The Terminator

The Terminator has built a real following in Australia on Netflix and MGM Amazon Channel, and in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel and MGM+ Amazon Channel among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 14,774 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. Available now on Netflix — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

There is a reason The Terminator keeps coming up in conversation. The Terminator uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. 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? Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Biehn lead a cast that keeps the bigger ideas grounded in something human. It hit screens in 1984. The rules of The Terminator's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give The Terminator a chance. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.