6.1 Score

1986 • 1h 38min • PG • Science Fiction, Comedy, Family

Short Circuit

"Something wonderful has happened... No. 5 is alive."

After a lightning bolt zaps a robot named Number 5, the lovable machine starts to think he's human and escapes the lab. Hot on his trail is his designer, Newton, who hopes to get to Number 5 before the military does. In the meantime, a spunky animal lover mistakes the robot for an alien and takes him in, teaching her new guest about life on Earth.

IMDb 6.6

RT 61%

MC 50

Director

John Badham

Composer

David Shire

Top Cast

Ally Sheedy

Stephanie Speck

Steve Guttenberg

Newton Crosby

Fisher Stevens

Ben Jabituya

Austin Pendleton

Howard Marner

G.W. Bailey

Skroeder

Brian McNamara

Frank

Tim Blaney

Number 5 (voice)

Marvin J. McIntyre

Duke

You earned + karma for this .

That's your 1st review. Keep going. You've reviewed movies. Keep going.

Reviewed • Remove from watchlist?

Overall feeling?

This just sets the vibe. You can still be picky later.

Changing your tone will clear your emotion picks. Continue?

How did it make you feel?

Pick your strongest feelings.

selected

Starter Pack

Unease & Intensity

Fun & Playfulness

Energy & Adrenaline

Warmth & Comfort

Emotional Weight

Reflection & Thought

Optional — you can skip this step

You've got the vibe. Now add the details.

Tag the best & worst performances — so readers know who carries the film.

⭐ best / • 💀 worst / • 🎭 character /

Tag standouts, scene-stealers, and weak links.

Ally Sheedy Stephanie Speck

Steve Guttenberg Newton Crosby

Fisher Stevens Ben Jabituya

Austin Pendleton Howard Marner

G.W. Bailey Skroeder

Brian McNamara Frank

Tim Blaney Number 5 (voice)

Marvin J. McIntyre Duke

John Garber Otis

Penny Santon Mrs. Cepeda

Vernon Weddle General Washburne

Barbara Tarbuck Senator Mills

Tom Lawrence Howard Marner's Aide

Fred Slyter Norman

Billy Ray Sharkey Zack

Robert Krantz Reporter

Optional — you can skip this step

That's the surface. Want to go deeper?

Break down what worked in the story — your take becomes the one people reference.

Optional — you can skip this step

Unlock the full breakdown — the good stuff.

Rate the cinematography and direction — help others decide if it's worth the big screen.

Optional — you can skip this step

You survived the basics. Ready for the full mix?

Score the soundtrack and sound design — the stuff most reviewers skip.

Optional — you can skip this step

Review Summary

Score

Review type

You haven't selected anything yet.

Go back to pick a tone or some emotions.

Feeling

Verdicts

Acting

Details hidden from readers

Plot

Details hidden from readers

Visuals

Details hidden from readers

Sound

Details hidden from readers

Cast

You've hit the limit for guest reviews

Create a free account to keep reviewing and make your voice count.

Your review is ready - without an account it's the basic version.

You're not signed in

Without an account, your review won't include detailed breakdowns, cast picks, or genre tags. Readers will see a stripped-down version.

Guest reviews don't appear in ratings or top reviews.

Almost there - verify your email first.

Check your inbox for the verification link

Your review is saved and ready to go. Once you verify your email, you can publish it right away.

No reviews yet

Be the first to share your thoughts on this film. Your structured review helps the community discover what makes it worth watching.

What you'll rate

Overall Tone Emotions Acting Plot Visuals Sound

If you liked this

3.2

Short Circuit 2

1988 • Science Fiction

7.9

WarGames

1983 • Science Fiction

6.0

Oliver & Company

1988 • Comedy

7.7

M3GAN

2022 • Horror

8.3

Blade Runner 2049

2017 • Science Fiction

7.4

I Am Mother

2019 • Science Fiction

8.3

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

1961 • Adventure

9.4

Hoppers

2026 • Science Fiction

Movies

People

Movies

People

Short Circuit