Kathryn Bigelow returns with A House of Dynamite, a nerve-wracking geopolitical thriller that explodes with tension from the very first frame. Written by Noah Oppenheim and starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, and Gabrielle Basso, the film captures a morning in Washington, D.C., as the world is gripped by panic.
White House Situation Room supervisor Captain Olivia Walker (Ferguson) begins her day reporting on rising tensions across Asia—Chinese military exercises, Iranian proxy movements, and an eerie silence from North Korea. Then comes the nightmare: an unidentified ICBM is detected mid-flight, its trajectory cut short just twenty minutes before it hits Chicago.
When DFCON 2 is declared and the interceptor fails, chaos erupts in America’s highest offices. Idris Elba’s Secretary of Defense struggles to keep the government running, while Gabriel Basso’s Major Gonzalez grapples with the psychological devastation of a failed defense. Bigelow’s direction captures both the mechanical precision and human failings behind national security.
“A House of Dynamite” is more than just a doomsday thriller – it’s a poignant portrait of the fragility of leadership, morality, and the value of every second.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writer: Noah Oppenheim
Stars: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso
