Cast: Rebecca Ferguson, idris Elba, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hower King, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke, Malachi Beasley, Brittany O’Grady, Brian Tee, Renee Elise Goldsberry,Willa Fitzgerald, Kaitlyn Dever,
Written By: Noah Oppenheim
Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow
Release year: 2025
Studio/Streamer: Netflix
Runtime: 112 minutes
Audio Description produced By: International Digital Center
Written By: Liz Gutman
Narrated By: Jamie Lemcheck
What is it?: Our worst fears are realized as a nuclear capable missle is launched, and traveling toward the United States. With only twenty minutes until impact, the White House, the Defense Department, and our intelligence community scramble to try and figure out what move to make next. the foe is unknown, the target is not immediately known, and no reason for the escalation has been given. Watch from three different perspectives as a host of experienced individuals working across our government try to keep this house of cards from collapsing.
What Works: some consider this to be a potential Best Picture contender this year, putting a lot of undue pressure on a tight political thriller tht has some interesting elements working in its favor,but also perhaps is responsible for the most divisive ending of the year. It is nearly impossible to discuss this film without mentioning how one feels about the bold choice made at the end, so there’s your advance spoiler warning.
But first, I have to praise the things I did really like. first, this is the most balanced cast of the year. Fans of film who are familiar with actors (and who are blind), it might behoove you to actually check the credits out in advance. A sighted audience would find themselves constantly seeing known talent in bit parts. the cast is stacked, and not everyone has the same amount to do, nor do they necessarily repeat in each segment. So if you are wondering where Anthony ramos is, or Greta Lee, I’d recommend having advance knowledge. I can’t possibly imagine how this could spoil anything, as no one’s identity here is a secret, but the film is packed, and moves fast.
The gimmick to tell the same story from three different perspectives helps this stand out, and from my little opinion, it worked. I was more impressed at three segments supposedly taking 20 minutes each somehow running nearly two hours. The pacing is exceptional, as I never felt the runtime.
Mostly Noah Oppenheim’s script works, but there are some scenes that are either frustrating, or I’d cut altogether. Greta Lee’s sequence was my least favorite as she really seemed more inconvenienced on her day off. I guessss the point was to show a variety of people in roles, but I think she needed to pick up a bit more that the proverbial shit is covering the fan. And in the great debate about the ending, there’s just this little tag that I would have cut. i think it is much more of a flex to end on Elba, with the unknown lingering, and maybe the title card. I feel like that last scene almost betrays the ambiguity to some extent, which is what Bigelow seems to want the audience to revel in. For better or worse, you will react to this ending.
I liked the ending, minus the tiny little scene after what should have been the final shot. I think ending without resolution, after explaining all the options leaves it as a conversation piece. What would you have done? What should they have done? If this happened today, why would our current administration do? If I’m being honest, i think the people who are resonating the most with it see it as a cautionary tale of making sure our government is packed with knowledgeable and experienced leaders. The film draws no direct lines to the current administration. I promise, it is apolitical. I’m fairly certain the party of Elba’s President was not mentioned. It isn’t woke, it is just simply a think piece on nuclear armament and the continued expansion by countries like Iran and North Korea. While everyone has these catastrophes waiting to happen in stockpile, A House Of Dynamite ruminates on the what if. And, in a political climate with mounting tensions, and increasingly capable AI, this doesn’t feel like science fiction, but rather a warning.
Some will white knuckle through this. I liked the film, but even with its source material, I do think Bigelow has mounted better tension in The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark thirty. I even enjoyed Detroit a bit more. I recommend the film, but I wouldn’t put it in the Oscar race outside of potentially Best Casting, as no one really knows how that race shapes up. this is the most complimentary cast I’ve seen this year, with no one performer standing out above anyone, much like Warfare. In a perfect world, both would contend for that prize.
The Audio Description: While the pacing, and the high amount of dialog didn’t give every character the opportunity to have rich description, there are some really lovely descriptions given. This is also a very busy film, and the amount of substantive description given is quite impressive. it highlights how Liz Gutman remains one of the best AD writers in the game, managing to squeeze every ounce out of this, and Jamie Lemcheck totally understood the assignment in delivering a sobering vocal performance. An excellent track.
Why You Might Like it: it’s a tight political thriller very reminiscent of the times we live in. We’ve certainly had projects like this before, which are based on a sign of the times, and Bigelow is in her genre. Plus,it has one of the biggest and broadest ensembles of the year. you are bound to enjoy someone in the cast.
Why You Might Not Like it: Honestly, the ending is really divisive. Some people viscerally do not like it. However, it is far more likely you’d check it out for yourself. the real reason you might avoid it is that it simply is just too intense in a world where doomscrolling and your push notifications already can give you panic attacks. When you start to transpose those you know from our current administration, it transfers from political thriller to nightmare.
Final thoughts: A House Of Dynamite is an apolitical nightmare and alarming cautionary tale of what could be, but likely will be remembered more for its bold choices in storytelling, and the ending heard around the world. Kathryn Bigelow certainly can’t be accused of not taking risks.
Fresh: 7.7/10
