Get Hard
2015 · Directed by Etan Cohen
Original language: English
- comedy
- crime
The story
When millionaire hedge fund manager James is convicted of fraud and sentenced to a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him one month to get his affairs in order. Knowing that he won't survive more than a few minutes in prison on his own, James desperately turns to Darnell-- a black businessman who's never even had a parking ticket -- for help. As Darnell puts James through the wringer, both learn that they were wrong about many things, including each other.
What it’s like
Bright, flat Southern California daylight and tidy suburban interiors give way to the grey-green drabness of a prison yard, with the camera mostly staying close and conventional, cutting briskly between two-shot reaction setups and quick comic inserts. The sound is busy studio comedy: a bouncy, pop-leaning score, slapstick beats, and a steady run of loud, improvised banter that rarely lets a room go quiet. Its vibe is brash, sunny and broad, with a cheerful undercurrent of lowbrow crime-caper mischief. It suits a casual Friday night, a comfort rewatch with friends, or something to keep on while folding laundry. The rhythm is quick and joke-driven, and the emotional register stays light: a wealthy, arrogant man who has been careless and sheltered slowly learns humility and respect from a self-made family man, and their friendship warms up through a series of awkward, teasing clashes. Violence is mostly comic and bloodless, with scuffles, jokes about gang threats and some crude sexual humour, but nothing truly grim or sustained. It is for viewers who want big laughs, easy chemistry between its leads, and a feelgood story about two men who learn to see past each other.
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