Our Take
When a film shows countries confronting each other on a global scale, it is usually a slightly heroic movie where brave soldiers, especially American ones, save the world. But A House of Dynamite went to Kathryn Bigelow, and she brings her own style and depth to any story she tells. So what we got is top-tier suspense on a military and political theme, wrapped in an interesting narrative form.
The film opens when one of the US-controlled stations monitoring ballistic missile launches detects a missile fired from an unknown place, heading in an unknown direction. That sets off a decision-making process for a whole group of people who have to take responsibility for what comes next, ideally without starting World War III.
What sets the film apart is that it is told through the eyes of several characters, and you piece the details together like a puzzle as you watch, grasping the weight of each decision and, above all, seeing that behind every decision stands human weakness and fear on one side, and intellect and critical thinking on the other. All that is left for you is to watch this standoff with great pleasure.
From the first minutes the film demands intense focus and pulls you in, because the characters have little time and the clock is ticking. But what matters most is what you realize when it runs out: how fragile our world is.
Synopsis
When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.
Cast
