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Maximum Overdrive

Play trailer Poster for Maximum Overdrive R 1986 1h 38m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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14% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 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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Maximum Overdrive

Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Aug 22, 2005 Full Review Caffeinated Clint Moviehole Rated: 2/5 May 6, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jay B. Not as bad as some say, forget SK had anything to do with it and enjoy the silliness. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/29/25 Full Review Julian Y. This movie is a masterpiece, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/17/25 Full Review Liam D The one and only film that the master of horror has ever directed and it shows because the script is full of bad dialogue, unintentionally hilarious moments and stiff acting but the trucks are iconic and the AC/DC music is fantastic which makes it so bad it’s good Rated 1 out of 5 stars 10/15/25 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Craig W. Not the best movie made by any means but watchable Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/22/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Maximum Overdrive

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Cast & Crew

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Stephen King

Director

Emilio Estevez

Bill Robinson

Pat Hingle

Bubba Hendershot

Laura Harrington

Brett

Yeardley Smith

Connie

John Short

Curtis

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Maximum Overdrive

Maximum Overdrive (1986) Maximum Overdrive (1986) Maximum Overdrive (1986) Maximum Overdrive (1986) View more photos

Movie Info

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 Entertainment Group
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 38m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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