Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1984 classic once had a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score; 42 years later, it is still among the best sci-fi films

More than four decades after a virtually unstoppable cyborg first promised “I’ll be back”, The Terminator has done exactly that and remained firmly in the conversation around great science-fiction cinema. Released in 1984, the James Cameron film turned Arnold Schwarzenegger into an action icon and helped launch a franchise that would stretch across decades. Now, 42 years later, the film has another reason to celebrate: it remains among Rotten Tomatoes’ essential science-fiction movies.

From a modest film to a sci-fi landmark

The Terminator follows a cyborg assassin, played by Schwarzenegger, who travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Her future son, John Connor, is destined to lead humanity's resistance against machines controlled by the artificial intelligence system Skynet. Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is sent back in time to protect Sarah. What followed was a lean sci-fi thriller that became considerably bigger than its beginnings suggested. Rotten Tomatoes previously reported that the film was made for about $6.5 million and went on to earn more than $75 million worldwide.

The 100% score that lasted for decades

According to Parade, The Terminator maintained a perfect 100 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score for almost four decades. That changed after Rotten Tomatoes expanded its database to include additional archived reviews from the 1980s. Its Tomatometer score now stands at 90 per cent from 134 reviews. That drop has done little to diminish its reputation. Rotten Tomatoes currently ranks The Terminator at No. 52 on its list of 150 essential science-fiction films and also places it first among its ranked movies of 1984. The site's critics' consensus credits its enduring influence to its “impressive action sequences” and “relentlessly fast pace”.

Why does The Terminator still work?

Part of the answer may lie in its simplicity. Unlike the spectacle-heavy blockbusters Cameron would later direct, the original largely revolves around three people caught in a deadly chase. Writing for RogerEbert.com, critic Matt Zoller Seitz observed that what remains particularly striking about the movie is its “intimacy”, adding that despite some effects showing their age, the film remains involving because of the precision and conviction of its storytelling. Even Cameron has looked back at his breakthrough film without excessive nostalgia. In a 2024 interview cited by Parade, the filmmaker described The Terminator as “near and dear” to him because it was his first film, while acknowledging that some parts have aged better than others.

A machine that refused to become obsolete

Technology, visual effects and blockbuster filmmaking have transformed enormously since 1984, but The Terminator continues to find new audiences. Its current 90 per cent Tomatometer and 89 per cent audience score underline that longevity. The perfect rating may be gone, but the film's place in sci-fi history appears much harder to terminate.