Kathryn Bigelow’s “A House of Dynamite” blasts off with relentless intensity, leaving no room for pause. This isn’t just another thriller; it’s a chillingly plausible depiction of a nuclear catastrophe so immense it’s almost too terrifying to imagine. Our everyday lives are already complicated enough without the constant threat of a nuclear strike looming—whether from North Korea, France, Russia, or the United States itself. Perhaps this explains why so few films have dared to truly tackle the sheer, unsettling absurdity and grim reality of global annihilation.
As a character wisely quips in Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1964 doomsday satire, “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” it’s only natural to harbor strong feelings about nuclear conflict. This sentiment perfectly encapsulates the terrifying premise of Bigelow’s latest work.
“A House of Dynamite” is a starkly serious ‘what if’ scenario, devoid of levity. It meticulously chronicles the responses of American government and military officials after an unidentified ballistic missile breaches national airspace. Initially, the sighting prompts curiosity rather than panic, with General Brady (Tracy Letts) even seeming more preoccupied with a past baseball game. Competent professionals spring into action, monitoring screens for blips and swiftly working to avert disaster. Meanwhile, Admiral Miller (Jason Clarke) casually instructs a subordinate to “give me a shout-out if the world’s going to end” before returning to his post in the White House Situation Room, highlighting the surreal, high-stakes nonchalance.
However, this veneer of calm shatters abruptly. One moment, staff are sipping coffee and exchanging polite banter, preparing for another day of safeguarding national security—jokes about marriage proposals and mentions of geopolitical hot spots like Iran and North Korea feeling like standard office chatter. The next, a chilling announcement: the missile is going suborbital, on a collision course with the United States. In an instant, the world is irrevocably altered. Every conversation, every movement, and the film’s entire rhythm intensify, as routine dissolves into absolute crisis. It’s a moment of gripping suspense, eerily quiet before the narrative pauses, only to resume from a completely different perspective.
Noah Oppenheim’s script for “A House of Dynamite” cleverly unfolds in distinct sections, each propelling the story forward from a unique viewpoint. The initial segment immerses viewers in various geographical settings and character dynamics. We see dawn breaking over Fort Greely, Alaska, a crucial missile defense launch site, where Maj. Gonzalez (Anthony Ramos) handles a personal call before overseeing his team’s vigilant monitoring of screens. Simultaneously, in Washington D.C., the no-nonsense Capt. Walker (Rebecca Ferguson) bids farewell to her family in the dead of night, en route to the Situation Room. The film establishes an almost nostalgic premise: a world where dedicated individuals simply perform their duties to serve their nation, largely unburdened by overt political agendas.
The film quickly draws you deeper into its narrative, aided by an extensive ensemble cast. While Idris Elba (as President “Icon”) receives top billing, and some roles are more prominent than others, no single character dominates as a central protagonist. The opening sequences introduce a multitude of faces, many of whom prove to be minor players. A new White House aide (Willa Fitzgerald) largely serves to reflect the audience’s bewildered reaction to armed guards herding designated individuals to safety. Meanwhile, the somewhat bumbling yet endearing Deputy National Security Adviser, Jake (Gabriel Basso), finds himself engaged in a high-tension call with Russian officials.
Hollywood has a long-standing obsession with disaster narratives, from epic close calls to last-minute rescues. Violence and facile heroism often drive the box office, a trend amplified in recent decades by superhero blockbusters and their relentless, often gratuitous, action. Kathryn Bigelow, a master of intricate action filmmaking, has her own history with tales of catastrophe. Her previous work includes “K-19: The Widowmaker” (2002), a gripping film based on a harrowing 1961 accident aboard a Soviet nuclear submarine. Despite that film’s commercial struggles, Bigelow persisted in crafting intense dramas about individuals pushed to their limits, most notably “The Hurt Locker” (2009), which focused on American soldiers navigating the dangers of Iraq.
Bigelow’s direction is nothing short of masterful in “A House of Dynamite.” She orchestrates a multitude of intricate narrative threads, ensuring they interlock seamlessly and maintain a coherent, propulsive momentum. The film never falters, even as new elements are introduced and old ones subtly shifted. Occasionally, the script’s attempts to inject humanizing, sentimental exchanges feel a little forced, a common pitfall in her oeuvre. For instance, as the crisis deepens, the Secretary of Defense (Jared Harris) shares an unconvincing, awkward moment with his daughter (Kaitlyn Dever). Far more impactful are the scenes where Bigelow allows the camera to linger on characters, capturing their profound tension in moments of silent, raw emotion.
Ultimately, Bigelow aims not for sentimentality or patriotism, but for sheer terror. From its opening moments, “A House of Dynamite” bombards the senses with blaring brass and chilling on-screen text about nuclear weaponry, instantly unnerving the audience. Regarding its plausibility, consider this: on January 28, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved its symbolic Doomsday Clock even closer to midnight. This stark visual, illustrating humanity’s proximity to self-destruction, was conceived in 1947 after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Originally set at seven minutes to midnight, it now ominously stands at just 89 seconds.
The film itself mirrors a rapidly ticking doomsday clock, propelled by its blistering pace, dynamic camerawork, relentless editing, and a constant barrage of flashing electronic readouts. (Director of photography Barry Ackroyd, who also shot “The Hurt Locker,” and editor Kirk Baxter deliver a masterclass in tension.) Even when the narrative cleverly rewinds or Bigelow inserts a small, humanizing detail—like Captain Walker discovering a child’s toy tucked into her high-heel—she expertly maintains an unstoppable forward thrust that viscerally engages the viewer. Bigelow crafts a compelling argument about our present and potential future, conveying it through powerful cinematic language rather than expositional dialogue.
“A House of Dynamite” marks a triumphant return for Bigelow, offering a welcome contrast to her less impactful “Detroit” (2017), a film centered on the 1967 civil unrest. While her new movie is rooted in realism—as evidenced by the numerous expert advisers acknowledged in the credits—it also ventures into potent speculative fiction. Bigelow likely couldn’t have predicted its release into a landscape of American government shutdowns and profound national turmoil. One can assume her initial inspirations were somber, realistic portrayals of nuclear threats, such as Sidney Lumet’s “Fail Safe” (1964), a film appealing to both intellect and reason. Yet, by the time “A House of Dynamite” premiered, reality seemed to echo the dark satire of “Dr. Strangelove” more closely.
A House of Dynamite is rated R for strong thematic elements, including guns and the overwhelming specter of mass death. The film has a running time of 1 hour and 52 minutes and is currently playing in theaters.