The Harder They Fall (2021) User Reviews

T his is a very well done movie that is entertaining and worth a viewing; however, it doesn't reach its full potential

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 14 November 2021]

The Harder they Fall (2021) is a movie the wife and I recently watched on Netflix. The storyline follows a young man who suffered a horrific past when he whitenessed his parents murdered. When he discovers the man responsible recently escaped from jail he puts together a team to hunt him down and obtain revenge.

This movie is directed by Jeymes Samuel (They Die by Dawn) and stars Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country), Zazie Beetz (The Joker), Regina King (Ray), LaKeith Stanfield (Get Out), Idris Elba (Thor), Delroy Lindo (Clockers) and Danielle Deadwyler (The Devil to Pay).

The storyline for this picture had fantastic potential and worthwhile primary and sub plots. The characters are well written, both in terms of backstories and dialogue. The attention to detail and cinematography in this is out of this world; however at times, there's too much focus on style over substance which slows the pace of the film a bit too much. I will say the conclusion is excellent.

The cast is very well selected and everyone delivers their characters perfectly. The action sequences are executed and delivered with entertaining levels of grit and intensity. The soundtrack for this is out of this world good.

Overall this is a very well done movie that is entertaining and worth a viewing; however, it doesn't reach its full potential. I'd score this a 7/10 and strongly recommend seeing it.

It was a fun Ride !!!

[jgraham-87212 · 7/10 · 4 November 2021]

Love a Western!!! This one was fun graphic and violent!!! The Cinematography was great , If you're a fan of Tarantino check this one out.same old story good vs Evil but with a 21st century vibe , so if you have Netflix and wanting to find something new to watch check it out.

Giddy up ya rasta tumbleweed bumba varmint claat

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 6/10 · 18 November 2021]

Great casting and performances. Excellent sets, landscapes, costumes, shots and cinematography. But the 139 min runtime dragged on forever with the not-as-big plot, slow pacing and dragged out and unnecessary scenes. Then trying too hard to add the Tarantino flare was cringeworthy. The entire story lacked depth, and chose style over substance. Tons of action, bullets and blood, with a story that could've been told in 90 mins top. What was worse were the musical numbers and loud, overbearing and unfitting rasta music (for a wester?), something I'd expect from a B-movie. The ending was the only worthy act. Imo, it was a waste of amazing talent. It's a 6/10 from me.

Bad. Ass.

[cliftonofun · 7/10 · 6 November 2021]

This movie has so much style that substance is barely required. Yes, there were Black cowboys. Yes, these people existed. But this movie is mostly focused on (a) a ridiculously talented cast, (b) a familiar revenge tale, (c) amazing scenery/cinematography, (d) an absolutely banging soundtrack. By the end, you almost forget how whitewashed (and often boring) Westerns were for 100 years. It is big, bombastic, violent, unapologetic, and sexy as Hell. You may not love it, but you will 100% be entertained.

great start, great ending

[trashgang · 7/10 · 5 December 2021]

Original take on the western genre. The story is a pure revenge western style story o on that part no problem. The way it was shot is excellent too as was the editing.

And if you think the score is typical Morricone sound forget it, it's full of music not connected to the genre, the reggae sound being the strangest one. But it all works fine.

Effects are great too, the red stuff is there but the only thing that I thought was why does it has to be so long. Over 2 hours and that shows in the middle part. It falls downwards in speed for over half an hour.

Still, an excellent cast and one funny statement, it's a white town... you will see what I mean. Great western.

Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0,5/5.

