The Harder They Come

Friday, December 5 - Thursday, December 11, 2025

SHOWTIMES AT IFC CENTER

WITH A PIECE IN HIS HAND, HE TAKES ON THE MAN! The epochal cultural moment that first brought reggae to the international stage, made Jimmy Cliff, who passed away last month, a star — and demonstrated how music can change the world.

Fifty years on, THE HARDER THEY COME is still electric with the feeling of discovery.  This SCARFACE-y blend of crime drama and musical tracks Cliff’s country-boy-in-search-of-fame through Jamaica under the guises of laborer, recording artist, convict, ganja dealer, and outlaw folk hero.   

Before THE HARDER THEY COME, the collective perception of a “foreign film” was limited to the Bergmans and the Kurosawas of the world. This game-changer forever blew those doors off — and it still hasn’t lost a drop of its cool, its edge, or its way of making you dance.

  • Country Jamaica
  • Year 1972
  • Running Time 103 minutes
  • Distributor AGFA
  • Director Perry Henzell
  • Cast Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw

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