High school nerd Arnie Cunningham is tired of being bullied and feeling invisible to his peers. His luck begins to change when he buys a dilapidated 1958 Plymouth Fury, which he discovers is named Christine. Although his best friend Dennis sees nothing but a rust bucket, Arnie sees potential and becomes obsessed with restoring the car to its former beauty. Nurture turns to fixation as Arnie spends every waking moment working on Christine, withdrawing from his family, his friend Dennis, and his new girlfriend Leigh. The car's influence begins to mirror Arnie’s transformation; as Christine is restored, Arnie's confidence grows, but so does his aggression and arrogance.

Gradually, mysterious events start unfolding around Christine. The vehicle seems to possess a sinister character of its own, exhibiting an eerie form of sentience and jealousy. When bullies vandalize Christine, the car autonomously restores herself to pristine condition and seeks revenge on those who damaged her. The once-timid Arnie becomes almost unrecognizable, adopting a darker, more malevolent demeanor, paralleling the ominous transformation of Christine. As the body count starts to rise, anyone who attempts to come between Arnie and his beloved car pays a gruesome price, leaving Dennis and Leigh to uncover the truth about Christine’s strange powers before they too fall victim to her destructive passions.