Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- propulsive
- tense
- rain-soaked
- action movie night
- stormy evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found the flood effects and action sequences energetic but considered the heist plot implausible and routine.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The abandoned town, submerged roads, church, cell, and armored truck turn flooding into the film's central action mechanism.
Tom joins forces with Jim after discovering that both the gang and corrupt law enforcement threaten him and Karen.
Nearly every major pursuit and gunfight unfolds amid relentless rain, rising water, evacuation, and collapsing safety.
The three million dollars moves between Tom, Jim's gang, Sheriff Collins, and the other survivors, driving the chase.
Films like Hard Rain, and why
Speed
shares a fast-moving action-thriller structure, criminal pursuit, and escalating hostage-like survival situations
The River Wild
combines flood-driven disaster spectacle with crime, suspense, and an ordinary protagonist forced into violent confrontation
The Taking of Pelham 123
features a stylized disaster setting, competing criminals, shifting alliances, and a high-pressure race to control stolen money
Movie Details
- Director
- Mikael Salomon
- Release Date
- 1998-01-16
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (833)
Cast
- Morgan Freeman
- Christian Slater
- Minnie Driver
- Randy Quaid
- Ed Asner
- Betty White
- Richard Dysart
- Dann Florek
- Michael A. Goorjian
- Ricky Harris
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Rain about?
- A stranded armored-truck driver battles criminals and corrupt police while a catastrophic flood transforms an evacuated town into a watery battlefield.
- What is Hard Rain like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hard Rain as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hard Rain violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Hard Rain as brutal.
- What did critics think of Hard Rain?
- Critics broadly found the flood effects and action sequences energetic but considered the heist plot implausible and routine.
- Which films are like Hard Rain?
- Films with a similar feel include Speed, The River Wild, and The Taking of Pelham 123.
- How long is Hard Rain?
- Hard Rain runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hard Rain?
- In United States, Hard Rain is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
