Since beginning her career as an action director, Kathryn Bigelow has garnered considerable acclaim with recent films that delve into more dramatic territory. Since becoming the first woman ever to win the Best Director award at the Academy Awards for The Hurt Locker, she has become a filmmaker whose films are on the Oscars’ radar. Seven years after her last feature film, Detroit, her upcoming movie, A House of Dynamite, appears to be her next film aiming for Oscar nominations, and focuses on the dangers of nuclear weapons in a fast-paced and digestible manner.

A House of Dynamite stars an ensemble cast including Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, and Anthony Ramos. It follows multiple storylines involving government workers as they attempt to stop a missile from striking the United States. Unaware of who launched the missile, there is a race against time to determine who is responsible for the launch and how to respond to the crisis.

Bigelow once again proves she is one of the strongest filmmakers working today with A House of Dynamite. Her direction is as sharp and urgent as Noah Oppenheim’s script, bringing intensity to the film through her documentary-style filmmaking. She blocks the actors in a way that causes them to overlap, creating a chaotic experience that emphasizes the film’s themes of danger and the government’s unpreparedness in the event of a nuclear attack. Very few directors can capture chaos in an accessible manner, which shows just how strong Bigelow is as a filmmaker.

The acting is easily one of the strongest aspects of A House of Dynamite. Skillfully straying away from outbursts and monologues, the actors play their characters in a serious and focused fashion, almost as if their very lives were on the line. Actors like Gabriel Basso and Idris Elba are great as government figures who are frightened and unsure of what to do with their situation, but it’s Jared Harris as the Secretary of Defense who gives the most moving performance as a father who feels he has failed in life. His performance brings heart and nuance to the film, acting as a figure of empathy that the film lacked otherwise. 

The film captures a nuclear attack in one of the most realistic ways seen in cinema. Too often, war spectacles glamorize the idea of missile attacks through big explosions, silly villains, and the overuse of CGI, but A House of Dynamite grounds the ideas in reality, conveying the technical aspects of global threats. From board meetings discussing who the culprit is to workers rushing to bomb shelters, the film avoids most war thriller clichés through its authenticity toward the subject matter.

The film is told through a three-part structure, delving into the experiences of different people as they respond to the missile crisis. While this execution makes for a more unpredictable experience, the tension gradually lessens. Because each story takes place during the same amount of time and no new information is revealed regarding the severity of the attack, the stakes don’t feel as urgent as they should by the end of the film. The last act, in particular, adds almost no context to the film, focusing solely on the US President’s, played by Idris Elba, interaction with the crisis. Mainly because the film hides the POTUS for the entire movie, leading up to his storyline, this act feels even more disappointing.

The film’s conclusion is deliberately bleak. Bigelow does not attempt to answer the big questions that the characters have been searching for throughout the movie; instead, it concludes with an ambiguous ending that leaves audiences uncertain about the possible outcome. While the idea of ending a film like this is fascinating at face value, it wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. The entire movie revolves around the concept of unpreparedness, and the fact that it ends precisely where it starts feels unsatisfying. 

Despite some shortcomings, A House of Dynamite is an urgent and timely thriller carried by impeccable filmmaking from Kathryn Bigelow and compelling performances from the ensemble. In a time when wars are ongoing all around the world, a film like this serves as a necessary catharsis that our leaders should take note of. It may not be Bigelow’s magnum opus, but her frenetic filmmaking style makes it far worth the 7-year wait.

A House of Dynamite will be in select theaters on October 10 before streaming on Netflix on October 24.

OSCAR POTENTIAL:

• As of now, Netflix has numerous potential Oscar contenders, and it is unknown where A House of Dynamite falls on their priority list. Although it boasts many Oscar-worthy elements, such as its editing and screenplay, if Netflix doesn’t promote the project, it could easily fall short in every category. As of now, this is likely to receive a Best Original Screenplay nomination, but could reach a higher nomination tally if Netflix decides to prioritize the film.