Harsh Times

An unstable Gulf War veteran with a savior complex receives a shocking wake-up call upon returning stateside and accepting a position with the Department of Homeland Security in the directorial debut of Training Day screenwriter David Ayer. Jim (Christian Bale) is a Gulf War veteran who believes his ...more

The title of David Ayer's Harsh Times is a little misleading. It sounds like it should deal with honest people trying to make it, but being denied by environmental factors beyond their control. No, this Gulf War veteran (Christian Bale) and his childhood friend (Freddy Rodriguez) get into trouble by yielding to their own self-destructive impulses, so it's hard to extend them much sympathy. In Training Day -- which serves as the unmistakable template for Harsh Times, perhaps because Ayer wrote ...more