Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite Is Skillful, Stressful, and Urgent

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In simpler, more conversational language: Sometimes a movie like “A House of Dynamite,” directed by Kathryn Bigelow and premiered at the Venice Film Festival, leaves you with a strange feeling. You might not be able to label it as good, bad, or even great, but you know it’s made an impact on you. The movie is well-crafted, intense, and thoughtfully structured. It delves into the practical aspects of how governments could react to a nuclear attack, yet there’s also an eerie, surreal quality to it. It subtly presents various global realities that we often choose to ignore. After all, who wants to ponder upon the unimaginable? In many ways, this film is a contemporary horror movie about reality, and its power lies in what it chooses not to show.

In the movie “A House of Dynamite,” there are no clear-cut heroes or villains, which adds to its unsettling nature. The plot is simple and swift: a nuclear missile is hurtling towards the American Midwest, but the culprit remains unknown. With just 20 minutes to intercept it, the story unfolds from various perspectives. These include a young major stationed in the Pacific (Anthony Ramos), a disenchanted advisor forced into roles he’s not prepared for (Gabriel Basso), a Secretary of Defense grappling with reality (Jared Harris), and ultimately, the President himself (Idris Elba), who is relatively new to his position when the crisis arises. Many of these characters have families or loved ones at home. As they strive to avert disaster, they also make brief, private phone calls to significant people in their lives, suggesting that if this is the start of the apocalypse, they want to connect with those who matter most before it’s too late.

In essence, Major Daniel Gonzales and his team spot a missile originating from somewhere in the Pacific and promptly prepare to intercept it. Back in Washington, Captain Olivia Walker (played by Rebecca Ferguson) receives this news with a mix of worry but not full-blown panic, initially suspecting an error or misread. The Defense Secretary, Reid Baker, eventually joins the video call, displaying irritation but not yet fear. However, his demeanor changes upon learning that the missile might hit Chicago, where his daughter resides.

Background details about each character are subtly conveyed: Jack Baerington, a deputy security advisor under Basso, feels undervalued at work until he’s called upon to answer pressing questions for his absent boss. For several minutes that feel endless, the President is nowhere to be seen on the Situation Room screen, causing a slight increase in tension among the room’s occupants. The general Anthony Brady, portrayed by Tracy Letts, readies himself for potential orders: Will the President choose to retaliate, and if so, how will he make that decision when the culprit remains unknown?

With every passing moment, an increasing number of appeals are made to various experts and specialists. On her day off, Ana Park (Greta Lee), a specialist in North Korean politics, finds herself irritated as her phone buzzes. She’s enjoying time with her child at a reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg. Cathy Rogers, a FEMA official portrayed by Moses Ingram, is informed she must rush to safety in a bunker without knowing the details due to the lack of clarity about the situation. The movie unfolds in segments, each providing a glimpse into this escalating crisis from a different character’s viewpoint. Remarkably, it spans just 20 minutes or so. Dialogue repeated across sections adds depth, with context occasionally shifting; something initially heard as part of a phone call can later be seen in a different light. A seemingly innocuous piece of information like “One minute to intercept” becomes more intense each time it’s heard. This dynamic scene unfolds and changes tone rapidly, creating a complex and ever-evolving picture.

The movie “A House of Dynamite” offers one of the most tension-filled viewing experiences I’ve had in a long time. It’s a film meticulously edited by Kirk Baxter, with its many interconnected elements sliced together like diamonds. In preparation for this film, screenwriter Noah Oppenheim, who was once the president of NBC News before moving into film writing, interviewed current and past military strategists, as well as individuals who have spent decades preparing for a potential nuclear disaster while we carry on with our everyday lives. Can we truly afford such blissful ignorance?

In a masterful display of precision akin to a seasoned aviator, Bigelow skilfully orchestrates her film, leaving audiences in awe at the realization that this is merely her 11th full-length production. Her commitment to each project is evident, with an underlying sense of urgency that resonates deeply. Post-World War II, the specter of nuclear war loomed large in American cinema, manifesting in films like Sidney Lumet’s 1964 “Fail Safe” and Stanley Kramer’s 1959 “On the Beach.” Despite the escalating risks, our collective concern seems to have waned over the decades. However, Bigelow felt compelled to create this film as a means of confronting the stark reality that civilization could cease to exist in the blink of an eye: “The world’s major powers possess enough nuclear weapons to annihilate civilization within minutes, yet there’s a pervasive numbness, a normalization of the unimaginable.” In “A House of Dynamite,” Bigelow vividly portrays one such catastrophic scenario. If this hypothetical event were to transpire in reality, who would you want steering the government during these potentially world-altering decisions? Bigelow forcefully presents the unimaginable, allowing us to choose whether to dismiss the warning or acknowledge its deafening resonance.

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2025-09-03 22:06