In A House of Dynamite, a nuclear missile launched at the United States sets off a race to determine who is responsible and how to respond. Source: Australian Catholics.
The film dramatises the threat of nuclear destruction, immersing the audience in the crisis and asking them to decide what they would do, what decision they would make, in this grave situation.
This is an intense film directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who won an Oscar for The Hurt Locker, then went on to portray the search for Osama bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty.
Bigelow brings the same tension to this film, giving a hypothetical scenario, the launching of a nuclear missile by an unknown attacker, threatening an American city.
The way that the drama heightens audience attention and anxiety is to introduce us to the wide range of officials in the White House, war departments, command posts in Alaska, crisis management groups in various American cities and press briefings in Washington.
The audience sees a wide range of experts in action, experiencing pressure as intel comes in. The demand for quick thinking, prudence, risk-taking and the issues of responsibility and consequences are paramount.
It is a demanding film that challenges the audience as to what decision – surrender or suicide – they would make.
Review by Fr Peter Malone MSC, Jesuit Media
A House of Dynamite: Starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. 112 minutes. Rated M (Mature themes and coarse language). In cinemas from October 9, then streaming on Netflix from October 24.
FULL REVIEW
A House of Dynamite (Australian Catholics)
