There are some movies you remember vividly from your younger days, even if you can’t quite explain why they stuck with you. Quicksilver (1986) is one of those movies for me. I caught it sometime in the late 80s or early 90s – probably on cable – and for whatever reason, it left an impression. Maybe it was the neon glow of San Francisco, the synth-heavy soundtrack, or just the coolness of Kevin Bacon flying through city streets on a bike. Whatever it was, I decided to give it another watch recently to see if it still held up after all these years.
The short answer? Kind of. But in a weird, endearing way.
Kevin Bacon plays Jack Casey, a hotshot stock trader who loses everything after one bad decision on the trading floor. Instead of trying to rebuild his career in finance, he ends up working as a bicycle messenger. It’s the kind of plot that only makes sense in the 80s – a Wall Street guy finding redemption by pedaling through city traffic – but there’s something oddly satisfying about watching him rediscover what really matters in life.
What struck me most on rewatch is how Quicksilver captures that mid-80s optimism. It’s got this DIY, “make your own luck” vibe that feels very of its time. You can tell the filmmakers really wanted to say something about corporate greed, urban survival, and second chances, even if the movie doesn’t quite know how to juggle all those themes. The tone bounces between drama, romance, and pseudo-action, but somehow it all adds up to an enjoyable ride.
Bacon is great here – this was around the time he was everywhere, coming off Footloose and cementing himself as one of Hollywood’s go-to young stars. Jami Gertz brings a grounded presence as the love interest, and Laurence Fishburne (still going by Larry back then) steals a few scenes with his cool, street-smart demeanor. Some other names and faces you may recognize here include Rudy Ramos (Yellowstone), Louie Anderson (Coming to America) and Paul Rodriguez (D.C. Cab).
Of course, not everything works. The financial subplot feels half-baked, and the villains are almost cartoonish. Some of the dialogue hasn’t aged well, and the pacing can drag in the middle. But then a great song kicks in, Bacon hops on his bike, and suddenly you’re right back in that wonderfully stylized 80s world where even mundane jobs looked cinematic.
Watching Quicksilver today feels like opening a time capsule. It’s got that neon-and-leather aesthetic, that sense of restless youth, and a soundtrack that could only exist in that decade. It’s not a perfect movie – not by a long shot – but it’s the kind of flawed gem that makes you smile because it reminds you of when movies could be weird, earnest, and full of heart all at once. And it’s a flick that MANY people our age (born in the 70’s) completely missed.
So, does it hold up? In its own way, yeah. Not as a great film, but as a nostalgic ride through a very specific moment in time. Quicksilver might not make your list of essential 80s movies, but if you grew up during that era, it’s absolutely worth revisiting.
Final Verdict: A quirky, uneven, but ultimately charming trip down memory lane – proof that sometimes, the best way forward is to hop back on the bike and ride.
