Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Terminator

  • 1984
  • R
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
886K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
360
89
Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)
On this IMDbrief, we break down our favorite movies from the IMDb Top 250 that boldly look to what might lie ahead.
Play clip4:04
Watch 'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
16 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionSci-Fi

A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn so... Read allA human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.

  • Director
    • James Cameron
  • Writers
    • James Cameron
    • Gale Anne Hurd
    • William Wisher
  • Stars
    • Arnold Schwarzenegger
    • Linda Hamilton
    • Michael Biehn
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    886K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    360
    89
    • Director
      • James Cameron
    • Writers
      • James Cameron
      • Gale Anne Hurd
      • William Wisher
    • Stars
      • Arnold Schwarzenegger
      • Linda Hamilton
      • Michael Biehn
    • 1KUser reviews
    • 256Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #218
    • Awards
      • 8 wins & 6 nominations

    Videos16

    The Terminator
    Trailer 1:04
    Watch The Terminator
    'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
    Clip 4:04
    Watch 'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
    How Mackenzie Davis Expands the 'Terminator' Universe
    Clip 2:09
    Watch How Mackenzie Davis Expands the 'Terminator' Universe
    The Evolution of Sarah Connor & The Terminator
    Clip 2:21
    Watch The Evolution of Sarah Connor & The Terminator
    'The Terminator' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:13
    Watch 'The Terminator' | Anniversary Mashup
    Top Gun! Terminator! The '80s Live at SDCC
    Clip 2:29
    Watch Top Gun! Terminator! The '80s Live at SDCC
    Questions We Have About "Stranger Things" Season 4
    Clip 3:35
    Watch Questions We Have About "Stranger Things" Season 4
    Upside Down the Rabbit Holes of "Stranger Things"
    Clip 3:45
    Watch Upside Down the Rabbit Holes of "Stranger Things"
    Dark Fate for Terminator Franchise or a Requel That Works?
    Clip 4:20
    Watch Dark Fate for Terminator Franchise or a Requel That Works?
    What We Know About 'Terminator: Dark Fate' ... So Far
    Clip 3:27
    Watch What We Know About 'Terminator: Dark Fate' ... So Far
    The Terminator: I'll Be Back
    Clip 1:29
    Watch The Terminator: I'll Be Back
    Who Nearly Starred in The Terminator Franchise?
    Video 4:38
    Watch Who Nearly Starred in The Terminator Franchise?

    Photos367

    Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn in The Terminator (1984)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dick Miller in The Terminator (1984)
    Michael Biehn in The Terminator (1984)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)
    Lance Henriksen and Paul Winfield in The Terminator (1984)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)
    Linda Hamilton in The Terminator (1984)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)
    Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, and Marian Green in The Terminator (1984)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger, Darrell Mapson, Patrick Pinney, Bill W. Richmond, and Bob Ritchie in The Terminator (1984)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Arnold Schwarzenegger
    Arnold Schwarzenegger
    • The Terminator
    Linda Hamilton
    Linda Hamilton
    • Sarah Connor
    Michael Biehn
    Michael Biehn
    • Kyle Reese
    Paul Winfield
    Paul Winfield
    • Traxler
    Lance Henriksen
    Lance Henriksen
    • Vukovich
    Rick Rossovich
    Rick Rossovich
    • Matt
    Bess Motta
    Bess Motta
    • Ginger
    Earl Boen
    Earl Boen
    • Silberman
    Dick Miller
    Dick Miller
    • Pawn Shop Clerk
    Shawn Schepps
    Shawn Schepps
    • Nancy
    Bruce M. Kerner
    • Desk Sergeant
    Franco Columbu
    Franco Columbu
    • Future Terminator
    Bill Paxton
    Bill Paxton
    • Punk Leader
    Brad Rearden
    Brad Rearden
    • Punk
    Brian Thompson
    Brian Thompson
    • Punk
    William Wisher
    • Policeman
    • (as William Wisher Jr.)
    Ken Fritz
    • Policeman
    Tom Oberhaus
    • Policeman
    • Director
      • James Cameron
    • Writers
      • James Cameron
      • Gale Anne Hurd
      • William Wisher
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Linda Hamilton Returns to Her Iconic 'Terminator' Role

    Linda Hamilton Returns to Her Iconic 'Terminator' Role

    Has it really been 27 years? The Terminator: Dark Fate actress lets us in on why she's back in the franchise.
    Watch now
    Linda Hamilton in Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

