Cinema over the years has often served as an effective medium for conveying the existential threat posed by nuclear war. From the grim backdrop of doomed survivors in “On the Beach” to the eradication of small-town Kansas in “The Day After” Hollywood has compellingly if infrequently turned its camera lens on the implications of the nuclear “balance of terror” (aka nuclear deterrence) we all live under. The latest in this cinematic sub-genre is Kathryn Bigelow’s “House of Dynamite” a fast-paced thriller that explores, via three different perspectives of the same event, how the United States (US) might respond to the launch of an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) aimed at Chicago.

The launch of the missile from somewhere in the Pacific by an unknown state is on a ballistic trajectory that will have it impact Chicago in 18 minutes. The film depicts the reaction to this incident at three levels of responsibility: the Alaska base of the current ballistic missile defence interceptors; the White House situation room and the inter-agency video conferencing being conducted from there; and finally the President, who is being rushed to a secure location, in conversation with a US Navy officer who is the custodian of the infamous “nuclear football” and responsible for briefing the President on his nuclear retaliatory options. There is enough realism in the depiction of events and processes plus the overwhelming stress of the time pressure under which all concerned are operating to quicken the heartbeat of........

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