Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- propulsive
- visceral
- operatic
- action movie night
- 1990s nostalgia
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film technically polished and packed with impressive action and stunts, while viewing its story and lead performance as weak or conventional.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John Woo stages shootouts, pursuits, and confrontations with stylized movement and expressive weapon handling.
Chance Boudreaux is a hardened drifter who joins Natasha Binder after meeting her during her search for her missing father.
Emil Fouchon's organization sells wealthy clients the opportunity to hunt people during a police strike.
The film combines blood-soaked confrontations, impressive stunts, martial arts, and heightened villainy in an intentionally maximalist action register.
Films like Hard Target, and why
The Killer
stylized gunplay, revenge-driven action, and a charismatic outsider confronting organized criminal violence
Hard Boiled
martial arts spectacle, heightened choreography, and a one-man assault against a violent criminal network
Universal Soldier
1990s action-thriller energy, brutal manhunts, and a relentless protagonist battling mercenaries
Movie Details
- Director
- John Woo
- Release Date
- 1993-04-27
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (1397)
Cast
- Jean-Claude Van Damme
- Arnold Vosloo
- Lance Henriksen
- Yancy Butler
- Sven-Ole Thorsen
- Wilford Brimley
- Ted Raimi
- Kasi Lemmons
- Willie C. Carpenter
- Eliott Keener
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Target about?
- A tough drifter helps a woman uncover a human-hunting conspiracy in New Orleans and turns the predators’ game against them.
- What is Hard Target like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hard Target as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Hard Target violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Hard Target as graphic.
- What did critics think of Hard Target?
- Critics broadly found the film technically polished and packed with impressive action and stunts, while viewing its story and lead performance as weak or conventional.
- Which films are like Hard Target?
- Films with a similar feel include The Killer, Hard Boiled, and Universal Soldier.
- How long is Hard Target?
- Hard Target runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hard Target?
- In United States, Hard Target streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
