'The Harder They Fall': Netflix Release Date, Cast, Trailer & Plot Revealed

The hotly anticipated The Harder They Fall is coming to Netflix with some powerful names attached to the project both in front of and behind the camera.

After holding its world premiere at the London Film Festival in October, the first reviews came in and critics spoke glowingly of the genre-twisting Western movie.

The film will get a limited theatrical release before becoming available to watch on Netflix in November. Ahead of its launch, here's everything you need to know about The Harder They Fall.

What Is The Harder They Fall About?

The Harder They Fall is a Western created with the intention of redefining the genre.

Writer and director Jeymes Samuel, also known as British musician The Bullitts, noted that in the old West one in four cowboys was actually Black, but that that's rarely reflected on screen. The Harder They Fall features a predominantly Black cast of actors in a Tarantino-esque Western.

It follows Nat Love as he assembles his former gang to help him exact revenge against Rufus Buck, the man who murdered his parents.

Who Stars in The Harder They Fall?

Jonathan Majors (The Last Black Man in San Francisco) stars as the hero Nathaniel Love. His gang includes Zazie Beetz (Atlanta) as Stagecoach Mary, RJ Cyler (White Boy Rick) as Jim Beckwourth and Edi Gathegi (Twilight) as Bill Pickett.

The rival gang is led by the film's main villain, Rufus Buck, played by Idris Elba. The Buck gang features "Treacherous" Trudy Smith, played by Regina King and LaKeith Stanfield as Cherokee Bill.

Supporting cast members include Delroy Lindo as Bass Reeves, Danielle Deadwyler (The Haves and the Have Nots) as Cuffee and comedian Deon Cole as Wiley Escoe.

While the events of the movie are fictional, many of the characters are either based on or named after real people who were alive in the 1800s.

The team Behind the Movie

The film was written and directed by British musician Jeymes Samuel but Jay-Z is one of the most notable names on the credits.

Jay-Z is a producer on the movie alongside James Lassiter, Lawrence Bender and Samuel. Boaz Yakin (Now You See Me) co-wrote the script with Samuel.

When Is The Harder They Fall Out?

The movie had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 6, 2021, and it's due to play at a few more festivals before becoming available to the public. After showing at the Chicago International Film Festival and Montclair Film Festival in October, it's scheduled to have a short, limited theatrical release.

The Harder They Fall will become available to watch on Netflix worldwide on November 3, 2021.

The Harder They Fall Behind the scenes
Director Jeymes Samuel poses with Idris Elba in a behind the scenes shot from "The Harder They Fall." The movie launches on Netflix on November 3, 2021. David Lee/Netflix

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About the writer


Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more

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