Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder

Days of Thunder

1990Movie107 minEnglish

Talented but unproven stock car driver Cole Trickle gets a break and with the guidance of veteran Harry Hogge turns heads on the track. The young hotshot develops a rivalry with a fellow racer that threatens his career when the two smash their cars. But with the help of his doctor, Cole just might overcome his injuries-- and his fear.

Read Reviews

Insights

IMDb5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes46%
Metacritic55/100
Google Users70%
Director: Tony ScottGenres: Action, Drama, Sport

Plot Summary

Cole Trickle, a talented but reckless young stock car racer, gets a chance to compete in NASCAR with the help of veteran crew chief Harry Hogge. After suffering a severe crash and losing his confidence, Cole must overcome his fears and a fierce rivalry with another driver to find redemption on the track.

Critical Reception

Days of Thunder received mixed reviews from critics, who often praised its fast-paced action sequences and visual flair but criticized its predictable plot and underdeveloped characters. Audiences, however, were generally more receptive, drawn in by the star power of Tom Cruise and the excitement of the racing.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its exhilarating racing sequences and Tom Cruise's energetic performance.
  • Criticized for a derivative storyline and thinly drawn supporting characters.
  • Visually impressive with a strong soundtrack, but ultimately lacks emotional depth.

Google audience: Google users generally appreciated the film's high-octane racing scenes and the chemistry between Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. However, many found the plot to be formulaic and predictable, with some citing a lack of character development as a drawback.

Fun Fact

During filming, Tom Cruise famously experienced difficulties with the race cars, leading to him spending significant time learning to drive them properly, including practicing on short tracks.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

3 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

"Harry" (Robert Duvall) is quite merrily driving his tractor on his farm when his erstwhile racing partner 'Daland" (Randy Quaid) shows up telling him of a new hotshot driver that he simply has to meet. Reluctantly he goes to the track and ...
GenerationofSwine

GenerationofSwin...

It is Top Gun on wheels isn't it? Only Maverick came across as more blue collar wild and Trickle is a little more California pretentious wild. So it's kind of Top Gun only with Cary Elwes playing Val Kilmer. It's kind of Top Gun only ...
JPV852

JPV852

I'm not much a fan of any kind of racing but found this to be a relatively entertaining sports-thriller which does feature some good NASCAR racing sequences and a nice cast, though can't really say anybody stood out, even Cruise. **3.25/5**