Stylish and brutal, but also overlong with not much character resonance.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 6/10 · 4 November 2021]

Orphaned at a young age by the Rufus Buck Gang, Nat Love (Johnathan Majors) has grown up to form his own gang and has killed the last man who killed his parents while Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) rots in prison and now seeks to rekindle his relationship with former partner and lover Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz). Rufus Buck's lieutenants, Trudy Smith (Regina King) and Cherokee Bill (Lakeith Stanfield) make a deal with the government in exchange for a pardon for Rufus Buck, and Buck and his gang head to the all-black town of Redwood City and remove the corrupt sheriff and former member of Buck's gang, Wiley Escoe (Deon Cole) from power asserting the town under Rufus Buck's authority. When Nat Love gets wind that Rufus Buck is free and rebuilding his power, Love reassembles his gang with Mary, Jim Beckwourth (RJ Cyler), Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi), and Cuffee (Danielle Deadwyler) with help from U. S. Marshal Bass Reeves (Delroy Lindo) who's mutually interested in taking down Rufus Buck.

Since appearing on the scene in supporting roles in films like Hostiles and White Boy Rick and the TV docudrama miniseries When We Rise playing Young Ken Jones, Johnathan Majors has slowly but surely become a major actor to look out for scoring leads in the short lived HBO horror series Lovecraft Country as well as appearing to strong acclaim in the likes of films such as Da 5 Bloods and The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Produced Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment, Musician Shawn Carter (aka Jay-Z), and frequent Quentin Tarantino collaborator Lawrence Bender, the movie is the feature directing debut of musician/music producer Jeymes Samuel who supervised the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatspy and co-wrote the script with Boaz Yakin. The movie features a predominantly black cast and strives to be a stylish musically infused take on gritty revenge westerns and the movie certainly has all the right pieces in place to do so. Unfortunately while the movie has all the right ingredients, they don't come together as well as you want them to.

Stylistically speaking the movie looks amazing, the cinematography and costuming is gorgeous with these very colorful western towns brought to life and integrated with an energized soundtrack helping establish its identity out of the gate. The opening scene where we see Nat Love as a child witness the murder of his parents by Rufus Buck is amazingly done because you don't see Rufus Buck's face as he's shot mostly from the back or from over the shoulder giving him an imposing presence as an antagonist. When the movie does reveal Idris Elba about 40 minutes in where he steps out from the shadows in a well-choreographed train heist sequences that's both tense as well as stylish it's probably one of the best villain introductions I've seen in a modern western. The action is also quite well done with the impacts nicely conveyed and real sense of brutality to is given to them (especially a scene where Rufus Buck pistol whips a corrupt sheriff in front of a terrified town).

Unfortunately once the novelty of the style wears off after the strong opening introduction the movie becomes less and less engaging as it goes on. A big issue with The Harder They Fall is in its length because the movie clocks in at 2 hours and 19 minutes when it would be better served by being 1 hour and 40 minutes at most. The movie is a pretty straight forward revenge story, and while sometimes those can justify their length (such as Kill Bill Vol.1 and 2) The Harder They Fall doesn't have the writing or character needed to justify its length down to the fact the movie manufactures a conflict with Stagecoach Mary doing a pretty ill advised action which leads her getting captured by Buck where Buck forces Nat Love to rob a bank in a white town (both literally and figuratively) which seems like it's only there to stretch the story to this length. You can tell the movie is directed by someone with a music background because not only is the soundtrack often front and center, but several scenes feel like they're one step away from turning into musical numbers (which actually does happen every so often) and while the look can sometimes be to this film's advantage such as the colorful buildings that make up Redwood City, othertimes it becomes quite distracting such as the previously mentioned white town where everything, and I do mean everything is painted white in what I guess is supposed to be a joke, but it's such a broad and exaggerated joke it feels like something that should be in a parody and not in a (somewhat) serious western.

