A House of Dynamite – Netflix – 1 hour and 52 minutes
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Major Daniel Gonzalez ends a tense call with his wife and enters the 59th Missile Defense Battalion on a base in Alaska. He chastises his subordinate for eating at his work station, takes the chips, eats one, and throws the rest away. It’s a typical day of playful banter, serious conversations, and monitoring the screens. Then, someone sees a missile with no origin or explanation on the monitor. They think it’s a drill or a glitch, but they discover it’s authentic. They contact Captain Olivia Walker in the White House Situation Room. They have procedures in place to eliminate the threat. So, Major Gonzalez follows protocol and launches a Ground-Based Interceptor. Sadly, it misses the missile. And based on their calculations, it’s headed for Illinois, and millions will lose their life if they can’t stop it or uncover who is responsible.
Deputy National Security Officer Jake Baerington rides with his pregnant wife to work as he receives a call because his boss is out for a medical procedure. They need Jake to speak with foreign dignitaries. The United States’s enemies and allies see a country preparing to shoot down the missile. So, they are getting their troops and weapons ready to launch. It’s up to Jake to calm the tension. White House officials believe Russia is colluding with North Korea to start the conflict to regain bargaining power. Jake contacts Russia and discusses ways to end the strike. However, Russia says it didn’t start the attack. However, they won’t back down because they fear the U.S. will attack them after the fight. If the U.S. promises not to attack, it will disarm their nuclear weapons. Jake tries to build trust, but Russia ends the call. Jake contacts the President to update him.
The President of the United States calls his wife, who’s visiting Kenya. Later, he leaves the White House for a photo opportunity with a girls’ youth basketball league. He gives an inspiring speech to the young women before his secret service pulls him away. An unknown actor launched a missile at the United States. The President has minutes to decide what to do after the military strike misses, and Jake can’t get Russia to agree. Lieutenant Commander Robert Reeves opens up his briefcase. It houses the nuclear football. He updates the President on his options, but all have dire consequences. The President requests a minute to think with 2 minutes before impact. What will be left?
This film covers the same 18 minutes from three perspectives. Their titles are Inclination is Flattening, Hitting a Bullet with a Bullet, and A House of Dynamite. This setup allows the audience to get a brief glimpse into the characters’ private lives before the day turns into a chaotic rollercoaster. The characters were enjoying a day off, relaxing into mundane patterns, or working hard. Then, the nightmare begins. Also, you only hear half of a conversation until the second or third chapter. The writers made careful and strategic decisions about the script. First, they never mention anyone’s political affiliations. This circumstance goes beyond political rhetoric or beliefs. It’s a matter of kill or be killed. Second, the writers never label the attacker or explain why. They want the missile and the running clock to be the enemy. It doesn’t matter who or why, because the film is about the reactions under pressure. The writer carefully examined White House’s strategies for a nuclear event. The director wanted the film to spark a conversation about the U.S. and the World’s nuclear programs. However, the unknown ending forces the viewer to focus on the conclusion, ignoring a potential solution. The film stresses you to the limit but leaves you with more questions than answers. Viewers seeking a Terminator ending with explosions and gunfire should skip this film. The action is in the build-up, decision-making, stress, and procedures. This movie is for people who want to watch a human chess match with real-life pawns.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars
It’s a sunny day, sir. – Captain Olivia
It doesn’t matter who launched it, just that we knock it down. – Major Gonzalez
And if there is no war. – President
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