A House of Dynamite
2025
**
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke
As a radar detects an intercontinental nuclear missile headed for Chicago, the US government, military, and intelligence officials scramble to determine who launched it and how best to respond. The President realises that he must act swiftly, although he doesn't have all the answers. Kathryn Bigelow's thought-provoking political thriller unfolds from three viewpoints: White House Situation Room staff, military command, and the President. This approach sounds ambitious and intriguing. However, instead of intercutting between these viewpoints, they are presented one after the other, and as a result the imminent nuclear threat loses tension with each retelling of the same events. Bigelow has assembled an impressive ensemble cast, yet their performances offer little more than functional line delivery and last only seconds or a few minutes. The ambiguous ending is a final bitter pill to swallow.
