On this day May 19, 1989, the apocalyptic thriller Miracle Mile premiered in theaters. Directed by Steve De Jarnatt, the film starred Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham in a tense race against time after a man accidentally learns that a nuclear war is about to begin.
The film begins as a romantic drama but quickly transforms into a gripping doomsday scenario as the characters scramble through Los Angeles trying to survive. With its eerie atmosphere, real time pacing and haunting score, Miracle Mile became a unique entry in 80s cinema that stood out from typical genre fare. Despite earning just 1.1 million dollars at the box office on a 3.7 million dollar budget, it later found new life on home video and is now considered a cult classic.
Fun fact: Miracle Mile was originally written in the late 1970s and nearly became a Twilight Zone episode before being developed into a feature film.