A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE

This frenetic political thriller follows the moments after a nuclear missile is launched at the United States by an unidentified source. Director Kathryn Bigelow (‘Point Break’, ‘The Hurt Locker’, ‘Zero Dark Thirty’) focuses on the procedural pressures of modern nuclear warfare and decision-making, rather than a heroic “save the day” plot. The story is told in three chapters and presents the crisis from the viewpoints of White House staff, military commanders, and the President (Idris Elba) as they try to determine who launched the attack and implement a course of action. The short countdown to the moment of impact emphasises the urgency and chaos and adds to the pressure cooker environment. At times the characters lack strategy and everything feels haphazard, with some questionable decisions being made. The ending may frustrate some viewers, as there’s no tidy resolution. Bigelow keeps it real and does not conclude an event that hasn’t yet occurred in real life. Instead it’s a wake up call and a compelling examination of how different people emotionally respond to the same stressful situation, which hits hard in today’s political climate. Dramatic, uneasy, and thought-provoking, it poses the question “What if?”.