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Commander John
Storm just wants to be left alone to complete his DNA collection, and
explore the uncharted regions on planet earth. But he always seems to be
in the wrong place at the wrong time.
This
is the an A to Z index of some of the best (Hollywood)
films made on the subject of
nuclear war in our view. Not having seen all of the earlier movies, but
relying on audience appreciation (votes) and box office returns. Where
available.
On July 16, 1945, at the Trinity Site in New
Mexico, the Manhattan Project personnel responsible for the creation of that day’s prototypical ‘Gadget’ observed the fruits of their years of labour: the first ever detonation of a nuclear device. Soon this
super weapon, previously the stuff of speculative fiction, would hasten the end of the
Second World War and power up a new
Cold War between east and west. It would also quickly become a source of fascination for the movies.
Initially, atomic anxiety was chiefly fodder for pulp cinema, a concern of science fiction (The Day the
Earth Stood Still, 1951; The War of the Worlds, 1953), monster movies
(Godzilla, 1954;
Them!, 1954) and occasionally noir (Split Second, 1953; Kiss Me Deadly, 1955). Some films from early in the Atomic Age, like the Mickey Rooney comedy The Atomic Kid (1954), took the Bomb less seriously, while others, including Destination Moon (1950) and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961), even displayed a cautious nuclear optimism.
You
may have noticed that nearly all of these films were made in Hollywood
studios or by companies with links to Los Angeles, California.
PICTURES
A - Z
1. Crimson Tide (1995) - 116 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
On a U.S. nuclear missile sub, a young First Officer stages a mutiny to prevent his trigger happy Captain from launching his missiles before confirming his orders to do so.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington, Matt Craven, George Dzundza.
Gross: $91.40M
2. The Sum of All Fears (2002) - 124 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
CIA analyst Jack Ryan must stop the plans of a Neo-Nazi faction that threatens to induce a catastrophic conflict between the United States and Russia's President by detonating a nuclear weapon at a football game in Baltimore, Maryland.
Director: Phil Alden Robinson | Stars: Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Ian Mongrain, Russell Bobbitt.
Gross: $118.91M
3. Planet of the Apes (1968) - 112 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans.
Gross: $33.40M
4. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg. The third installment of the iconic sci-fi series, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), pits Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 against a new, highly advanced Terminator sent back in time to ensure the onset of a devastating nuclear war. While the film is best known for its groundbreaking special effects and thrilling action, its study of humanity's capacity for self-destruction adds a sobering layer to the narrative. As a continuation of the series' overarching theme of apocalypse and survival, Terminator 3 remains a powerful and thought-provoking portrayal of the consequences of our reliance on technology.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick.
Gross: $204.84M
5. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
The sixth installment in the action-packed franchise, Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) sees Tom Cruise return as secret agent Ethan Hunt, tasked with preventing a terrorist organization from launching a nuclear attack. While the film's central focus is on spectacular stunts and thrilling set pieces, its chilling portrayal of nuclear conflict and the potential for global annihilation adds an extra layer of tension to the exciting narrative. Helmed with skill by director Christopher McQuarrie, this blockbuster offers both heart-pounding excitement and a stark reminder of the ever-present threat of nuclear warfare.
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames
6. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
- 95 min | Comedy, War
An unhinged American general orders a bombing attack on the Soviet Union, triggering a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn.
Gross: $0.28M
7. Unthinkable (2010) - 18 | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Follows a black-ops interrogator and an F.B.I. agent who try to press a suspect terrorist into divulging the location of three nuclear weapons set to detonate in the U.S. In 2010's Unthinkable, Samuel L. Jackson plays a counter-terrorism expert tasked with interrogating a man who claims to have planted three nuclear bombs in U.S. cities. This intense thriller delves into the ethical and moral dilemmas faced by those responsible for preventing a nuclear catastrophe, providing a chilling reminder of the stakes involved in such situations. With its gripping plot and excellent performances, Unthinkable remains an unforgettable study of the lengths people will go to in order to protect their loved ones and their country.
Director: Gregor Jordan | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Michael Sheen, Stephen Root
8.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) - 119 min | Spy, Action, Thriller
The eighteenth in the
James Bond series produced by Eon Productions and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as fictional MI6 agent
James
Bond. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode from a screenplay by Bruce Feirstein, it follows Bond as he attempts to intercept Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce), a power-mad media mogul, from engineering world events to initiate
World War III.
Gross $333 million.
9.
Goldfinger
(1964) - Blockbuster | Spy, Action
10.
Lord
of War (2005) - Crime | Drama
11.
War
Games (1983) - Techno-Thriller
12.
Olympus
Has Fallen (2013) - Political, Action, Thriller
13.
White House Down (2013) - Political, Thriller
14.
Die Hard 4 (2007) Cyber, Action, Thriller [Live Free or Die Hard]
15.
SALT, (2010) - Spy, Action, Thriller
Threads (1984 TV Movie) - 15 | 112 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
The effects of a nuclear holocaust on the working class city of Sheffield, England and the eventual long-term effects of nuclear war on civilization.
Director: Mick Jackson | Stars: Karen Meagher, Reece Dinsdale, David Brierly, Rita May
By Dawn's Early Light (1990 TV Movie) - 15 | 100 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A non-NATO nuclear missile is fired from Turkey at USSR, where it detonates. Soviet response is automatic as it's seen as a NATO missile. Can continued escalation be avoided? We follow the US president and a bomber crew.
