Maximum Overdrive

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Maximum Overdrive

R

Released Jul 25, 1986

1h 37m

Horror

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14%

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14 Reviews

50%

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25,000+ Ratings

After a comet causes a radiation storm on Earth, machines come to life and turn against their makers. Holed up in a North Carolina truck stop, a group of survivors must fend for themselves against a mass of homicidal trucks. A diner cook, Bill Robinson (Emilio Estevez), emerges as the unlikely leader of the pack, attempting to find an escape plan for himself and the survivors, who include his boss, Bubba Hendershot (Pat Hingle), and a newlywed couple.

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Kevin Carr

Fat Guys at the Movies

Someone once said to me: “Stephen King didn’t direct this movie. Cocaine directed this movie.” And it certainly shows.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jan 27, 2024

Full Review

Richard Freedman

Newhouse News Service

Maximum Overdrive is minimum movie-making by no less a celebrity than best-selling horror writer Stephen King, here making his less-than-auspicious directorial debut.

Nov 6, 2019

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Austin Kennedy

Sin Magazine

Stephen King has admitted himself that he was coked out of his mind during the making of this. Well... duh!

Rated: 1.5/4

May 15, 2012

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Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Truck stop attacked by mechanical objects, including trucks, gone awry! Based on Stephen King story.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 14, 2009

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Aug 22, 2005

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Caffeinated Clint

Moviehole

Rated: 2/5

May 6, 2005

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Jake L

This is an awesome movie regardless on who cares what anybody else says the ones that wanna talk negative about the movie deserve to be talked to negative about shunned. That’s how I see it. This movie is loved and even today no matter what anybody else says or what they may think if the movie wasn’t loved a replica truck of the goblin truck wouldn’t have been built. And the movie would’ve been forgotten about, but it isn’t if the movie wasn’t like there wouldn’t be groups for this movie on Facebook for fans. Just some people just don’t know how to keep their mouth shut if they don’t like it they shouldn’t make a review on it and I’m giving this movie five stars because I watched it probably 3000 times as a kid. I grew up with this movie and I came to love it. And all of its charm I also like the movie trucks as well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/28/25

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M J

Obviously cheesy, poorly acted, and dreadfully directed but it has AC/DC and is linked to my favorite writer. Guilty pleasure for sure.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/05/25

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Craig W.

Not the best movie made by any means but watchable

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

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Nick O

Even though Stephen King was clearly busy snow skiing nose-first while making this, it’s still a pretty awesome killer semi-truck, sci-fi/action flick with an all AC/DC soundtrack…so who’s complaining?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

Full Review

Hughe J

Maximum Overdrive was released in theatres in 1986 and was loosely based on the Stephen King short story Trucks. Stephen King actually directed this movie and AC/DC provided the soundtrack; it starred Emilio Estevez and a bunch of character actors. The movie centers around the Earth being bombarded with mysterious radiation that somehow turns appliances and trucks, not cars, into killing machines that start attacking humanity. I read Trucks in King's short story collection Night Shift and it was fine but nothing great. I saw the movie in theatres when I was a teenager and even then thought it was dumb. The acting is just horrendous, the action scenes are way over the top, the premise is ludicrous, but the movie is so bad it's actually fun to watch. This is an incredibly stupid movie, like Sharknado but with angry toasters, so it's worth watching as long as you keep that in mind.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

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Stephen C

Failed horror in 1 hour and 37 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

Full Review

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Synopsis

After a comet causes a radiation storm on Earth, machines come to life and turn against their makers. Holed up in a North Carolina truck stop, a group of survivors must fend for themselves against a mass of homicidal trucks. A diner cook, Bill Robinson (Emilio Estevez), emerges as the unlikely leader of the pack, attempting to find an escape plan for himself and the survivors, who include his boss, Bubba Hendershot (Pat Hingle), and a newlywed couple.

Director: Stephen King
Producer: Martha De Laurentiis
Screenwriter: Stephen King
Production Co: De Laurentiis
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 25, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 20, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.0M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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