Miracle Mile

Written and directed by Steve De Jarnatt, Miracle Mile follows Anthony Edwards’ Harry Washello as he receives warning of an impending nuclear attack and subsequently endeavors to make his way to safety with Mare Winningham’s Julie Peters. There’s little doubt that Miracle Mile improves considerably as it progresses, as filmmaker De Jarnatt kicks the proceedings off with a watchable yet underwhelming stretch detailing Harry and Julie’s initial encounter and ensuing courtship. De Jarnatt’s distinctly off-kilter approach, coupled with Tangerine Dream’s oddball score, ensures that the movie’s early scenes suffer from an almost distractingly quirky feel, with the less-than-spectacular atmosphere persisting right up until Harry receives the aforementioned warning. It’s a sequence that provides Miracle Mile with a much-needed jolt of energy and paves the way for a relatively consistent (and often very tense) narrative, with the presence of a few lulls in the movie’s midsection ultimately rendered moot by an almost exceptionally engrossing final stretch. De Jarnatt does a superb job of cultivating a vibe of bleak, apocalyptic hopelessness, and it’s clear, too, that Edwards’ incredibly affable performance plays a considerable role in the movie’s ultimate success. It’s a shame that Miracle Mile has all but been forgotten in the years since its 1988 release, as the film, notwithstanding its dated opening half hour, remains as haunting and indelible an experience as it must have been more than 25 years ago.

***1/2 out of ****