Christine (1983)

“Body by Plymouth. Soul by Satan.”

Some people remember their first car fondly. Arnie Cunningham’s first car remembers him right back.

Christine (1983) gives John Carpenter the keys to Stephen King’s story about a battered 1958 Plymouth Fury with a jealous streak, a taste for revenge, and absolutely no respect for pedestrian safety.

When awkward high school student Arnie discovers Christine sitting in a neglected yard, he sees past the rust, cracked glass, and obvious warning signs. As he restores the car, Christine begins restoring him too. The shy teenager becomes confident, aggressive, and increasingly devoted to the only girl in his life who comes with whitewall tires.

Unfortunately for Arnie’s friends, bullies, and girlfriend, Christine is not interested in sharing. She can repair herself, hunt down anyone who mistreats her owner, and select the perfect oldies song for every murder.

Stylish, moody, and powered by one of Carpenter’s most memorable scores, Christine proves that a car does not need a driver to be dangerous.

Christine (1983) A shy teenager restores a battered 1958 Plymouth Fury and discovers that his new car is jealous, possessive, and more than capable of murder. Watch or Buy on Amazon

Christine does not need a driver. She only needs a target and the right song on the radio.

Why Christine Is Worth Renting

John Carpenter understands that the car needs to feel like a character rather than a prop. Christine has moods, preferences, and a personality communicated through headlights, engine noise, and carefully selected songs playing through the radio.

The transformation of Arnie is just as important. Keith Gordon gradually shifts from an awkward teenager into someone cold, confident, and increasingly unfamiliar to the people who care about him. It becomes difficult to tell whether Arnie owns Christine or Christine owns Arnie.

The practical effects remain the film’s biggest showstopper. Watching the crushed Plymouth slowly pull itself back together is far more impressive than a clean digital transformation would have been. You can practically hear every dent deciding it has unfinished business.

Carpenter wraps everything in nocturnal streets, glowing headlights, rock-and-roll nostalgia, and his unmistakable synthesizer score. It may be a movie about a killer car, but it never treats the idea like a joke.

Christine Official Trailer

Watch the original trailer and meet the only Plymouth Fury that should probably have come with an exorcist instead of an owner’s manual.