Most of the performances are kind of lost among the style and excess of the rest of the movie. The one major standout who I thought gave a really strong performance was Delroy Lindo playing a fictionalized take on U. S. Marshal Bass Reeves and while the role isn't written with all that much depth, Lindo gives the character this world weariness that gives some needed weight and investment to the film and gave the character a lot of credibility thanks to his performance. Idris Elba gets a decent introduction with a really strong train robbery set piece, but after that sequence he doesn't really get to do all that much until the very end of the movie which doesn't strike the emotional resonance it should. Johnathan Majors is serviceable as the lead, but he's also not really called upon for any commanding moments where he's allowed to own the scene and often is just sort of "there". Majors' Nat Love character has both a revenge plot as well as a romantic plot with Zazie Beetz' Stagecoach Mary and neither Nat Love's revenge nor his relationship with Stagecoach Mary really comes to a boiling point and feels like it's stuck on a mild simmer more than anything else.

The Harder they Fall certainly is stylish and well made, but it's also not as substantive as it needs to be to justify its near 2 and ½ hour length. I think Jeymes Samuel does have merit as a director and I would like to see him do another movie, but he also needs an editor that can keep his vision focused. There's a strong performance from Delroy Lindo and some forceful fight sequences and if you are a fan of westerns or Tarantino films this might be worth a one time viewing, but I can't really give it much more than that.

I loved it

[joeandjenn-40678 · 10/10 · 3 November 2021]

I don't know why some people are reviewing this so poorly. One can only guess.

I loved so much about this movie. I thought it was going to be too long for one sitting but it held my attention. It had humor and drama. I thought the soundtrack was fantastic.

I'm hoping it gets more good reviews. It deserves it! 👏

Idris Elba and Jonathan Majors shine in this stylish, old school Western!

[nidhunmoviebuff · 7/10 · 4 November 2021]

An ensemble star-studded cast can more often not that not be a crutch that breaks down the narrative as the director tries to justify each actor's role. But thankfully, director Jeymes Samuel had a screenplay that made his job easier with each of the superstars on show putting in masterful performances.

The film's hero is also ironically Marvel's next big villain, Jonathan Majors, who played Kang the Conqueror in Loki and is set to essay the same role in Ant Man: Quantumania. Majors stars as the outlaw 'Noah Love' who is traversing the Old West to claim retribution from the notorious Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) and his gang for having killed his parents.

Despite using the same old-school Western templates and motifs, it is the performances that stand out with Elba oozing gravitas in every frame he is in as per usual and Majors providing an able foil. Oscar winner Regina King and Oscar nominee Lakeith Steinfeld shine in well-crafted, impactful supporting roles.

Just when you get the feeling that the movie is falling back on old tropes and western-film clichés, the director will throw a spanner into the works and completely catch you off-guard. The action sequences are painstakingly detailed but clearly realism was sacrificed to make room for stylishness.

The fact that the director made his mark as a song writer and producer first is evident from the film's music. Each turn in the storyline and crunch sequence is layered with soulful tracks from artists ranging from Jay-Z and Kid Cudi to Judakiss and Conway The Machine and many more.

A gritty, exhilarating western elevated by a talented, in-form cast, where even the music ends up becomes a protagonist. Recommended!

Lots of style, not a lot of substance

[eddie_baggins · 4/10 · 9 December 2021]

A distinctively different western that has style and swagger to burn, if you were to judge director Jeymes Samuel's first proper feature film The Harder They Fall on visuals and aesthetics alone it would go down as one of 2021's most impressive entries but sadly many other elements to Samuel's star-studded exercise don't stack up to much scrutiny.

Enlisting some of the best established and up and coming performers working in Hollywood today, with Harder's story of Jonathan Major's revenge seeking Nat Love and his posse that includes Zazie Beetz, RJ Cyler and Delroy Lindo going against an imposing Idris Elba as brutal criminal boss Rufus Buck and his hombres that includes LaKeith Stanfield (in another scene stealing turn) and Regina King (practically glowing with menacing vibes), Harder has so much to enjoy in an eye candy sense and Samuel's keen visual flourishes mixed with a killer soundtrack give the film a distinct look but it's impossible to get overly invested in a film with such a hum-drum narrative and poorly structured story.

