Metacritic Movie Ratings
Harsh Times Reviews

A sample of reviews from critics across the country.

• 83

  out of 100

  Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum

  Bale is mesmerizing and Rodriguez keeps up with him as the whole unsafe contraption zooms.

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• 60

  out of 100

  VarietyTodd McCarthy

  A psychotic seizure of a performance by Christian Bale dominates Harsh Times, the directorial debut of David Ayer that channels "Taxi Driver."

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• 50

  out of 100

  Los Angeles Times

  Harsh Times goes down like the vinegar its protagonist chugs to try to beat a drug test. It's carefully crafted, exasperating and ugly, a festival of self-destructiveness, in all ways a reflection of its lead as brought to careening, erupting, implosive life by Christian Bale.

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• 50

  out of 100

  The New York TimesStephen Holden

  Mr. Bales's spectacular technical performance of a toxic bad boy on the fast track to hell somehow lacks an inner core.

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• 50

  out of 100

  The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck

  The film's unrelenting bleakness and misanthropic tone is likely to be a turnoff to mainstream performances, but it provides its lead actor with another opportunity to display his riveting intensity.

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See all Harsh Times movie reviews at Metacritic.com