A House of Dynamite: How Netflix’s Nuclear Thriller Sparked a Pentagon Controversy

A Chilling Vision of Nuclear Crisis

A House of Dynamite is a 2025 American political thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Noah Oppenheim. The threat of a nuclear attack and the discourse around “A House of Dynamite” has struck a nerve with audiences and with military defence experts. It had a limited theatrical release in the UK on October 3 and was released in the United States on October 10, before its global streaming debut on Netflix on October 24.

Record-Breaking Success Amidst Controversy

This week’s top-streaming film on Netflix tackles a long-running Hollywood theme, the threat of a nuclear attack. The film shows the perspectives and responses of different US government and military officials after an unknown adversary launches an intercontinental ballistic missile at Chicago. However, the film’s success has been accompanied by significant controversy. Written by former NBC News president Noah Oppenheim, the film’s striking realism has sparked buzz and even a Pentagon memo disputing its depiction of the U.S. military defence system.

Pentagon Disputes Missile Defence Portrayal

The memo states the movie’s depiction of United States missile defences being only 61 percent effective—or as Jared Harris’ Secretary of Defence phrases it in the film, “a fucking coin toss”—is inaccurate. The MDA argues its interceptors have “a 100 percent accuracy rate” based on testing conducted over a decade. Oppenheim said their consultants agree “that our current missile defence system is highly imperfect,” in name-dropping figures like Senator Edward Markey, retired general Douglas Lute, and the nonpartisan American Physical Society (APS).

Divided Audiences and Critical Acclaim

The riveting thriller’s ending divided viewers when it was released in October, with some feeling the film pulled a punch by wrapping on a cliff-hanger, leaving the audience unsure if a rogue ICBM destroyed Chicago, and how the film’s president (Idris Elba) responded. Despite the controversy, 75% of 253 critics’ reviews are positive, with the website’s consensus reading: “Playing out a nightmare scenario with nerve-wracking plausibility, Kathryn Bigelow’s masterfully-constructed A House of Dynamite is an urgent thriller that’s as distressing as it is riveting.”

A Timely Warning About Nuclear Threats

The film grapples with the idea that we’re surrounded by 12,000 nuclear weapons, with the title reflecting that “we live in A House of Dynamite.” The scenario feels eerily timed to this moment, as matters of nuclear brinkmanship dominate the headlines. Whether viewed as a masterpiece or a missed opportunity, A House of Dynamite has succeeded in reigniting crucial conversations about nuclear preparedness and the fragility of global security in an increasingly volatile world.