Parents' Guide to

Get Hard

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Comedy riffs on wealth gap, race but relies on stereotypes.

Movie R 2015 100 minutes
Get Hard Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 11 parent reviews

Lexi M.
Lexi M. Parent of 14-year-old
May 11, 2023
age 14+

Great for mature teens.

My 14 year old son and his friend loved this movie! If your kid is mature this movie will be fine. There is a clip where a glimpse of a penis is shown and there is some sex talk but it my son and his friend weren’t immature about it. Overall this is a great movie for mature teens.
2 people found this helpful.
Thaddeussimus
Thaddeussimus Adult
June 14, 2021
age 18+

Had to switch it off because of anal rape joke

There are quite a lot of gratuitous sex and racism jokes at the start. A man’s naked bum and swear words (f-word , b-word and others). This was slightly inappropriate for my 12 year-old daughter, but then Kevin Hart goes into a rather long description of how he hopes that Will Farrell is going to get anally raped by a black man in prison. He acts out the movement for quite a while with his hands and describes the black man slapping against Will Farrell‘s white bum. He then said he would get gang raped as well. I made an account here especially to review this film as it is very trivialises rape and is pretty racist. I don’t think any teens should watch this. I had to switch off after the rape joke as it made me feel really sick. There is a rape epidemic in prisons and that is certainly not something that should be trivialised like that.

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Hedge fund whiz James (Will Ferrell) is at the top of his game: In one workday, he'll make more than $20 million for his company's founder, Martin (Craig T. Nelson), who also happens to be the father of James' fiancée (Alison Brie). But when the FBI arrests James for supposed embezzlement and fraud -- accusations he vociferously denies -- he has just 30 days to "get hard," i.e. toughen up before he's sent to San Quentin. Enter Darnell (Kevin Hart), the proprietor of the car wash in the parking structure where James leaves his car. Darnell needs $30,000 for a down payment on a house in a safer Los Angeles neighborhood so he can stop worrying about his daughter's safety, so he presents himself as the best "prison coach" for James ... little does James know that his mentor isn't working as hard as he promises to keep James out of jail. Besides, if James didn't misappropriate the funds, who did?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11 ):
Kids say (23 ):

Good satire has wit and heft, and isn't afraid to poke fun not just at the establishment but also at unexpected targets; the latter half is where GET HARD comes up short. While it deftly roasts mega-wealthy Wall Street types who don't deign to look at (or even remember the names of) the people who work for them, it doesn't push the envelope far enough -- or come up with refreshingly irreverent ways to do so. (That the "help" would be happy to turn the tables on their condescending boss is hardly a surprise.)

And when the movie does make its points, it too often relies on racial, sexist, and homophobic stereotypes that detract from the enjoyment of Ferrell and Hart's winning rapport and infectious glee. The two stars are the best parts of the movie, and they keep things funny enough. It's just too bad they aren't supported by a more interesting script.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the role that stereotypes play in Get Hard. The movie pokes fun at stereotypes, but it also relies on many them for its humor. How does that work? Does it even out? When, if ever, are stereotypes OK?

  • What is the film trying to say about the wealth gap?

  • You could argue that a lot of the humor in movies like Get Hard seems intended for shock value. Does that make it more or less funny? Why do you think different groups of people find different things funny?

  • Is James and Darnell's friendship believable? What does each get out of their relationship?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: March 27, 2015
  • On DVD or streaming: June 30, 2015
  • Cast: Will Ferrell , Kevin Hart , Alison Brie
  • Director: Etan Cohen
  • Inclusion Information: Black actors, Female actors
  • Studio: Warner Bros.
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 100 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: pervasive crude and sexual content and language, some graphic nudity, and drug material
  • Last updated: January 2, 2023

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