Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Classic 1980s Action Thriller Is Free This Month

3 days ago 7

Published Feb 8, 2026, 9:20 AM EST

A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation."

An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account.

Back in 1985, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the hottest action star on the planet. He was coming off megahits like Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator, and Commando, but hadn't branched out much from his image as a monosyllabic human engine of destruction. That changed with Raw Deal, which brought Schwarzenegger out of his element and into a gritty, noir-tinged thriller. It's an anomaly in his filmography, and it led to him broadening his horizons in the future, but it wasn't a hit with critics or audiences. Want to decide for yourself? Good news: You can now watch it for free on Tubi.

The film was helmed by British director John Irvin (Ghost Story, Hamburger Hill), from a script by Gary DeVore (Running Scared) and Norman Wexler (Saturday Night Fever). Made for a budget of $10 million USD, it only grossed $16 million worldwide, a rare box office disappointment for Schwarzenegger at the time; he rebounded the next year with Predator. However, Schwarzenegger claims that working with Irvin, who he described as "a real actor's director," greatly improved his acting skills.

What Is 'Raw Deal' About?

Schwarzenegger stars as Mark Kaminski; he was a hotshot FBI agent before weaselly prosecutor Marvin Baxter (Joe Regalbuto, Murphy Brown) gave him a "raw deal" following his manhandling of a suspect. Now, he's a small-town sheriff with an alcoholic wife (Blanche Baker, Sixteen Candles), but he soon finds himself with a path back to the agency, courtesy of his old mentor, Harry Shannon (Darren McGavin, A Christmas Story). Shannon's son was killed after a mole leaked secret FBI information to the Mob, and Shannon wants revenge, even if it's off the books. To that end, he has Kaminski infiltrate the Chicago underworld as "Joseph P. Brenner." He soon finds himself embroiled with a femme fatale (Kathryn Harrold, Modern Romance), a hard-boiled local cop (Ed Lauter, Family Plot), and a rogues' gallery of nasty mobsters, including Sam Wanamaker (The Spy Who Came in From the Cold), Steven Hill (Law & Order), and Robert Davi (Licence to Kill). Along the way, he finds that Baxter isn't so innocent, himself; Kaminski might just get the chance to offer him a "raw deal," too...

Even though the film was a flop, it led to one of Schwarzenegger's biggest successes. Legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis took on the film in an attempt to raise money for his long-gestating science fiction project, Total Recall. When Raw Deal disappointed, De Laurentiis sold off Total Recall to Carolco Pictures...who would make the movie with Schwarzenegger in the lead role.

Raw Deal is now streaming for free on Tubi. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.