How realistic Is Netflix’s A House of Dynamite?

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Kathryn Bigelow’s latest movie, ‘House of Dynamite,’ is generating buzz after becoming available on Netflix earlier this week.

The movie has worried some viewers because it shows a nuclear missile successfully attacking Chicago, getting past all of America’s defenses. This leaves White House staff with just 18 minutes to try and stop a catastrophe.

I’m really excited about this movie – it’s got a fantastic cast! Rebecca Ferguson and Jared Harris play people working inside the White House, trying to keep everything under control. And Idris Elba is the President, facing a crisis nobody saw coming – a truly unpredictable situation, it sounds like!

Like Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 masterpiece, Dr. Strangelove, this film explores how government leaders might respond to a catastrophic event. Director Kathryn Bigelow has explained that the film stemmed from the fears of her childhood, a time when global disaster felt like a genuine possibility.

According to Bigelow, the danger has actually grown since then, but people seem to have stopped paying attention. Many countries now have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world very quickly, yet there’s a strange sense of acceptance, as if we’re getting used to something terrifying. With so many weapons already in existence, the fact that there’s talk of building 2,000 more raises a serious question: will this really make us any safer?

So, how realistic is A House of Dynamite? Read on for more information.

How realistic Is Netflix’s A House of Dynamite?

Like her earlier films, The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow started this project wanting to explore a little-known issue. However, since the film came out, the Pentagon has criticized it for being inaccurate, claiming that the U.S. missile defense system, designed to counter this type of threat, has consistently performed perfectly in tests for over ten years.

The Missile Defence Agency stated in a memo that the film’s depiction of failed missile interceptions was primarily for dramatic effect and to entertain viewers. However, they emphasized that recent tests demonstrate a much more successful reality.

Writer Noah Oppenheim disagrees with the Pentagon’s assessment of a recent film, stating that its depiction of the missile defense system is accurate. He points out the system isn’t foolproof and highlights how many close calls there have been in the last half-century, expressing surprise that a major incident hasn’t occurred.

After receiving feedback from the US government, the filmmakers emphasized how carefully they worked to create a realistic and believable portrayal of the situation.

Noah Oppenheim, who used to lead NBC News, said he relied on connections at the Pentagon, White House, and CIA to make the script as realistic as possible. He also cast many actors with experience in government or the military.

We conducted extensive research for this film, and I made a point of interviewing many people who have firsthand experience working in these settings and holding these positions.

Bigelow ensured authenticity by bringing in real defense professionals as consultants. This included Daniel Karbler, a retired US Army lieutenant general and former chief of staff at STRATCOM, who provided technical guidance, and Larry Pfeiffer, a former White House Situation Room director, who helped the actors refine their performances.

Karbler shared with TIME Magazine that he expected a minor role on the film. However, director Kathryn Bigelow insisted he be closely involved, placing him next to her during playback sessions and actively seeking his feedback. He described her as consistently respectful of his opinions and contributions.

Ferguson explained that he would ask very basic questions, such as, ‘If a DEFCON alert is issued, how will that information reach me?’ and ‘Will I receive information before going into the situation room?’ He also wanted to know specifics like which phone line to use when calling the president, and even how to control his own feelings in those high-pressure situations.

He always said the key to handling difficult situations was to calmly remove yourself – to take control of a room without raising your voice or losing your composure. If you needed a moment, you simply stepped away. I shared these simple strategies with Kathryn throughout filming. We were fortunate to be working with incredibly talented people, and had everything we needed to succeed.

Bigelow hopes the film will spark conversation and encourage viewers to question the way things are. She wants people to leave the theater wondering, ‘What now?’ and thinking about how to move forward.

This is a problem that affects everyone, and I sincerely hope we can eventually decrease the number of nuclear weapons. I really wanted to share this information to encourage discussion – that’s what I was aiming for with the film; I wanted it to spark a conversation.

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2025-10-29 21:36