Writer Behind Netflix’s Nuclear Thriller ‘A House of Dynamite’ Shares Chilling Real-Life Inspiration

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Netflix’s recent thriller, A House of Dynamite, explores a frightening possibility: what if a nuclear missile was launched undetected towards a major U.S. city? The film begins with government workers realizing a warhead is on its way with less than 20 minutes until impact, and shows how quickly things could fall apart if the government wasn’t prepared for such a disaster. While the story isn’t based on a specific real event, writer Noah Oppenheim drew inspiration from conversations with U.S. officials and a genuine vulnerability in the country’s defense system, making the scenario all the more unsettling. In just under two hours, the film highlights the dangers of being unprepared for the worst.

Oppenheim recently discussed the film with Deadline, explaining where the idea came from. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, A House of Dynamite shows the reactions of government figures to a nuclear launch. While the characters aren’t based on specific real people currently in government, Oppenheim says he was inspired by former officials.

We spoke with dedicated and highly knowledgeable public servants – former watch officers from the White House Situation Room, civilian Pentagon officials, retired military personnel, and experts in strategic command and missile defense. These individuals have spent their careers protecting our country and were remarkably unbiased in their perspectives.

Critics and viewers praised the Netflix film, A House of Dynamite, particularly its suspenseful build-up. However, the ending proved divisive. Many found it frustrating that the movie doesn’t clearly explain whether the nuclear danger was genuine or if the president ultimately ordered a response. The director, Oppenheim, has spoken about this ambiguous conclusion.

From the start, we all agreed on how the story should end. We realized some viewers would want to see a dramatic, destructive climax – maybe even multiple explosions. Others would prefer a happy ending where the disaster is avoided at the last minute and life returns to normal. However, we felt both of those options would have been an easy way out, and ultimately didn’t fit the story we wanted to tell.

‘A House of Dynamite’ Is Not Based on a True Story – But It’s More Realistic Than You Think


Netflix

Kathryn Bigelow’s new thriller about a nuclear threat isn’t based on real events – thankfully, no country has faced a crisis of this magnitude. However, the film’s consultant, former NBC News president Oppenheim, is very knowledgeable about the topic. He shared that the system depicted in the movie has been tested 20 times since 1999, but with only a 57% success rate – meaning the film actually underestimates the potential for failure. He also revealed a particularly frightening aspect of the movie is rooted in reality: the way the president prepares for such a catastrophic event.

Early in our research, we learned something deeply concerning. When we asked a former high-ranking Pentagon official how often the president practices responding to a nuclear crisis, he said, ‘Almost never.’ This is especially worrying because the U.S. system gives the president sole authority to decide whether or not to use nuclear weapons – a decision made entirely by one person, without needing input from advisors or any kind of group consensus. Despite this immense responsibility, the president receives very little practice or preparation for such a scenario.

According to officials at Strategic Command, they practice potential nuclear attack scenarios about 400 times each year. However, their role is strictly advisory – the final decision to authorize a nuclear strike always rests with the President. We learned that Ronald Reagan was the last president to actually participate in a live nuclear decision-making simulation.

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2025-11-18 17:48