At well over two hours in length, this Netflix released offering certainly has enough time to make us care for what's going but despite a splattering of great scenes (culminating in a well shot bullet filled finale) you often find your mind wandering off to other things through a large portion of Samuel's film as Nat Love and Rufus Buck go about their various business dealings and devious plans to come out on top but Harder merely feels like a melting pot of other westerns and their ideas and struggles to keep the energy going that you experience in the film early on and through some of the performances.

As a viewer you can sense the actors working over time in a film they clearly were invested in, Majors continues his hot run of form that is quickly marking him down as one of the talents to watch in Hollywood with the likes of this and Last Black Man in San Francisco and TV series Lovecraft Country examples of a very special actor at work while Idris Elba is also as good as his been in a feature for some time with a role that makes the most of his natural charisma and hulking frame, as if Stringer Bell himself was transported back into the wild wild west.

This sense that Harder could've been something really special, a western with a style, voice and substance all to its own is the prevailing feeling that overrides everything else in Samuel's final cut, a great shame for both him, his cast and Netflix who had the chance to deliver in a big way here only to come up short with a forgettable feature unable to utilise all its ingredients in a satisfactory way.

Final Say -

Sure to find a collection of fans, The Harder They Fall is an oddly cold and forgettable style-infused western that on first appearances seems set to provide something special, only to quickly burn out into something that's hard to care about and even harder to remember.

2 named train carriages out of 5.

Beautifully filmed but stagnant script and overlong monologues bore

[msghall · 6/10 · 8 November 2021]

There's a lot to like about this movie, especially the technical aspects. It looks beautiful. The performances are fine across the board. But the script, especially the unnecessarily overlong monologues, is tedious and lifeless. There's just not enough plot to support the two hours and ten minutes run time. This makes for a waste of some fine acting talent, especially Elba and King. On the bright side, Danielle Deadwyler is wonderful, comedic or serious she rules the roost here. More of this light touch would have helped make this film the blockbuster it should have been.

Good for a single watch maybe

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 20 January 2022]

If there's a problem with THE HARDER THEY FALL then it lies in the very familiarity of the plot, combined with a rather weak, going-through-the-motions kind of script. There's literally nothing here that hasn't been done a million times before, and done better to boot. The big sell is that this one has virtually an all-black cast, although for those of us versed in 1970s blaxploitation flicks that's nothing new. The cast don't make much of an impression here although Idris Elba is as charming as ever, even in a bad guy role. Otherwise, it's business as usual, good for a single watch maybe, but no more than that.

Very Stylized

[mycannonball · 6/10 · 20 November 2021]

This had a very stylized feel to it, not entirely unlike a Tarantino or Spike Lee film. The music was great but at times I felt almost like I was watching a series of music videos. Was it cool? Sure. Did it make me feel connected to the characters or their journey? Not really. It's a visual treat for sure, but it failed to fully pull me into the story.

The Harder They Fall

[henry8-3 · 7/10 · 5 November 2021]

After a shocking flashback beginning, anti hero outlaw Majors discovers that his enemy, the vile Idris Alba has escaped from prison and sets out to bring him down and reassembles his old gang to do this.

Easy to dismiss this as Tarantinoesque which in many ways it is, but director and co-writer Samuel has created a glorious visual feast of a western, with terrific, mostly African American - particularly LaKeith Stanfield - actors playing a group of memorable characters. It is full of great action scenes and a wonderfully dark sense of humour and backed up with a memorable soundtrack of individual songs and background music. Interestingly this is brutal film, but not as excessive as Tarantino and also remarkably light on strong language. Alba is fabulous as the truly ghastly, ruthless Rufus Buck well supported by Regina King and his final speech which takes us back to the cause of Major's strong hatred is surprisingly moving. A terrific fun western.

A Black-Power-Western with a bad story

[DLochner · 6/10 · 8 November 2021]

The idea is interesting that all of the actors are black. A black power western with a great opening and ending. Nevertheless, the film cannot carry the grandiose idea and gets lost in irrelevant dialogues and confusing storylines.

