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.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 28th March)

20:30

Red Island 12A
1h 57m | French w/ English subtitles
An eight-year-old boy gradually becomes aware of the complex world surrounding him in Robin Campillo's (120 BPM) semi-autobiographical exploration of life in 1970s Madagascar as France's empire crumbles.

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Tomorrow (Friday 29th March)

15:30

Driving Mum 12A
1h 53m | Icelandic w/ English subtitles
Hilmar Oddsson's quirky dark comedy goes on a cross-country road trip across the rugged Icelandic scenery, as a middle-aged man drives his recently deceased mother to her final resting place.

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18:00

Drive-Away Dolls 15
1h 24m
Written and directed by one half of the Coen Brothers (Fargo, The Big Lebowski), this riotous road-movie caper follows two young women crossing paths with a gang of inept criminals.

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20:00

Dune: Part Two 12A
2h 47m
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh, director Denis Villeneuve's highly anticipated sci-fi sequel is packed with grand visual spectacle, intricate narrative, and gigantic sandworms.

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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 don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!