An assistant director in the late '60s, Hill worked on the scripts of several films in the early '70s, including Sam Peckinpah's The Getaway and John Huston's The Mackintosh Man. He began directing in 1975, and scored at the end of the decade with the gang film The Warriors. He has specialized in actioners since, including Southern Comfort, 48 Hours, Streets of Fire, and Trespass.