movie Details
- Director
- Walter Hill
- Release Date
- 1975-08-13
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (247)
Cast
- Charles Bronson
- James Coburn
- Jill Ireland
- Strother Martin
- Margaret Blye
- Michael McGuire
- Felice Orlandi
- Edward Walsh
- Bruce Glover
- Robert Tessier
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hard Times about?
- A taciturn drifter and a debt-ridden gambler stake everything on illegal bare-knuckle fights in Depression-era New Orleans.
- What is Hard Times like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hard Times as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hard Times violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Hard Times as brutal.
- What did critics think of Hard Times?
- Critics broadly find the film's slight, brutish story elevated by strong performances, atmospheric period grit, and Walter Hill's sparse direction.
- Which films are like Hard Times?
- Films with a similar feel include The Driver, The Warriors, and Cinderella Man.
- How long is Hard Times?
- Hard Times runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hard Times?
- In United States, Hard Times streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
