The Terminator (1984)
Your future is in its hands.
In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the "Terminator" back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Meanwhile, the human-resistance movement dispatches a lone warrior to safeguard Sarah. Can he stop the virtually indestructible killing machine?
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 26 October 1984 |
| Genre | Action, Thriller, Science Fiction |
| Director | James Cameron |
| Starring | Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton |
| Runtime | 108 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.8/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 90% · Metacritic 84/100 · TMDB users 7.7/10 |
| Budget | $6 million |
| Box office | $78 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Terminator
The Terminator is streaming on Prime Video ($8.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Tubi. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Prime Video is $8.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 12 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
The Terminator runs 108 minutes and treats time travel as a logistical problem rather than a philosophical one. James Cameron directs a simple chase: a cyborg sent back to kill a woman before she can have a baby, and a human sent back to stop it. The hook is the asymmetry. One side cannot stop, cannot feel, and cannot die. The other side is just a guy with a gun and a bad attitude. It works because the threat is mechanical, not emotional. The tension comes from seeing how long it takes to break something that has no off switch. It is a thriller that respects the audience’s ability to handle a clock ticking down against a body that never blinks.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes holds the film at 90% positive, a figure that has settled into a kind of permanence. Metacritic assigns it a Metascore of 84. The average of the rated reviews on Rotten Tomatoes sits at 8.8 out of 10, a number that feels less like a score and more like a verdict. The numbers agree on the execution, if not necessarily the soul.
How it did with audiences
It was made for $6 million and took in $78 million worldwide. In the United States, it brought in $38 million. That is a healthy return on investment, or at least a strong one by any measure. On TMDB, users rate it 7.7 out of 10.
Where it left its mark
The film’s influence is hard to ignore. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes note its taut direction and fast pace as reasons it still shapes sci-fi and action movies. Metacritic gave it a score of 84 out of 100 based on 21 reviews, signaling universal acclaim. It picked up 3 Saturn Awards, including for writing and makeup. AFI ranked it 42nd on its list of 100 Thrills and placed the Terminator as the 22nd-greatest villain. "I'll be back" hit 37th on AFI's list of greatest quotes. The Library of Congress preserved it in the National Film Registry for its cultural significance. Huw Fullerton of Radio Times called it genuinely scary in 2019. It remains a template for the genre.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Terminator.
Read more: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Sources
- The Terminator on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q162255 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Terminator” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
Watch it without paying for the whole year
Binge Boss tracks the movie you are on and tells you which services you need this month, and which you can cancel.
Add The Terminator to your list