A House of Dynamite realistically depicts a terrifying scenario where a nuclear missile launched by an unknown adversary reaches its target in the continental United States. Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Noah Oppenheim pull back the curtain to reveal government officials frantically responding to an unthinkable outcome. One city has been annihilated, and millions of lives have been lost. But these tragedies horrifically pale in comparison to what comes next. A global nuclear holocaust becomes a possibility as our retaliatory response puts humanity on the brink of destruction. A House of Dynamite will send shivers down your spine in a well-acted roller coaster of pending doom.
A House of Dynamite is told in three chapters, as we see the same event from different perspectives through various individuals along the chain of command. At Fort Greely, Alaska— home of an early warning radar and the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) missile system — Major Daniel Gonzalez (Anthony Ramos) starts his day with an argumentative call to his significant other that puts him in a bad mood as he enters the base’s operations center. His demeanor soon changes as their screens and terminals start to flash: They’ve detected an ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) hurtling into space from the Pacific Ocean.
The End Is Nigh
Release Date
October 24, 2025
Runtime
112 minutes
Producers
Brian Bell, Greg Shapiro
In Washington D.C., Captain Olivia Walker (Rebecca Ferguson) kisses her sick toddler and husband goodbye as she leaves for her early morning shift at the White House. Olivia reports to Admiral Mark Miller (Jason Clarke), the White House Situation Room commander, but runs the center as the primary official. She’s alert and controlled as Fort Greely addresses the launch; it could be anything, but it’s better to be prudent and not panic. Olivia initiates a video conference call that includes Four Star General Anthony Brody (Tracy Letts) — head of the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) responsible for nuclear deterrence — Secretary of Defense Reid Baker (Jared Harris) and Deputy National Security Advisor Jake Baerington (Gabriel Basso), who’s stuck in traffic with his pregnant wife.
Olivia and the team watch as various scenarios are calculated. Once it’s confirmed that the missile will indeed land in the US, the next steps are to shoot it down with interceptor missiles. General Brody’s levity about the situation changes when their efforts fail, and he orders the United States military’s “Defense Readiness Condition” to the highest level, DEFCON 1. Meanwhile, the President of the United States (Idris Elba), who’s been monitoring the situation while making an appearance at a charity event, is immediately evacuated as he faces the gravest decision in human history.
The Worst-Case Scenario
A House of DynamiteNetflix, First Light Productions
A House of Dynamite hits a nerve with a frightening realization that overtakes the brilliant ensemble as they face their worst-case scenario. Bigelow (Point Break, The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) initially shows their cool professionalism in exquisite detail as the nuts and bolts of a layered bureaucracy leap into action. These people have trained for this outcome many times. There are manuals and procedures detailing exactly what should be done in every contingency. But having the instructions and actually assembling a vacuum cleaner aren’t the same thing. None of the characters ever believed this predicament would possibly happen.
The Cold War ended with a détente, assuming that every country with nuclear capabilities would act responsibly. Anyone foolish enough to pull the nuclear trigger turns everyone to radioactive ash. But in a world overrun with proliferation, an irrational actor, like a terrorist or rogue nation, could do the unthinkable to justify their own perceived needs. How do we then react to such an attack? Who feels the wrath of our fury when the culprit hasn’t yet been identified? A “wait and see” approach opens the country to further decimation. Failing to act quickly could lead to the mysterious enemy striking again, and wiping us out while we twiddle our fingers in contemplation.
Waiting for the Order
A House of DynamiteNetflix, First Light Productions
Who gets saved from the imminent apocalypse? That’s already been decided in some of the film’s most distressing scenes, as those whose duties are necessary for the country’s continued survival are whisked away to secure bunkers while their colleagues watch in abject horror. What about the populace who don’t have a clue they’re about to be incinerated? Is it worth warning them with literally minutes left? The cast calling their families just to hear their voices before the inevitable may bring some to tears, and Bigelow and Oppenheim (The Maze Runner, Jackie) linger in these fraught and tender moments. They’re just as important as the tension in the war rooms.
A House of Dynamite ebbs and flows as Bigelow cuts to new viewpoints. This is both fascinating and frustrating as a storytelling tool. Bigelow climbs a narrative ladder to the top, as the President is where the buck stops. We get this searing closure, and then another chapter opens where none of that drama has manifested. It’s important to see the structure of command, but there is a sense of fatigue once we get to the executive decision. The final scene will be very divisive, but it makes sense in context. This proverbial Pandora’s Box has opened, and every decision is a costly one.
A House of Dynamite is a production of First Light Pictures, Prologue Entertainment and Kingsgate Films. It will have a limited theatrical release on October 10th, followed by a Netflix premiere on October 24th. A House of Dynamite was screened as part of the 63rd New York Film Festival.