Harsh Times

Jim Davis, a former Army Ranger back in Los Angeles after serving in the Gulf War, is waiting on a promised job with the LAPD. While he waits, he spends his days with his best friend Mike, who is under pressure from his girlfriend Sylvia to settle down and find steady work. Jim also hopes to bring his Mexican girlfriend Marta into the country so they can marry. With the police job failing to materialize, Jim drifts back toward the petty crime and old acquaintances of his earlier life, and the two friends end up moving through South Central Los Angeles in search of money and trouble.

Harsh Times was released in 2005 and marked David Ayer's first time directing a feature, following his work as a screenwriter. Ayer also wrote the screenplay and produced alongside Andrea Sperling. Christian Bale leads the cast as Jim, with Freddy Rodríguez as Mike, Eva Longoria as Sylvia, Tammy Trull as Marta, Chaka Forman as Toussant and J.K. Simmons as Agent Richards.

The film was made for about 2 million dollars and took roughly 6 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.8 out of 10 from around 71,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.4 from over 800 votes. A critics' rating of 5.7 from 97 reviews places it below the audience scores.