The Harder They Come15

Directed by Perry Henzell | Jamaica | 1972 | 1h 43m | Starring Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw, Ras Daniel Hartman

Reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff plays a wannabe singer who leaves his village to go to Jamaica’s capital Kingston in pursuit of stardom. Pushed to desperation by shady record producers and corrupt cops, he finally achieves notoriety—as an outlaw. A gritty crime drama with plenty of social commentary and a soundtrack every bit as famous as the film itself (said to have “brought reggae to the world”).

Reviews

‘Fifty years on, this crime drama of a headstrong singer shooting for his chance of success is as raw and energetic as its reggae soundtrack’
★★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

‘While it was ultimately the songs—You Can Get It If You Really Want, Many Rivers To Cross, Pressure Drop, and the title track, among other classics—that carried the day, The Harder They Come remains a powerful testament to their meaning.’
★★★★
Scott Tobias, The AV Club

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Harder They Come between September 18, 2022 and September 19, 2022.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Today (Sunday 28th June)

20:00

Legally Blonde 12A
+ Introduction
1h 36m
Reese Witherspoon is irresistible in this beloved rom-com-turned-courtroom triumph. Dumped and underestimated, sorority queen Elle Woods storms Harvard Law, proving sharp wit and a killer wardrobe are all you need. Part of the Oxford Comedy Festival 2026.

Book here


Tomorrow (Monday 29th June)

18:00

Legally Blonde 12A
1h 36m
Reese Witherspoon is irresistible in this beloved rom-com-turned-courtroom triumph. Dumped and underestimated, sorority queen Elle Woods storms Harvard Law, proving sharp wit and a killer wardrobe are all you need. Part of the Oxford Comedy Festival 2026.

Book here

20:15

Obsession 18
1h 49m
Bear pines for his friend Nikki but can't confess his feelings, until a lucky charm does the work for him. In this sharp, darkly comic horror debut, getting what you want proves to have a terrible, skin-crawling cost.

Book here


Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!