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Days of Thunder

Play trailer 2:13 Poster for Days of Thunder PG-13,  1990,  1h 47m,  Action/ Drama/ Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Days of Thunder: Trailer 1 Days of Thunder: Trailer 1 Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - This Guy's Going Down Days of Thunder: Official Clip - This Guy's Going Down Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Wheeler's Lowdown Racing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Wheeler's Lowdown Racing Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Drive Through It Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Drive Through It Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Dropping the Hammer Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Dropping the Hammer Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - A Very Thorough Physical Days of Thunder: Official Clip - A Very Thorough Physical Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Go to the Outside Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Go to the Outside Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Cole's Crash Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Cole's Crash Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Not My Specialty Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Not My Specialty Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Concealed Weapon Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Concealed Weapon Now Playing View more videos
Watchlist 40% 65 Reviews Tomatometer 60% 100,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
40% Tomatometer 65 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
In the fast-paced world of NASCAR, a rivalry brews between rookie hotshot Cole Trickle (Tom Cruise) and veteran racer Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker). When both of them are seriously injured in competition, the former bitter rivals become close friends. With Cole's spirits restored by a romance with neurosurgeon Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman), and Rowdy still sidelined by injuries, Cole decides to race Rowdy's car in the Daytona 500 against underhanded newcomer Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes).
Days of Thunder

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Days of Thunder has Tom Cruise and plenty of flash going for it, but they aren't enough to compensate for the stock plot, two-dimensional characters, and poorly written dialogue.

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Critics Reviews

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Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) Oct 24, 2018
The most daring thing about his cat-and-mouse game with Kidman is how erotic Noyce makes it. Go to Full Review
Clayton Dillard Slant Magazine Jun 25, 2015
Dispensing with all notions that Days of Thunder is a critical work of any sort reveals its hollow and misogynistic underpinnings. Go to Full Review
Terrence Rafferty The New Yorker May 20, 2014
Like the previous Simpson-Bruckheimer pictures, it's designed to give audiences an overdose of the thrill of victory; it wants us to jump out of our seats, pumping our fists in the air and roaring for the hero to pulverize his opponents. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Feb 8, 2026
3/5
…Quentin Tarantino suggests that Days of Thunder is better than Grand Prix and Le Mans, but he’s wrong on both counts; Tony Scott's NASCAR movie is far too slammed together to be a movie for the ages, but now as in 1990, just about passes the time… Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia Jul 19, 2025
4/10
As an action-packed sports drama, it often features racing sequences that are, in general, low-octane and wear out like a tire on the track. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) May 9, 2023
0.5/4
Some members of the audience I attended for Days of Thunder snickered at the mythologizing of the young actor on the screen. Tom Cruise would be wise to pay heed to such derision. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Apr 18, 2019 I just rewatched Days of Thunder thanks to online streaming and you've just gotta love this movie. Ok, sure, it's basically Top Gun in cars, but hey, the formula works. Tom Cruise at his charismatic best, his foil, the great Robert Duvall, and the sexy love interest Nicole Kidman. Add in some great supporting performances, some exciting racing footage, a splash of gasoline powered testosterone and you have a winner. Critics have downed the characters and dialog, but if you've lived near the NASCAR circuit, you'd know it's pretty accurate on both accounts. If you haven't seen Days of Thunder, or not seen it in a while, pop some popcorn, sit back, buckle up, and enjoy this nice little cinematic ride all the way to the checkered flag. See more
Hagrid P Mar 28, 2019 Dropping the Hammer....
Hermione W Feb 27, 2019 Not Tom Cruiseâ(TM)s best work, unfortunately.
Hagrid G Nov 5, 2018 a big chunk of mess.. Days of Thunder Scott's race track leads to nothing but a brutal accident that is occurred because of the driver itself. It had a linear lane to follow and yet it still somehow managed to go off the track for the most part of the feature. It is a misconceived act. This is a big chunk of mess. And it's not that it couldn't have been repaired, it's just that the storyline itself was dull enough to rot out the emotions, it never had the chance. Despite of being an exhilarating and nail biting sport, the feature isn't cinematic at all. The chills and thrills that you hope that you are about to receive, even that too is in shortage. It is eerily shot with confused amateur cheesy camera work that looks like a cheap television movie that wasn't funded properly. As far as narration is concerned, it is poorly crafted and loosely constructed for it to stand on any whatsoever ground. On terms of performance, the actors aren't given that much room and the ones that are given, aren't sensible enough for them to be convincing. Cruise that as usual loves to be on the driver's seat, this time feels weak since he isn't focused on his own track. The supporting cast like Kidman, Duvall and Rooker, too fails miserably on holding on to their characters. Daft editing and Towne's benign and questionable screenplay works like anchor and undermines the somewhat decent, even though familiar, concept. Scott's execution also deserve to be put on stand in here, his fatal attempts of delivering a highly pitched dramatic concept seems obvious since he fails to shot even a normal conversation, it is inedible and uncomfortable. Days Of Thunder is long, hard and hectic days, these are the days that not only audience wishes it to go away, but by the end, makers and actors too are on the same boat. See more
Jul 3, 2018 Love this movie, A true Tom Cruise 90's movie! Enjoyable if you are not looking for a deep plot or characters. But a whole lot of fast fun for a couple hours! Finally bought it on iTunes so I can enjoy it when ever I want. See more
Mar 14, 2018 One of the greatest movies
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Days of Thunder

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Days of Thunder

Days of Thunder: Official Clip - This Guy's Going Down Days of Thunder: Official Clip - This Guy's Going Down 2:09 Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Wheeler's Lowdown Racing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Wheeler's Lowdown Racing 2:13 Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Drive Through It Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Drive Through It 2:13 Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Dropping the Hammer Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Dropping the Hammer 2:08 Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - A Very Thorough Physical Days of Thunder: Official Clip - A Very Thorough Physical 2:13 Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Go to the Outside Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Go to the Outside 2:05 Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Cole's Crash Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Cole's Crash 2:12 Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Not My Specialty Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Not My Specialty 1:04 Now Playing Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Concealed Weapon Days of Thunder: Official Clip - Concealed Weapon 1:46 Now Playing View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis In the fast-paced world of NASCAR, a rivalry brews between rookie hotshot Cole Trickle (Tom Cruise) and veteran racer Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker). When both of them are seriously injured in competition, the former bitter rivals become close friends. With Cole's spirits restored by a romance with neurosurgeon Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman), and Rowdy still sidelined by injuries, Cole decides to race Rowdy's car in the Daytona 500 against underhanded newcomer Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes).
Director
Tony Scott
Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer, Don Simpson
Screenwriter
Robert Towne, Tom Cruise
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Action, Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 27, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$80.6M
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SR, CDS, Stereo
Aspect Ratio
70mm
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