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Hard to Be a God

Play trailer Poster for Hard to Be a God 2013 2h 57m Sci-Fi Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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95% Tomatometer 40 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Scientists are sent to the planet Arkanar to help a medieval civilization and rescue intellectuals.
Hard to Be a God

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A sci-fi epic with palpable connections to the present, Hard to Be a God caps director Aleksei German's brilliant filmography with a final masterpiece.

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Critics Reviews

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Nick Pinkerton Sight & Sound 01/15/2016
A profoundly, wilfully destabilising experience. Go to Full Review
Jonathan Romney Observer (UK) 08/09/2015
5/5
The result may be an awe-inspiring folly rather than a fully realised masterpiece, but it's radically out of the ordinary. Go to Full Review
Tara Brady Irish Times 08/08/2015
5/5
Oblique and dense in a manner that makes those other great Strugatsky-inspired films look like Star Wars episodes, the film relentlessly hammers out humanity's propensity for barbarism. Go to Full Review
Alonso Díaz de la Vega El Universal 12/09/2021
[Filmmaker Aleksei] German exalts the grotesque sensuality of Arkanar with a visual style that surpasses the expressiveness of Khrustalyov, My Car! [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 10/27/2020
5/5
Those welcoming the sensation of being overwhelmed will relish German's uncompromising vision. Go to Full Review
David N. Butterworth La Movie Boeuf 02/23/2020
3/4
Aleksei German's immersive cinematic vision is like the mucky, muddy parts of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" scrutinized, lionized, and revitalized to the nth degree -- call it The Knights Who Say "Nyet!" Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Matthew P Oct 23 A snail on valium has more dramatic flow than this... I sat through the first hour of this 3-hour-long slog through a world depicted as cesspool in every way, but could endure no more. Let me be clear: with regard to Russian epics, Tarkovsky's "Andrei Rublov" is a world masterpiece [5/5 stars]; the critics who hail "Hard to Be a God" as on the same level or (God help us) higher, are completely deluded. If you're looking to invest some empathy in characters with a dramatic arc, you've come to the wrong place... but if the repetitive, long, and supremely boring depiction of putrid stench and brutality is your thing, then hold your nose and dive in... [the stars are for the incredible production values of the film's world]. See more Thomas S Jun 24 A film that has haunted me ever since I first saw it about ten years ago. Watching it feels like stepping into a world that is wet, foul, ugly, and utterly devoid of hope—you can almost smell it through the screen. It's a visceral experience, not just visually but physically oppressive. What stays with you isn’t just the grime or the chaos, but the way the film strips death of all its ceremonial veils. There's no dignity, no peace—just raw, brutal decay. It's an unrelenting vision of humanity at its most feral, and a powerful meditation on how little separates so-called civilization from absolute barbarism. Not for the faint of heart, but absolutely unforgettable. See more nina n Apr 8 Like all films that are lived-in, you won't come out unscathed. Read the book. Please do. See more S R @ScottR 04/13/2024 My brother recommended it for its uniqueness and unique it was. It was so medieval and painfully frustrating, but it still had some crazy staged choreographed scenes. Did I enjoy it? Not especially, but it deserves respect for its ambitious sci-fi plot. It took guts to make and to take a box office bomb. RUS. See more Frisian W 12/17/2023 Absolutely amazing. I really like the unique hypnotic and otherworldly vibe. I watch the trailer often to relive this feeling. A very creepy planet that I'm happy not to live on. See more Honest D 06/18/2023 One of the most intense experiences of my life. See more Read all reviews
Hard to Be a God

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Movie Info

Synopsis Scientists are sent to the planet Arkanar to help a medieval civilization and rescue intellectuals.
Director
Aleksey German
Producer
Viktor Izvekov, Leonid Yarmolnik
Screenwriter
Aleksey German, Svetlana Karmalita
Genre
Sci-Fi, Drama
Original Language
Russian
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 30, 2016
Runtime
2h 57m