The story also seems a little artificial and unbelievable. Probably this was an attempt not to take yourself seriously. It didn't work out. The costumes are too clean, the faces too smooth, the teeth too white. There is simply no depth here for a believable western. Except for the directness and brutality, unfortunately not to be recommended.

One specific item to praise

[lotekguy-1 · 7/10 · 4 November 2021]

With the arguable exceptions of Lili Von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles, and its presumptive progenitor - Marlene Dietrich in Destry Rides Again, no Western ever made - domestic or Spaghetti - featured saloon entertainment that could hold a candle (or gas lamp) to what we get in this one.

Don't listen to the low ratings.

[IKeepItReal · 9/10 · 7 November 2021]

Fantastic movie, im really pleased with the actors chosen to be in this film. Their roles were really fitting. But I noticed alot of the low ratings on this movie is more or so just about it being a all black cast. Makes me think their ratings are more about being upset the cast didnt have many white cowboys than the actual movie it's self. Even reading the critics reviews the color of their skin is always mentioned..... just sad. All im saying is give it a try your self.

A nice western...

[Thanos_Alfie · 6/10 · 29 November 2021]

"The Harder They Fall" is a Drama -Western movie in which we watch an outlaw finding out his enemy is going to be released and with the help of his gang seek revenge. They face some unexpected events and the have to find a way to overcome them.

I liked this movie because had a nice, interesting plot and consisted of many action scenes with plenty of suspense. The direction which was made by Jeymes Samuel was very good and he did an amazing job on the way he presented his main characters and how he used some plot twists to make the plot even more interesting. The interpretations of Jonathan Majors who played as Nat Love, LaKeith Stanfield who played as Cherokee Bill, Regina King who played as Trudy Smith, Idris Elba who played as Rufus Buck and Zazie Beetz who played as Mary Fields were very good and their combination worked very well. In conclusion, I have to say that "The Harder They Fall" is a nice western movie and I strongly recommend everyone to watch it because I am sure you will enjoy it and at some moments it will leave you speechless.

Sadly disappointing...

[tylergoodnight · 4/10 · 9 November 2021]

This movie was Sadly disappointing... not a lot of depth, acting was subpar and left you wondering why there wasn't more plot?

I was hoping for a much better film, but I guess that's why it's straight to Netflix instead of the theaters. Really expected and hoped for more from Idris Elba. He's too good of an actor to let this movie be this bad.

Cooler than I expected

[lareval · 8/10 · 3 November 2021]

Take it as it is: a terrific entertainment full of stars, charisma and pure fun. It took me by surprise, hooked from the very first cold blooded scene throughout and never let me down as a high budget Netflix film. So much fun!

A nice twist on the wild west

[Blumanowar · 6/10 · 3 November 2021]

A nice twist on the wild west

It's certainly better than a 1 as many rate but it's no 10 either. It was interesting, entertaining and good acting by some.

Worth a watch. Have fun...

Had higher hopes

[bjcoleman35 · 5/10 · 19 November 2021]

This had all the makings of a good western but seemed more of a low budget Django Unchained.

Poor acting, plot and character development.

Idris was disappointing and I felt no love between the main man and woman.

The movie was as bad as my review.

One of the best of 2021

[sfletch-38259 · 4 November 2021]

Loved this movie. Everything from the casting, story, and the finale were very well put together. Ignore the negative reviews and check it out for yourself. You will not be disappointed. We are finally getting to see African Americans getting proper representative in movies. Can't wait to see more from this director.

Disappointing

[ocmacman · 6/10 · 13 November 2021]

The opportunity to view a black western appealed to me. It is hard not to see and feel racial overtones dominating the storyline.

Great acting but the direction felt like there was too much modern racial tension. Sort of a cowboys in the hood feel. The story was pretty loose. Clean camera work, great backdrop and props. Lack of diversity left me feeling it went past it's purpose. Clean production.

