The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, written by Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd and produced by Hurd. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cybernetic assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to assassinate Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose not-yet-conceived son will one day save mankind from extinction by Skynet, a hostile artificial intelligence, in a post-apocalyptic future. Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is a soldier sent back in time to protect Sarah. The screenplay is credited to Cameron and Hurd, while co-writer William Wisher Jr. received an "additional dialogue" credit.

Plot

A cyborg assassin called a "Terminator" is sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 Los Angeles, programmed to hunt and assassinate a woman named Sarah Connor. Separately, a human soldier named Reese arrives, intent on stopping the Terminator. After searching for addresses in a telephone directory, the Terminator systematically dispatches similarly named women, as well as several other people it comes in close contact with, including Sarah's roommate, Ginger, and her boyfriend, Matt. The Terminator eventually locates the correct Sarah at a local nightclub, where she is rescued by Reese opening fire on The Terminator, which quickly turns into a chaotic gunfight and foot-chase. The pair then steal a car to escape, with the Terminator pursuing them in a stolen police car.

Awards