Review of Miracle Mile (1989) by Rj M — 29 Sep 2008

What would you do if you knew the world was going to end in a few hours? What would you do if you were the ONLY one who knew it? When Anthony Edwards picks up a ringing payphone late one night, he hears a panicked voice on the other side telling him that the missles are flying.

Nuclear war is imminent. The then hears gunshots, followed by another voice that tells him to forget everything he heard, and go back to sleep. Was it real? Was it an elaborate prank? Convinced that it's real, Edwards attempts to reach his girlfriend, and get to safety before the missles hit.

Slowly word starts to leak about the missles coming, and panic starts to spread. We follow Edwards on his journey with various characters all reacting to the news in a different way. Some try to escape, some decide to stay where they are, others don't believe it at all.

Generally movies regarding nuclear war were told from a military point of view, or are told from an aftermath perspective. The whole movie we are left guessing whether or not the threat is real. We see the breakdown of society as it becomes every man for himself.

The cinematography creates a strong sense of isolation as the possible approaching destruction makes everything, even the largest city, seems small as there may be no escape. There is an outstanding score by Tangerine Dream that envelops the movie with an almost dreamlike feel.

Ther performances are solid, the characters are colorful, and the tension palpable. A great "what if" movie for an unimaginable situation.