Movie · 1994 · Action, Thriller · 2h 21m · R · English
Curator score: 5.2/10 (488.9K ratings)
When he said I do, he never said what he did.
Overview
A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.2/10
IMDb: 7.3/10
Letterboxd: 3.59/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Metacritic: 63
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
James Cameron
Production
Lightstorm Entertainment, 20th Century Fox
Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere, Art Malik, Eliza Dushku, Grant Heslov, Charlton Heston, Marshall Manesh, James Allen, Dieter Rauter, Jane Morris, Katsy Chappell, Crystina Wyler, Ofer Samra, Paul Barselou, Charles A. Tamburro, Jean-Claude Parachini, Uzi Gal
Where to watch
fuboTV, AMC+, AMC, Philo
Curator Review
Verdict
A big, brash 90s action-comedy with spectacular set pieces, sharp comic timing, and a knowingly absurd premise that still lands as crowd-pleasing entertainment. It’s also dated in its gender politics and ethnic caricatures, so the appeal is strongest if you’re comfortable enjoying it as a product of its era rather than a model of sensitivity.
Best for
fans of glossy blockbuster action
viewers who like action-comedy hybrids
people who enjoy over-the-top practical stunts and spectacle
fans of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comedic action persona
90s studio entertainment with a big swing
Skip if
you’re sensitive to sexist humor and outdated relationship dynamics
you want a serious espionage thriller
you dislike broad comedy inside action movies
you prefer modern, politically current storytelling
Overview
True Lies is James Cameron at his most shamelessly crowd-pleasing: huge stunts, slick pacing, and a premise that keeps escalating until it becomes pure blockbuster delirium. The movie works best when it leans into absurdity, turning domestic suspicion into spy-movie chaos and giving Arnold Schwarzenegger one of his funniest performances.
Worth noting
The action is the main event, and it still hits hard. Cameron stages the set pieces with real momentum and a sense of physical scale, from the hotel sequence to the bridge finale, and the movie keeps finding new ways to top itself. Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Arnold add a lot of comic energy, helping the film feel lighter and more playful than Cameron’s more severe action work.
Bottom line
That said, the film’s treatment of women, marriage, and Middle Eastern characters is very much of its time, and some viewers will find it hard to ignore. If you can watch it as a relic of peak 90s studio excess, it remains one of the era’s most entertaining action machines.
Top Letterboxd reviews
SilentDawn (5★) · 1641 likes
98
And on the 7th day, God created True Lies, and it was good.
Jay · 1580 likes
"surely he wont ride a HORSE in there?"
"surely he WONT ride a HORSE in THERE?"
"SURELY he WONT ride a HORSE in THERE?"
matt lynch (5★) · 1490 likes
"DA BRIDGE IS AAUUUT!"
The best (and the most) American action film of the last 30 or so years.
Mushroom cloud kiss is the image of Cameron's career.
James (Schaffrillas) (3.5★) · 1342 likes
Little uncomfy with Harry's weird treatment of his wife in the middle going completely unchecked and consequence-free by the end (what do you mean the guy who wrote this has been divorced 4 times?) but ultimately the shooty shooty bang explosion scenes in this are sick as all hell and that's what really matters. When he rode the horse into the hotel I literally did that "guy sitting up in his chair" meme
demi adejuyigbe · 1236 likes
Been haranguing my friends to watch this movie for a while because I remembered it being so fun and having terrific action set pieces. Totally forgot how sexist and racist it was though! So, that sucked!
Honestly so over the top and goofy at times feels like a satire of masculinity and impotence before Cameron settles you in and goes “oh no sorry i mean all of this.” I mean, Bill Paxton’s “ass like a 10 year old boy” monologue… more