Five years after its 2021 bow, The Harder They Fall remains a case study in how a western comes together: an original title, a music-heavy team, a pandemic pause and a late festival arrival. Here is the breakdown.
It was almost called The Notorious Nine
The film’s original working title was The Notorious Nine. It was announced in July 2019, when Jonathan Majors was cast to star in it. Musician Jeymes Samuel co-wrote and directed the film.
Jay-Z came aboard for original music
Idris Elba joined in November, and Jay-Z, who would produce the film, was announced to be writing original music for the film. By September 2020, Zazie Beetz, Lakeith Stanfield, Delroy Lindo and Regina King were among new cast members added to the film.
The pandemic rewrote the cast list
Filming had been scheduled to begin in March 2020 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but was delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cynthia Erivo, Wesley Snipes and Sterling K. Brown, who were initially cast, had to exit due to the delays caused by the pandemic.
A background actor paused the shoot
Filming commenced in September 2020, the same year the pandemic had already delayed the planned Santa Fe start. It was paused on October 15 after a background actor tested positive for COVID-19.
It bowed at BFI London Film Festival
The film had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 6, 2021. It also screened at the Montclair Film Festival on October 22, 2021, and received a limited release on October 22, 2021, prior to streaming on Netflix on November 3.
Samuel composed the soundtrack and the score
An original soundtrack and a film score composed by Jeymes Samuel were released on October 29, 2021 and January 14, 2022, respectively. Jay-Z, who produced the film, had been announced to write original music.
Critics gave it style, energy and a fantastic cast
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 181 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “It isn’t as bold and fearless as its characters, but The Harder They Fall fills its well-worn template with style, energy, and a fantastic cast.” On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on 41 critics, indicating “generally favorable” reviews.
Baz Luhrmann called it grand entertainment
Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann praised Jeymes Samuel’s direction, saying “He has taken the legacy of the American cowboy, a quarter of whom historically were Black, and flipped it into a grand entertainment, so that his point is made with broad appeal.” He added that Samuel translated the spirit of icons like Stagecoach Mary and Rufus Buck.
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Facts from Wikipedia: The Harder They Fall (2021 film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.