Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Crime/The Hard Way
The Hard Way poster
B
Strong
MASTER SCORE 58.9 / 100
1980·Crime / Thriller / Drama·1h 29m

THE HARD WAY

“There is always one more job to do...”

John Connor is a soon-to-retire hitman that agrees to take on one last job. After years plying his deadly trade, he has finally had enough. Seeking to retire to Dublin and maybe salvage his dying marriage, Connor wants to leave the lonely world of the marksman behind him and melt into the background. Unfortunately, his handler O'Neal is reluctant to let him go, and, after much coertion, manages to talk him into accepting one final job.

Above the Line
Michael Dryhurst·DirectorKevin Grogan·WriterRichard Tombleson·WriterHenri Decaë·Director of PhotographyPeter Tanner·Editor
Cast
Patrick McGoohan·John ConnorLee Van Cleef·McNealEdna O'Brien·KathleenDonal McCann·RyanRonan Wilmot·FlynnKevin Flood·DuvalJoe Lynch·DevaneDerek Lord·CaseyMichael Muldoon·HoganJohn Cowley·Graveyard Caretaker
Full Crew
(7 credits)
Directing· 1
Michael Dryhurst·Director
Writing· 2
Kevin Grogan·WriterRichard Tombleson·Writer
Camera· 1
Henri Decaë·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Peter Tanner·Editor
Production· 2
Michael Dryhurst·ProducerJohn Boorman·Executive Producer
By the Numbers
58.9
OF 100
Master Score
6.4
OF 10
IMDb
—
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind The Hard Way's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#0A0A0A
#8C8C8C
#CC1A1A
Mood
Action, Comedic, Serious
Composition
Split
Era
1990s
Visual Style
Photographic

“Two men are depicted from the waist up, standing side-by-side against a blurred background of city lights at night. The man on the left wears a light-colored pa”

actioncrimecomedy
Key Elements
RevolverSunglassesWatch
Atmosphere
Neon
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Urban
Design Score
7/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY MICHAEL DRYHURST

Every catalog entry where Michael Dryhurst is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE CRIME

Top-ranked films inside crime, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1980S

The best films of the 1980s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows