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Maximum Overdrive

Maximum Overdrive

Horror · Action · Science Fiction · 1986

When a comet passes close to the earth, machines all over the world come alive and go on homicidal rampages. A group of people at a desolate truck stop are held hostage by a gang of murderous 18-wheelers. The frightened people set out to defeat the killer machines…Or be killed by them.

Movie details

Maximum Overdrive

“Imagine your worst nightmare...machines take over the world!”

1986 Horror · Action · Science Fiction 1h 38m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.8 / 10

Community rating

When a comet passes close to the earth, machines all over the world come alive and go on homicidal rampages. A group of people at a desolate truck stop are held hostage by a gang of murderous 18-wheelers. The frightened people set out to defeat the killer machines…Or be killed by them.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Maximum Overdrive?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Stephen King

Written by

Stephen King

Emilio Estevez

Emilio Estevez

Bill Robinson

Pat Hingle

Pat Hingle

Hendershot

Laura Harrington

Laura Harrington

Brett

Yeardley Smith

Yeardley Smith

Connie

John Short

John Short

Curt

Ellen McElduff

Ellen McElduff

Wanda June

J.C. Quinn

J.C. Quinn

Duncan

Court is in session

Put Maximum Overdrive on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Its refusal to behave is the point.”

The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.

The prosecution The Prestige Tourist

“Oddness is not depth.”

A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.