In amid the unfunny comedies and silly romantic tales of the late '80s movie business comes this absorbing, interesting gem of a film dealing with the threat of nuclear war. Achieving wonders on what is a low budget, this is an intelligent, accurate slice of film-making which remains gripping from start to finish. The decision to make this a character-focused piece of drama, instead of a special effects intense film (think : Armageddon), makes it all the more thrilling in that we care about the people involved.A cast of mostly unknowns, only familiar from television, do a pretty good job to convey the fear as the clock ticks down to nuclear warfare. Another clever plot device is to have the film playing out in real time, so the viewer can also count the seconds ticking down to the strike, making it all the more intense. Anthony Edwards, while appearing somewhat wimpish and cowardly as the lead, does a great job, being as he is a messenger of death to most of the cast. You can really feel for his frantic plight as he rushes across the city and engages in all sorts of mishaps and violence. Many familiar faces turn up in bit parts, from Denise Crosby to the black police chief from ROBOCOP, who here plays the café owner. Also popping up are THE TERMINATOR's Doctor Silberman and Brian Thompson, the chief baddie in COBRA. Old timers John Agar and Lou Hancock provide a few laughs as the stubborn couple who are brought together by the threat - a cliché, yes, but a good one.There are plenty of tense, nail biting moments in this film. The café scene, where Edward struggles to convince the locals of the threat, is a great one, as is the petrol station incident which explodes into unexpected tragic violence. But it's in the final stages where the film really comes into it's own, showing a city in chaos, full of crashed cars, looters, and people who have lost all their scruples and are more than willing to kill in a bid to survive. It's clever how this film shows how such a threat can change people in different ways, reverting human society back to its basic principles. Widespread chaos is easily conveyed in some powerful, dramatic scenes of turmoil and confusion at the end, which are very impressive on a low budget and good at putting across the hopelessness of the situation.Okay, so the nuclear blast, when it comes, isn't very impressive (after all, they didn't have that big a budget, and I still think TERMINATOR 2 is the final word on portraying a horrific nuclear attack via spectacular effects), and the film does descend into some awful sentimentality in the dragged-out conclusion, with some terrible romantic stuff between Edwards and Winningham. But ignore these faults and instead focus on the ideas and issues behind this character-led piece of intense drama, and you'll have a great time.

This gut wrenching, horrific story sort of sneaks up on you, due to writer & director Steve De Jarnatt. It starts out pretty lighthearted, the tale of a 30 year old jazz musician, Harry Washello (Anthony Edwards), who believes that he may have finally found true love with diner waitress Julie Peters (Mare Winningham). Circumstances force him to miss their first date, but things take a much grimmer tone when Harry decides to pick up a ringing pay phone. The panicked caller tells him that the first strikes of a nuclear war are imminent. While Harry ponders the possibility that he's just the victim of a sick joke, he eventually learns that the threat is real. He becomes obsessed with finding Julie and flying out of the city to supposed safety.It's likely that some people will have issues with "Miracle Mile". It's not always logical, or probable. And it does make you ask some questions. Why does Harry think Julie won't be able to handle the truth? He just met her. Why can't she just do as she's told? Why do the characters dawdle when they know time is of the essence?That said, De Jarnatt truly knows how to upset, and work up his audience. He still has odd flashes of humour here and there once the threat is validated, but he's not afraid to show humanity at its worst, in the face of a major crisis. He keeps the action taut for about two thirds of the movie, but loses a bit of momentum in his final third. Use of various L. A. locations is superb, and the music score by Tangerine Dream is simply haunting and wonderful.The first rate cast is full of familiar faces. Edwards and Winningham are extremely engaging, and Julies' grandparents are played by the ever delightful John Agar and Lou Hancock of "Evil Dead II". Also appearing are Mykelti Williamson, Kelly Jo Minter (wasted once again, in a next to nothing part), Kurt Fuller (tearing the scenery to pieces as the stressed out Gerstead), Denise Crosby, Robert DoQui, O-Lan Jones, Claude Earl Jones, Alan Rosenberg, Danny De La Paz, Earl Boen, Edward Bunker, Brian Thompson, and Jenette Goldstein."Miracle Mile" has a fairly nightmarish quality towards the end, which is something you won't soon forget.Seven out of 10.

I watched this simply because it was rated 7.0/10 on IMDb. After the initial first 15mins of 'this has dated really, really badly' and 'is this a comedy? A romance? A...thriller? An...apocalyptic nuclear war film?' to the 'there must be some kind of clever denouement...or twist because this is a really, really bad movie.'Unfortunately, this is just a really, really bad movie. This is no hidden gem, or a cult film from the '80's. This is no misunderstood masterpiece or ground breaking piece of cinema 'ahead of it's time.' This isn't redefining a genre or breaking the mold. This is just bad. Even if you take into account it's age.Two people meet, and before they have even gone on a first date (he is promised sex at the end!) he misses his alarm call to meet her after work and a pigeon picks up his cigarette and starts a fire that burns through an electrical cable that stops his alarm clock (I am not making this up). He then goes to her workplace 3 hours later and then randomly gets a call from a guy who works in a missile silo who tells him the missiles have been launched to be confirmed by a high up government type who is in the diner at 4am (really!). You know what? I cannot be bothered. This film is a rotten, terrible film. Badly shot, terribly acted, awful dialogue, incredibly bad foley and sound design and a plot that defies belief. I would have to be drunk or somehow mentally impaired to get any form of pleasure from this. AVOID. Do not believe the reviews - they are doing a group trolling session or something because they watched a different film to me...

This movie divides reviewers so much, signalling it as one to watch. I thought it was friggen great. Even the summary given in the IMDb page gives away too much. Go into it with no preconceptions and it is really enjoyable. Purveys a real sense of rising panic. Plus the connection between the two main characters is quite beautiful. They have known each other a short while and it is an unusual way in which their relationship develops. Music is by Tangerine Dream. If you know your krautrock this will excite you from the start and creates an evocative back ground. Such a movie of it's time. Watch it, you might really enjoy it.