REVIEW: “A House of Dynamite” (2025)

by

Kathryn Bigelow, the Oscar-winning director of “Detroit,” is back with a new film, “A House of Dynamite,” now streaming on Netflix. It’s her first feature in seven years and delivers a gripping, suspenseful story with a strong sense of immediacy. Many are already calling it one of the year’s best movies.

“A House of Dynamite” is a gripping thriller that also feels like a stark warning about the dangers of living in the age of nuclear weapons. The screenplay, by Noah Oppenheim, unfolds like a realistic military and political investigation with a feel reminiscent of 1990s thrillers. However, it’s director Kathryn Bigelow’s masterful skill and precise direction that truly drive the film. She expertly manages the complex plot and keeps viewers completely engaged from beginning to end.

Kathryn Bigelow’s film features a strong cast and tells a single event through three different viewpoints, all linked together. The story starts at Fort Greely, Alaska, with Major Daniel Gonzalez (Anthony Ramos) and his team at the 49th Missile Defense Battalion. They detect an unidentified missile and initially assume it’s a test. However, they can’t pinpoint where it was launched from, leaving them uncertain.

At Fort Greely, Captain Olivia Walker and her team are tracking potential threats when they receive alarming news: an incoming missile isn’t a test and will hit the US in just 19 minutes. Government agencies immediately begin working to intercept it and determine where it will land. With time running out, a sense of panic grows.

The story then goes back to the moment the missile was first spotted, but this time focuses on Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. There, General Anthony Brady (Tracy Letts) heads the US Strategic Command and Control, and his team quickly identifies Chicago – and its 9.2 million residents – as the target. Believing a nuclear attack is about to happen, Brady urges the President to authorize an immediate counterattack. However, Jake Baerington (Gabriel Basso), the Deputy National Security Advisor, argues for gathering more information first, fearing a rush to war could be catastrophic.

The film takes us back to a tense situation, centering on the President (played by a very convincing Idris Elba). We see him receive news of an incoming missile and struggle with the immense pressure of deciding how to respond. Should he follow one advisor’s suggestion and launch a counterattack immediately, or risk waiting as another suggests, even though that could be dangerous?

Beyond the main players, the film really benefits from a fantastic supporting cast. Jason Clarke is great as Walker’s boss, the senior officer in the Situation Room, and Greta Lee delivers a strong performance as an NSA intelligence agent. We also get solid work from Moses Ingram as a FEMA official, Jared Harris as the Secretary of Defense, and Renée Elise Goldsberry as the First Lady. Jonah Hauer-King is also memorable as the President’s advisor on retaliation. These characters aren’t just there to fill space; they genuinely contribute, either by pushing the plot forward with crucial info or by grounding the intense situation with a bit of humanity.

“A House of Dynamite” immediately grabs your attention and maintains a relentless pace until its bold conclusion. While some viewers might be shocked by how the film ends, it feels like the only fitting way for the director to deliver her message. The film’s final moments are powerfully unsettling, reflecting real-world anxieties, and land with exactly the impact intended.

“A House of Dynamite” powerfully illustrates how fragile our world is and how quickly things could unravel. Despite dealing with such large-scale themes, the film remains deeply personal, focusing on the real impact on the people caught in the middle. The shifting perspectives are handled skillfully, building suspense thanks to director Kathryn Bigelow’s precise vision. Barry Ackroyd’s realistic cinematography and Volker Bertelmann’s unsettling score heighten the sense of urgency, creating a gripping and timely warning for today’s audience. The film will be available on Netflix starting October 24th.

Read More

2025-10-24 18:58