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Hard to Be a God movie poster

MOVIE DECISION GUIDE

Hard to Be a God

2014 · 2h 57m · Drama · Science Fiction

CAST & DIRECTOR

Directed by Aleksei German. With Leonid Yarmolnik, Yuriy Tsurilo, Natalya Moteva.

64.9/100

TMDB RATING

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

A group of scientists is sent to the planet Arkanar to help the local civilization, which is in the Medieval phase of its own history, to find the right path to progress. Their task is a difficult one: they cannot interfere violently and in no case can they kill. The scientist Rumata tries to save the local intellectuals from their punishment and cannot avoid taking a position.

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64.9/100

TMDB RATING

YOUR WATCHLISTA group of scientists is sent to the planet Arkanar to help the local civilization, which is in the Medieval phase of its own history, to find the right path to progre…

MAKE THE CALL

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RELEASE SNAPSHOT

Release snapshot for Hard to Be a God.

MoviHero lists February 27, 2014 as the release date for Hard to Be a God. Aleksei German is the listed director. The listed cast includes Leonid Yarmolnik as Rumata, Yuriy Tsurilo as Baron Pampa, Natalya Moteva as Ari, Aleksandr Chutko as Don Reba. A trailer and 5 stills are available on this page.

Release dateFebruary 27, 2014

GenresDrama · Science Fiction

Runtime2h 57m

DirectorAleksei German

CastLeonid Yarmolnik as Rumata, Yuriy Tsurilo as Baron Pampa, Natalya Moteva as Ari, Aleksandr Chutko as Don Reba

TrailerAvailable on this page

Images5 stills

BEFORE YOU PRESS PLAY

Is Hard to Be a God right for tonight?

Pacing, attention and emotional impact are estimates from the current MoviHero Watch Profile, not verified scene-by-scene reviews.

How much time should I set aside?

Hard to Be a God runs 2h 57m. Allow extra time for breaks.

Is it slow or fast?

The current MoviHero pacing estimate is 3/10: a more patient pace.

Is it a good choice when I am tired?

The attention estimate is 9/10. Consider saving this for a night when you can concentrate.

How emotionally intense is it?

The emotional-impact estimate is 5/10, suggesting a moderate emotional load. This does not tell you whether the ending is happy or sad.

CHANGE ONE THING

Like this, but...

These share a listed genre with Hard to Be a God. Profile differences are estimates, not a guarantee of the same story or mood.

But shorterWar of the Worlds2026 · 1h

117 minutes shorter (1h). Shared genre: science fiction.

RATING & SOURCE

TMDB audience rating

TMDB: 64.9/100 (6.492/10) from 180 votes. Updated Oct 26, 2026.

External ratings are converted directly to /100. We add no popularity, metadata or Watch Profile bonuses. MoviHero audience ratings are calculated separately from numerical ratings submitted here.

MOVIHERO AUDIENCE RATING

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WHAT WATCHING IT FEELS LIKE

Watch Profile

Seven estimates of the viewing experience, based on the stored Watch Profile. These are separate from the movie rating and are not verified scene-by-scene assessments.

Pacing3/10

Emotional Impact5/10

Mind-Bending5/10

Scary1/10

Violence4/10

Rewatchability5/10

Attention Required9/10

Hard to Be a God still

WATCH A PREVIEW

Trailer

A CLOSER LOOK

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Hard to Be a God still 1

Hard to Be a God still 2

Hard to Be a God still 3

Hard to Be a God still 4

Hard to Be a God still 5

CAST & CREW

The people who make it land.

Aleksei German portrait

Aleksei GermanDirector

Arkady StrugatskyWriter

Boris StrugatskyWriter

Leonid Yarmolnik portrait

Leonid YarmolnikProducer

Leonid Yarmolnik portrait

Leonid YarmolnikRumata

Yuriy Tsurilo portrait

Yuriy TsuriloBaron Pampa

Natalya Moteva portrait

Natalya MotevaAri

Aleksandr Chutko portrait

Aleksandr ChutkoDon Reba

Evgeniy Gerchakov portrait

Evgeniy GerchakovBudakh

Pyotr Merkuryev portrait

Pyotr MerkuryevGur

Juris Lauciņš portrait

Juris LauciņšHangman

Vytautas Paukste portrait

Vytautas PauksteKabani

CHARACTERS IN THIS MOVIE

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Reviewed MoviHero character guides connected to this movie.

otherBaron PampaBaron Pampa appears in Hard to Be a God (2014).Open character guide otherDon RebaDon Reba appears in Hard to Be a God (2014).Open character guide otherBudakhBudakh appears in Hard to Be a God (2014).Open character guide otherRumataRumata appears in Hard to Be a God (2014).Open character guide otherMonkMonk appears in Hard to Be a God (2014).Open character guide otherAriAri appears in Hard to Be a God (2014).Open character guide