It's 1958 in Detroit, where a bustling car factory is busy assembling numerous Plymouth Fury vehicles. Among the sea of ordinary colors, one car captures attention with its vibrant red hue. During the assembly, a factory worker suffers a hand injury as the hood unexpectedly slams down. Tragedy strikes when another worker who tests the car later turns up dead.
Fast forward to September 16, 1978, in Northern California. We meet Arnie Cunningham, a timid teenager portrayed by Keith Gordon, whose weekends are spent in Scrabble matches with his parents, who continue to treat him like a child. Alongside him is his best friend, Dennis Guilder, played by John Stockwell, a football player who stands up for Arnie despite the overwhelming pressure of high school life.
During shop class, Arnie becomes the target of relentless bullying from a group led by the menacing Buddy Repperton. Arnie's clumsiness offers easy fodder for the bullies, and after Buddy publicly humiliates him—stomping on his lunch and shattering his glasses—the teacher turns a blind eye. With the emotional taunting weighing on him, Arnie and Dennis embark on their journey home, where Arnie spots a used Plymouth Fury with a "SOLD" sign. Captivated by the car's remnants, he learns its name is Christine, as he is drawn into its dark allure.
Against his parents' wishes, Arnie purchases the battered vehicle from its eccentric owner, George LeBay, who relays a tragic backstory involving his deceased brother. Arnie's parents express their outrage, but Arnie, filled with newfound determination, vows to keep Christine. He promptly stores the car at a local junkyard run by the grumpy Will Darnell, marking the beginning of his obsession.
Over the following weeks, Arnie pours himself into restoring Christine, working late into the evenings and distancing himself from his old life and friendships. Notable changes in his demeanor alarm Dennis, who notices that Arnie is growing increasingly confident—he's even abandoned his glasses. This transformation becomes strikingly evident when Dennis sees Arnie arrive at a football game in a stunningly restored Christine, now a mesmerizing sight. With him is the new girl, Leigh Cabot, stirring jealousy and concern within Dennis.
As Arnie and Leigh's relationship develops, tensions rise when Leigh expresses discomfort around Christine. A sinister incident occurs at the drive-in theatre, where a malfunctioning windshield wiper causes chaos, and Leigh narrowly escapes choking on her food. After this harrowing night, she declares she will never ride in Christine again, feeling something profoundly unsettling about the car.
Things take a dark turn when Buddy and his gang destroy Christine in a fit of revenge, leaving Arnie devastated and enraged. The emotional fallout affects his home life, as his parents yearn for the old Arnie, fearing the transformation they perceive as dangerous. Desperate to restore Christine, Arnie returns to the junkyard, where he witnesses what seems like a miraculous repair. He discovers that Christine has the power to regenerate herself, cementing their bond.
With Arnie shielded by Christine's mythical influence, he becomes a force to be reckoned with at school, while Christine exacts brutal revenge on her enemies. One by one, she tracks down the individuals who wronged Arnie, leaving a trail of chaos, including a chilling scene at a gas station where she sets it ablaze despite sustaining injuries herself.
As winter approaches, Dennis and Leigh, now disconnected from Arnie and each other, devise a plan to end Christine's reign of terror. In a tragic twist, during the confrontation, Arnie suffers a fatal injury, passionately reaching out to Christine one last time before slipping away. Enraged, Christine retaliates against Leigh and Dennis, leading to a climactic battle involving a bulldozer.
The fierce showdown culminates in Dennis using all his strength to crush Christine, ending her life for good. Yet, in a haunting final image, a metallic component within the wreckage begins to stir, hinting that the horror of Christine may not be over just yet.