    More like this

    Terminator 2: Judgment Day
    8.6
    Terminator 2: Judgment Day
    Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
    6.3
    Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
    Terminator Salvation
    6.5
    Terminator Salvation
    Aliens
    8.4
    Aliens
    Die Hard
    8.2
    Die Hard
    Terminator Genisys
    6.3
    Terminator Genisys
    Alien
    8.5
    Alien
    Jurassic Park
    8.2
    Jurassic Park
    Terminator: Dark Fate
    6.2
    Terminator: Dark Fate
    Back to the Future
    8.5
    Back to the Future
    Predator
    7.8
    Predator
    Rocky
    8.1
    Rocky

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      While shooting this film, James Cameron often resorted to what he called "guerilla filmmaking" as a way of getting around acquiring permits needed to film certain scenes. This involved the production crew and actors quickly arriving at a specified location, shooting the scene and leaving before the police arrived. As a result, some of the people seen in a few shots are actual everyday citizens completely unaware they're in a movie. This was also used for re shoots with Cameron even calling and waking Arnold Schwarzenegger once at 3am to meet him at a location already in full costume to quickly re-shoot a scene. Cameron also used this tactic to film the very last scene where Sarah drives off into the desert. Waiting for the heat to rise to the point that ripples could be filmed a highway patrolman appeared. Producer Gale Ann Hurd convinced him they were working on a UCLA film project and he allowed them to finish.
    • Goofs
      (at around 33 mins) When Sarah is in the night club she has to put change into the pay phone to call 911. While 911 calls are free, many pay phones in the 1980s required you to insert a coin in order to obtain a dial tone.
    • Quotes

      Cleaning Man at Flophouse: [1:14:18] Hey, buddy. You got a dead cat in there, or what?

      [the Terminator visualizes: 'POSSIBLE RESPONSE: YES/NO; OR WHAT?; GO AWAY; PLEASE COME BACK LATER; FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE; FUCK YOU']

      The Terminator: Fuck you, asshole.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits run while large outlines of the two halves of THE TERMINATOR cross each other. After the last directorial credit is shown, the title THE TERMINATOR zooms backward, is filled by metallic blue, and reveals itself.
    • Alternate versions
      NBC edited 7 minutes and time-compressed 4 minutes of this film for its 1987 network television premiere.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Terminator: 'Terminated' Deleted Scenes (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      You Can't Do That
      Performed by Tryanglz

      Written by Ricky Phillips

      Published by Ricky Lynn Phillips Music (BMI)

    User reviews1K

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    The Terminator has heart. Cameron might be well advised,less is more.
    Many people look back at the films of James Cameron and suggest that the smaller, the budget, the tighter the limitations, the better the end product. Films like Avatar, Titanic and True Lies had huge budgets and drew in even bigger box office but many still yearn for the Cameron that gave us The Terminator and Aliens which were huge movies but packed a far bigger punch artistically. My feelings all these years on are that Cameron has earned the right to make those huge movies but i have to admit to preferring his earlier body of work. The Terminator is a nightmarish, time travelling science fiction film told at a breakneck pace and delivered with confidence and style. The film has a very gritty, underground look to it and does a great job of telling its story amid the frenetic action. There is also a huge slice of horror and suspense thrown in, an impression that has diminished in the years since it's release due to inferior sequels. Viewed as a standalone piece however, The Terminator is fine piece of work from a director with a very clear vision.Everyone knows that The Terminator is the film that gave us Arnold Schwarzenegger but when i look back at the film, it has heart and its the Michael Biehn character, Kyle Reese, that provides it Artistically speaking,Cameron might be well advised that less is more.
    helpful•56
    8
    • axlrhodes
    • Jan 28, 2011

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    The Amazing Arnold

    The Amazing Arnold

    Whether he's bodybuilding in the gym or obliterating baddies on screen, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been delighting audiences for decades. Take a look at some of the amazing moments in his career so far.
    See the gallery
    View image
    Photos

    FAQ46

    • When the janitor bothers the Terminator, why does he select "Fuck You, Asshole" as his response?
    • In one of the future scenes when the resistance base is under attack, is the model of Terminator a T-800 but with a different skin job?
    • How did the Terminator know how to drive a car, Kyle would know how as they were still using cars to fight Skynet, but the Terminators used more advanced machines so wouldn't have ever needed to drive a car.

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 26, 1984 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Terminator
    • Filming locations
      • 720 S Hill Street, Los Angeles, California, USA(Tech Noir)
    • Production companies
      • Cinema '84
      • Euro Film Funding
      • Hemdale
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $6,400,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $38,371,200
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,020,663
      • Oct 28, 1984
    • Gross worldwide
      • $78,371,200
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono(original release)
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of The Terminator (1984) in India?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.