The Harder They Come_
"With a Piece in His Hand He Takes on the Man!"
Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.
Starring
Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Prime Video
4 countries
YouTube
3 countries
G
Google Play
3 countries
Apple TV
2 countries
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
The Harder They Come was released 54 years ago in 1972.
Overview
Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records hi...
The Harder They Come is a Crime, Drama, Music film with a runtime of 1h 43m.
CAST (20)
Jimmy Cliff
Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin
JB
Janet Bartley
Elsa
CB
Carl Bradshaw
Jose
RD
Ras Daniel Hartman
Pedro
BK
Basil Keane
Preacher
BC
Bob Charlton
Hilton
WS
Winston Stona
Detective Ray Jones
LW
Lucia White
Mother
VJ
Volair Johnson
Pushcart Boy
BA
Beverly Anderson
Housewife
CL
Clover Lewis
Market Woman
EC
Elijah Chambers
Longa
PB
Prince Buster
DJ at Dance
E'
Ed 'Bim' Lewis
Photographer
BL
Bobby Loban
Fitz
JD
Joanne Dunn
Barmaid
DT
Don Topping
DJ
KL
Karl Leslie
Freddie
SR
Sandra Redwood
Girl
UF
Ula Fraser
Elsa Friend
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
103 min (1h 43m)
Country
JM
Rating
6.5/10 (119 votes)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Harder They Come about?
Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.
How long is The Harder They Come?
The Harder They Come has a runtime of 103 minutes (1h 43m).
Who stars in The Harder They Come?
The cast of The Harder They Come includes Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw, Ras Daniel Hartman, Basil Keane.
What is the rating of The Harder They Come?
The Harder They Come has a rating of 6.5 out of 10 based on 119 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (3)
Crime
Drama
Music