Overview
A detective's day spirals into chaos as he tries to cover up a fatal mistake.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- darkly comic
- propulsive
- late night thriller viewing
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply made, highly entertaining crime thriller driven by unrelenting suspense and well-timed humor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Go Gun-su's traffic accident, family crisis, police investigation, and threats unfold in less than 24 hours.
Gun-su hides the hit-and-run victim in his mother's coffin, after which the witness and criminal networks intensify his predicament.
The protagonist is a detective implicated in embezzlement while confronting police inspectors and organized crime.
The funeral, corpse concealment, reckless driving, and threatening phone calls generate both unrelenting danger and flashes of dark humor.
Films like A Hard Day, and why
The Chaser
high-pressure crime thriller structure, morally compromised protagonist, and relentless suspense
The Yellow Sea
propulsive neo-noir tension, police corruption, and flashes of pitch-black humor
Fargo
darkly comic crime escalation, antihero desperation, and tightly controlled suspense
Infernal Affairs
cynical crime thriller atmosphere, corrupt institutions, and escalating moral jeopardy
Movie Details
- Director
- Kim Seong-hun
- Release Date
- 2014-05-29
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (528)
Cast
- Lee Sun-kyun
- Cho Jin-woong
- Jeong Man-sik
- Shin Jung-keun
- Shin Dong-mi
- Heo Jung-eun
- Kim Dong-young
- Ju Seok-tae
- Park Bo-gum
- Lee Ji-hoon
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Kino Film Collection
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Hard Day about?
- A corrupt detective's desperate attempt to conceal a fatal hit-and-run turns one catastrophic day into a savage, darkly comic survival thriller.
- What is A Hard Day like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Hard Day as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Hard Day violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in A Hard Day as brutal.
- What did critics think of A Hard Day?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply made, highly entertaining crime thriller driven by unrelenting suspense and well-timed humor.
- Which films are like A Hard Day?
- Films with a similar feel include The Chaser, The Yellow Sea, Fargo, and Infernal Affairs.
- How long is A Hard Day?
- A Hard Day runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Hard Day?
- In United States, A Hard Day streams on Kino Film Collection.
