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Miracle Mile

Miracle Mile

There are 70 minutes to the end of the world. Where can you hide?

198887 minRMidcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Director
Steve De Jarnatt
Starring
Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham, John Agar, Lou Hancock

After 30 years of searching, Harry has finally met the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, before they even have a chance to go on their first date, Harry intercepts some chilling news: WWIII has begun and nuclear missiles will destroy Los Angeles in less than an hour!

Where to watch

Where can I watch Miracle Mile?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Miracle Mile streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video, Pluto TV (free), Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Miracle Mile?

Miracle Mile earns 8 badges, led by Top 10% in Action and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Miracle Mile worth watching?

Miracle Mile's Midcredits score is the 82nd percentile of all films, from 62K ratings across 6 sources. 69% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

82nd percentile

Better received than 82% of films

90th percentile among Action83rd percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)84th
Approval (how many liked it)77th

72 /100

84th percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Action86th percentile among 1980s

Critics 74 · Audience 71

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.1 — solid but not unanimous.

69% liked it

77th percentile of all films

85th percentile among Action78th percentile among 1980s
69% rated it 7–1031% rated it 1–6

Critics 91% · Audience 73%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 3 noms overall

90th percentile

62K ratings across platforms

82nd percentile among Action90th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$3.7M
Opening weekend$341K
Domestic gross$1.1M
Worldwide gross$1.1M

Returned 0.3× its budget — 36th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is an offbeat, low-budget thriller that uses real-time storytelling and a surreal tone to depict a nuclear panic in 1980s Los Angeles.

Fans praised

  • real-time pacing builds relentless tension
  • Anthony Edwards' believable everyman panic
  • Tangerine Dream score enhances dreamlike dread

Detractors panned

  • implausible plot and illogical character behavior
  • cheesy 80s aesthetic and dated production values
  • contrived obstacles and nonsensical character choices

What stands out

Sound and music82

Tangerine Dream score widely lauded as haunting and atmospheric

AtmosphereDivisive78

Surreal neon-lit nightscape and escalating dread; some find it overly quirky

TensionDivisive75

Unbearable suspense from phone call onward; detractors find frustration rather than tension

PacingDivisive72

Relentless real-time urgency praised by fans; detractors find it repetitive and padded

ActingDivisive68

Edwards praised for convincing everyman; supporting cast called uneven, some performances weak

Emotional impactDivisive65

Devastating love story for fans; detractors unmoved by rushed romance

Plot and storyDivisive45

Divisive: fans see dreamlike nightmare logic; detractors decry contrivances and implausibility

CharactersDivisive38

Widely criticized as thin, irrational, and making frustratingly stupid choices

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 27 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Miracle Mile like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark comedy: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to laugh at things you probably shouldn't.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark comedy.

Moods
TenseAbsurdMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
The answer rests on this: Register
Absurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Bleak · 8% of films
Told as
Real time · 1% of films: Story time equals screen time — no time skips.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film shifts from quirky romantic comedy to dark, absurd nightmare, played with earnest desperation.
The rideThe film sustains high tension from the phone call onward, leavened with absurdist beats, and grows increasingly bleak as escape fails, culminating in a melancholic, fatalistic ending.
StructureThe story unfolds in real time from the moment Harry wakes up, with a conventional three-act structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe bleak ending and moral questions about panic and love leave you haunted and questioning.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeAfter accidentally learning of an impending nuclear strike, Harry races against time to find and rescue Julie, his new love, and escape Los Angeles.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% (this title) · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalRomantic love · 15% of filmsFate · 1% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on the desperate struggle to survive an imminent nuclear apocalypse, while a newly formed romantic bond becomes the emotional core and the narrative repeatedly underscores the role of chance and timing.
StanceThe film takes a warning stance on its primary theme of survival — the apocalypse is shown as inevitable and chaotic, with human panic making things worse, though it never descends into pure nihilism.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalIn transitRealistic
ElectronicAmbientSupportive music · original score · Paul Haslinger
SettingLos Angeles neighborhoods and landmarks over one desperate night during a nuclear alarm
MusicTangerine Dream co-credited; expect synthetic, pulsing textures that build dread.

Content guide

Is Miracle Mile okay for kids?

R

Miracle Mile is rated R. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (65/100), sexual content at moderate (45/100), language at intense (75/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at intense (74/100). Overall it is heavier than 52% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaM
  • FranceU
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 71% of all filmsHeavier than 52% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 43%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 44%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 64%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 25%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 71%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language, frightening material, and violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Miracle Mile have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Miracle Mile?

Cast

Anthony Edwards
as Harry Washello
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mare Winningham
as Julie Peters
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
John Agar
as Ivan Peters
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Lou Hancock
as Lucy Peters
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Mykelti Williamson
as Wilson
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Kurt Fuller
as Gerstead
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Denise Crosby
as Landa
Robert DoQui
as Fred the Cook
O-Lan Jones
as Waitress
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Claude Earl Jones
as Harlan

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Miracle Mile?

Movies like Miracle Mile include The Terminator (1984), Victoria (2015) and Vacancy (2007). Of the 12 closest matches, most are survival thrillers, and several are whirlwind romances.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

4 of these 12 share its subject: fate. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Miracle Mile?

2.1K other films share the rarest tag below, up against: nature. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.