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The Car

Play trailer Poster for The Car PG 1977 1h 35m Horror Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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30% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Two bicyclists are run down by a strange black car in the desert near a small town in Utah. But this is just the first in a series of hit-and-run murders. Sheriff Wade Parents (James Brolin) is called in to investigate, and his deputy, Everett (John Marley), is killed by the black sedan, which, some witnesses say, has no one behind its wheel. When the car threatens a local school parade, the lives of the town's children and Wade's teacher girlfriend, Lauren (Kathleen Lloyd), are endangered.
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The Car

Critics Reviews

View All (20) Critics Reviews
Gary Arnold Washington Post There's nothing under the surface either, no pattern or primitive fear mechanism guiding the car. What you see is what you get, and it deserves to be thrown back. Dec 21, 2015 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader As silly as it sounds, but strangely dull. May 6, 2008 Full Review Tom Milne Time Out Interminably drawn out, with some good special effects but its characters hauled straight out of the cracker-barrel, it has nowhere near the same minatory charge as Spielberg's Duel. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills A southwestern chiller with James Brolin... Sep 22, 2023 Full Review Steve Warren The Barb (Atlanta) The Car is still bad enough to turn you against the motion picture industry. May 6, 2023 Full Review Brian Costello Common Sense Media Cheesy '70s horror with domestic abuse, stereotypes. Rated: 2/5 Jun 17, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (295) audience reviews
Tamika J Let us be honest, 1977, I was young, this movie was just great for a afternoon or evening with my Grandmother watching older movies like the old Time Machine or the original Ben Hur. This movie is over 40 years old and deserves its place in the basic 'what the hey' category of movies. Just like the forementioned movies, living room family TV time. I loved it, still love it, and my kids think it's funny. A family classic in my opinion. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/02/25 Full Review Thomas K I enjoyed the film for what it was at the time. It probably plays better on TV than in a theater. Not as good as Duel, but it is a more violent than Duel in what they showed graphically. James Brolin did alright with his character. The other actors were also okay. There's no one actor who carried the film the whole time. At the time of this film, there were not that many of the actors in this film that was a main draw. I felt like the cast worked to make a good film together. The music was the best thing going for it as for suspense. You could guess at what would happen next, but the music let you know just how fritghen you should be. Over all, I feel the film did what you were expecting without being bogged down with A one talent taking center stage. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/25 Full Review Wayne K An awful film that might have had some potential if someone of the talent of Spielberg had directed it (think “Duel”), “The Car” is an example a movie filmmaking elevate to a b movie budget. The cast is solid enough but the film just doesn’t have enough gas to attain the speed necessary to thrill. James Brolin does his best with the material but even he seems underwhelmed. Some fine actors here that are left sucking exhaust fumes. Not even so-bad-it’s good. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/25 Full Review CodyZamboni Z Exciting, Scary, Intense tale of a demonic car on a killing spree in the US Southwest, It's up to James Brolin and his deputies to stop it. Streamlined, low fat, 1970s genre filmmaking that pushes all the right buttons. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/15/24 Full Review S R Saw it since it was filmed in Utah and it was well done showcasing Zion, Hurricane and Washington County. However, the Satan car's plot was so poor and cheesy that it was only laughable at most parts. The music was memorable in that it set the stage for later horror genres like Jaws. RUS. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/15/24 Full Review Matthew D Great for the time it was made Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Car

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The Car

The Car: Official Clip - Brutality Against Bicyclists The Car: Official Clip - Brutality Against Bicyclists 2:14 The Car: Official Clip - Death to Hitchhikers The Car: Official Clip - Death to Hitchhikers 2:15 The Car: Official Clip - Trapped With the Car The Car: Official Clip - Trapped With the Car 3:35 The Car: Official Clip - Run Over The Car: Official Clip - Run Over 2:00 The Car: Official Clip - Demonic Explosion The Car: Official Clip - Demonic Explosion 1:28 The Car: Official Clip - Motorcycle Death Race The Car: Official Clip - Motorcycle Death Race 2:02 The Car: Official Clip - The Car Hates Cowboys The Car: Official Clip - The Car Hates Cowboys 2:27 The Car: Official Clip - The Car Hates Cops The Car: Official Clip - The Car Hates Cops 2:30 The Car: Official Clip - Indoor Roadkill The Car: Official Clip - Indoor Roadkill 1:06 The Car: Official Clip - Hurting the Car's Feelings The Car: Official Clip - Hurting the Car's Feelings 3:13 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Two bicyclists are run down by a strange black car in the desert near a small town in Utah. But this is just the first in a series of hit-and-run murders. Sheriff Wade Parents (James Brolin) is called in to investigate, and his deputy, Everett (John Marley), is killed by the black sedan, which, some witnesses say, has no one behind its wheel. When the car threatens a local school parade, the lives of the town's children and Wade's teacher girlfriend, Lauren (Kathleen Lloyd), are endangered.
Director
Elliot Silverstein
Producer
Marvin Birdt, Elliot Silverstein
Screenwriter
Dennis Shryack, Michael Butler, Lane Slate
Production Co
Universal/Universal Int
Rating
PG
Genre
Horror, Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 20, 2016
Runtime
1h 35m
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