Short Circuit

Name: Short Circuit
Genre: Science Fiction, Comedy, Family
Released: 1986-05-09
Duration: 1 h 38 min
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton, G.W. Bailey

1986·Movie·PG·98 min·★ 6.7(1,631)

Science Fiction Comedy Family More English titles

“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.

▶ Watch trailer

Where to watch Short Circuit in United States

Stream

Buy

Click a service to open Short Circuit there. Availability last verified on July 11, 2026.

Where is Short Circuit streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Hoopla	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video
Canada	Netflix, Hollywood Suite, Hollywood Suite Amazon Channel, Netflix Standard with Ads	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Australia	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Tubi TV	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Germany	—	Freenet meinVOD
Spain	Filmin	—

About Short Circuit

Short Circuit is a 1986 English-language science fiction, comedy and family film directed by John Badham. The cast is led by Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens. It has a runtime of 1h 38m. Viewers rate it 6.7/10 across 1600 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Hoopla.

Short Circuit was produced by TriStar Pictures, PSO, and The Turman-Foster Company and made in United States of America. It was released on May 9, 1986, and carries a PG certification. Made on a budget of about $10 million, it went on to gross $41 million worldwide.

Director: John Badham
Writers: Brent Maddock
Release date: May 9, 1986
Original language: English
Age rating: PG
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $10 million
Box office: $41 million
Production: TriStar Pictures, PSO, The Turman-Foster Company

#artificial intelligence (a.i.)#lightning#oregon, usa#robot#military#childlike

Short Circuit cast & crew

Short Circuit was directed by John Badham and written by Brent Maddock.

The cast features Ally Sheedy as Stephanie Speck, Steve Guttenberg as Newton Crosby, Fisher Stevens as Ben Jabituya, Austin Pendleton as Howard Marner, G.W. Bailey as Skroeder, and Brian McNamara as Frank.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by David Shire, cinematography is by Nick McLean, and it was produced by Gregg Champion and David Foster.

Is Short Circuit worth watching?

Short Circuit holds an audience score of 6.7/10 from 1,631 ratings, a solidly received science fiction films.

At 1h 38m, it's an easy, time-light watch.

If you enjoy science fiction, comedy, and family, Short Circuit is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Short Circuit

In United States, you can stream Short Circuit on Hoopla, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.