Miracle Mile (1988): A Date at the End of the World
1988 • Steve De Jarnatt • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
Miracle Mile, directed by Steve De Jarnatt, follows a young man whose late-night phone call is accidentally connected to a military soldier claiming that a nuclear attack on the United States is imminent. Uncertain whether the warning is genuine, he races across Los Angeles in a desperate attempt to find the woman he loves and escape the city before it’s too late.
This late Cold War film starts out as a quirky romantic comedy, slowly becoming an immersion into the nightmare of nuclear paranoia. It is the most unexpected genre mashup, almost feeling like an inescapable real-time ride into bleak madness, accompanied by an atmospheric electronic score by Tangerine Dream.
This 1980s cult classic defies conventions and expectations by building on the chemistry between Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham to create the most touching romance set against the backdrop of a collapsing civilisation. It is a terrifying portrait of human vulnerability, counterbalanced by an almost dreamlike glimpse of hope in a world without a future. The wildest ride.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: A chance encounter blossoms into romance just as a mistaken phone call convinces a young man that nuclear war is imminent, sending him on a desperate race across Los Angeles to save the woman he loves before time runs out.
- Actors: Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham, John Agar, Lou Hancock, Mykelti Williamson, Kurt Fuller, Denise Crosby.
- Director: Steve De Jarnatt
- Year: 1988
- Cinematographer: Theo van de Sande
- Origin: American Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Genre: Romance / Indie Sci‑Fi
