---
title: "Hard Rain: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/hard-rain/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/hard-rain"
critics_score: 47
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Hard Rain (1998): what the critics said

Critics' score 47 from 7 reviews: 0 positive, 4 mixed, 3 negative.

The reviews lean towards disappointment, though several find entertainment in Hard Rain’s flooded-town thriller. Praise centres on individual set-pieces and supporting performances rather than the story: Morgan Freeman earns credit even from critics unconvinced by the film around him. Radio Times enjoys the tongue-in-cheek playing of Freeman and Randy Quaid, finding the film preposterous but brisk. Empire also praises the technically impressive flood effects and the unusual, fractious disaster-heist setup.

The divide is over how much those pleasures compensate for weak plotting and characterisation, with responses ranging from qualified enjoyment to outright dismissal. Total Film admires the school jet-ski chase but finds the characters stereotypical and the cast wasted. Variety credits Freeman with bringing intelligence to a poorly written role, while criticising murky action and unconvincing drama. Eye for Film is less forgiving still, finding that neither effects nor performances rescue the absurd plot.

## Empire — Andrew Collins

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Collins finds it a rollicking, inventive disaster-heist thriller, though Slater is unconvincing as an action hero. He praises its unusual, fractious setup and technically impressive flood effects, while noting Freeman and Quaid steal the film.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hard-rain-review/)

## Time Out — TJ

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page is identified as a film review, but its verdict cannot be determined from the accessible content. The metadata describes a flood-struck town and an armored-car courier, without exposing any specific praise or complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/hard-rain)

## Radio Times — Joanna Berry

Rating 3/5. 

Berry finds the film preposterous but brisk and entertaining. She singles out the tongue-in-cheek performances by Morgan Freeman and Randy Quaid for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-93klle/hard-rain/)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 54/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 1998. 

The headline suggests a negative verdict. The only visible complaint is the film’s stormy outlook, but the article text is inaccessible.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/16/movies/film-review-outlook-stormy-it-s-raining-too.html)

## Total Film — Total Film

Rating 2/5. 6 February 1998. 

The critic finds the film a clichéd, flimsy action thriller that is difficult to take seriously. They single out the inventive school jet-ski chase as an outstanding set-piece, while criticizing the stereotypical characters and wasted cast.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/hard-rain-review/)

## Variety — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 10 January 1998. 

McCarthy finds the thriller dramatically unconvincing and weighed down by its high-concept premise. He singles out Morgan Freeman for bringing intelligence to a poorly written character, while criticizing the murky action and cardboard characters.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/hard-rain-1117433115/)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. 

The critic dismisses the film as sodden in both mind and matter. He complains that the absurd plot is not rescued by the effects or performances.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/hard-rain-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/hard-rain.md