Mad Max poster

Mad Max (1979)

Film · 1h 31m · Rated R

Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

A relentless, gritty thriller unfolds as a savage motorcycle gang terrorizes a bleak, near-future world.

Pulpy and suspenseful. A full-attention watch at full speed. Emotionally it is heavy.

Not on a US subscription service as of Oct 26, 2026.

Mad Max parents guide

It stays inside its R, with moderate sex and nudity, and brutal violence.

Scare
Mildly scary
A few tense or eerie moments.
Jump scares
A couple
One or two sudden jolts.
Gore
Graphic gore
Blood and wounds shown clearly.
Violence
Brutal violence
Our top level for violence.
Sex and nudity
Moderate
Moderate means a sex scene or nudity on screen, even brief, or sexual violence that is described or implied but never shown.
Language
Moderate
Some strong profanity, a few f-words.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is Mad Max scary?
Only a little. Mad Max has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.
How gory is Mad Max?
Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.
What is Mad Max rated, and is it OK for kids?
Rated R, and it earns it: moderate sex and nudity, brutal violence, and some strong language. Not one for kids.

What is Mad Max about?

In the ravaged near-future, a savage motorcycle gang rules the road. Terrorizing innocent civilians while tearing up the streets, the ruthless gang laughs in the face of a police force hell-bent on stopping them.

Does it have a happy ending? (spoiler-safe)

No. Brace yourself.

Cast and crew

Directed byGeorge Miller
StarringMel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Tim Burns, Roger Ward

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Uses the TMDB API; not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, content, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.