Don´t think, just watch!

[frank-liesenborgs · 7/10 · 4 November 2021]

This movie is really a piece of work. There are some awesome moments with a plot twist I did not see coming, which is always a very good sign. The dialogues are to the point and the acting is just marvellous. Outstanding performances from Zazie Beetz (Mary), Danielle Deadwyler (Cuffee), Regina King (Trudy), Jonathan Majors (Nat Love), LaKeith Stanfield (Cherokee Bill) and Edi Gathegi (Bill Picket). It's about two gangs of people entirely accustomed to violence and fear: one is led by Nat Love (Jonathan Majors), who bears a cross cut into his forehead by the villain who killed his mum and dad in front of him when he was just a kid, and seeking revenge. Ranged against them are the Rufus Buck gang. Rufus himself is played by an emotionless Idris Elba.

Conclusion: the characters are multidimensional and the acting is convincing. From the visual design, cinematography to the directing, it all worked out very well. The only thing I found a bit disturbing were the songs. There were just too many songs and sometimes they casted a shadow over the story. Overall a 7/10 and well worth watching. And I guarantee you will love the twist at the end.

Ambiguous yet too flawed to truly kick off, this is a western that you'll either like or dislike and my opinion is mixed

[Holt344 · 6/10 · 4 November 2021]

The Harder They Fall is director Jeymes Samuel's feature film debut and it shows, the direction is very flawed. But the vision he has for the film deserves praise as he strides to make a visually good looking film and he succeeded with that, he co-wrote the screenplay with Boaz Yakin who is known for blockbusters. The writing is flawed but overall good, except for most of the dialogue. But one thing that I absolutely loved about the film is of course the cinematography, Mihai Malaimare Jr's work is yet again mesmerizing. Having worked as a cinematographer for films like The Master and Jojo Rabbit.

With it being one of very few Westerns whose principal cast members are all African-American, it's a fictional story with most actors playing historical figures. But it's pure fiction and the writing could have been better. Yet a western film with African American actors and characters is nice to see and is played by some great actors, the performances ranges from great to okey. Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Regina King and Delroy Lindo are among the best.

The film stars Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi and Deon Cole. The story follows outlaw Nat Love as he discovers that his enemy Rufus Buck is being released from prison he rounds up his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge. Those riding with him in this assured, righteously new school Western include his former love Stagecoach Mary, his right and left hand men hot-tempered Bill Pickett and fast drawing Jim Beckwourth and a surprising adversary-turned-ally. Rufus Buck has his own fearsome crew, including "Treacherous" Trudy Smith and Cherokee Bill, and they are not a group that knows how to lose.

The Harder They Fall is a film I really looked forward to watch and did it meet ny expectations? Nope, I found myself bored at times because of the pacing was terrible. Lots of scenes could have been trimmed down. The dialogue wasn't strong enough and therefore, the jokes fell flat. The sets and locations used in this film was so nice, bringing quality to the film. Just wished the costume department would have been on the same level. The action sequences has some Quentin Tarantino vibes but without the great camera angles, though the cinematography and how many of the scenes are shot, it's a great looking film, artistically. But the action sequences had the potential to be great but ended up okey. Something I disliked was the soundtrack, mainly because how it's not fitting well with the western genre, fitting more the crime genre. Much of the film feels that way, Jeymes Samuel could have created a great crime film but instead he did a western without any thought of historical accuracy or of the overall authenticity. Honestly, the director seems too inspired by Quentin Tarantino's style of making movies which is a hard thing to copy, his direction is far from great as his and his writing is far from great as Tarantino's. Enough of negativity, I absolutely think that Jeymes Samuel has the potential to become a good filmmaker but this wasn't a great film. Great looking, yes. I also think that the second half of the film is pretty good, but the first half needs to be trimmed immensely to fix the pacing.