Kathryn Bigelow premieres nuclear missile thriller at Venice

Kathryn Bigelow returns with her first film in eight years, "A House of Dynamite," a tense geopolitical thriller about an unattributed nuclear missile launched toward the United States, sparking a frantic White House response. Premiering at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, the film has received critical acclaim for its intensity and vivid portrayal of nuclear anxieties, with a narrative unfolding over 18 minutes from multiple perspectives, including the US President played by Idris Elba. Bigelow, the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar, aims to confront the paradox of living under the constant threat of nuclear annihilation while society maintains a collective numbness to the danger. The film, written by Noah Oppenheim, explores themes of nuclear weapons, non-proliferation, and the madness of defending through potential total destruction, reflecting Bigelow's personal experiences growing up during the Cold War. Netflix produced the film, which will be released in select theaters worldwide before streaming on Netflix, and it is considered a strong Oscar contender. The cast also includes Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, and others, contributing to an intense cinematic experience that invites discussions about global security and the future of nuclear arms.