Director: Jack Sholder | Stars: Powers Boothe, Rebecca De Mornay, James Earl Jones, Martin Landau
The Day After (1983 TV Movie) - 12 | 127 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
The effects of a devastating nuclear holocaust on small-town residents of eastern Kansas.
Director: Nicholas Meyer | Stars: Jason Robards, JoBeth Williams, Steve Guttenberg, John Cullum
A Boy and His Dog (1975) - 15 | 91 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
A young man and his telepathic dog wander a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Director: L.Q. Jones | Stars: Don Johnson, Jason Robards, Susanne Benton, Tim McIntire.
Gross: $6.90M
On the Beach (1959) - A | 134 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
After a global nuclear war, the residents of Australia must come to terms with the fact that all life will be destroyed in a matter of months.
Director: Stanley Kramer | Stars: Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins.
Gross: $11.00M
World War Three (1982)
Starring Rock Hudson and David Soul, World War III (1982) is a gripping miniseries that imagines a world on the brink of nuclear conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. The film masterfully weaves together multiple storylines, portraying the complex and intertwined relationships between politics, military strategy, and human emotion. Its intelligent and thought-provoking examination of the consequences of global conflict has cemented World War III as a powerful and engaging entry in the nuclear war genre.
Fail Safe (1964) - 112 min | Drama, Thriller
A technical malfunction sends American planes to Moscow to deliver a nuclear attack. Can all-out war be averted?
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Fritz Weaver, Dan O'Herlihy
The War Game (1966)
- 48 min | Drama, War
A docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain.
Director: Peter Watkins | Stars: Michael Aspel, Peter Graham, Dave Baldwin, Kathy Staff
Right at Your Door (2006) - 96 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A dirty bomb goes off in Los Angeles, jamming freeways and spreading a toxic cloud.
Director: Chris Gorak | Stars: Mary McCormack, Rory Cochrane, Tony Perez, Scotty Noyd Jr.
Gross: $0.06M
Testament (1983) - PG | 90 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
The life of a suburban American family is scarred after a nuclear attack.
Director: Lynne Littman | Stars: Jane Alexander, William Devane, Rossie Harris, Roxana Zal.
Gross: $2.04M
Miracle Mile (1988) - 15 | 87 min | Action, Drama, Romance
A young man hears a chance phone call telling him that a nuclear war has started and missiles will hit his city in 70 minutes.
Director: Steve De Jarnatt | Stars: Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham, John Agar, Lou Hancock.
Gross: $1.15M
When the Wind Blows (1986) - PG | 84 min | Animation, Drama, War
A naive elderly British rural couple survive the initial onslaught of a nuclear war.
Director: Jimmy T. Murakami | Stars: Peggy Ashcroft, John Mills, Robin Houston, James Russell.
Gross: $0.01M
World War Three (1998 TV Movie) - 88 min | Drama, War
This mock documentary uses archival footage, interviews and reports taken out of context and staged interviews to highlight a possible escalation into a nuclear war.
Director: Robert Stone | Stars: Boris Sichkin, Christoph Gutknecht, Boris Lyoskin, Hans Sievers
The Fourth Protocol (1987) - 15 | 119 min | Thriller
John Preston is a British Agent with the task of preventing the Russians detonating a nuclear explosion next to an American base in the UK. The Russians are hoping this will shatter the "special relationship" between the two countries. Based on Frederick Forsyth's bestselling novel, The Fourth Protocol (1987) is a gripping Cold War thriller in which British and Russian agents race to prevent the assembly of a nuclear device on British soil. Esteemed actors Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan deliver outstanding performances, ensuring that this suspenseful tale of espionage and intrigue captivates audiences from start to finish. Its study of nuclear brinkmanship and international tensions continues to resonate today, making The Fourth Protocol a must-watch for fans of the nuclear war genre.
Director: John Mackenzie | Stars: Michael Caine, Pierce Brosnan, Ned Beatty, Joanna Cassidy.
Gross: $12.42M
Fail Safe (2000 TV Movie) - PG | 86 min | Drama, Thriller
Cold War tensions climb to a fever pitch when a U.S. bomber is accidentally ordered to drop a nuclear warhead on Moscow.
Directors: Stephen Frears, Martin Pasetta | Stars: Walter Cronkite, Richard Dreyfuss, Noah Wyle, Brian Dennehy
The devastating impact of nuclear war has inspired filmmakers to craft powerful stories that confront this dire subject. The best nuclear war movies not only visualize the devastating aftermath of such catastrophic events but also delve into the psychological, political, and emotional consequences faced by characters in these harrowing scenarios. Audiences are captivated by the powerful storytelling and dramatic tension that set apart this genre of cinema.
By presenting perspectives on nuclear warfare, these movies offer deep insight into the societal, political, and moral ramifications of the most terrifying form of conflict. The intricate narratives showcase this grim topic through strong character development, thought-provoking ideologies, and an in-depth exploration of societal repercussions. From gripping tales of geopolitical tension to intimate portrayals of survival in a post-apocalyptic world, these movies about nuclear war offer a journey through a chilling what-if scenario.
You can find exceptional portrayals of nuclear conflict in films such as Fail Safe, Threads, and Fat Man and Little Boy, each weaving compelling narratives. Fail Safe presents an intense and suspenseful depiction of Cold War-era politics, centering on a malfunction that could lead to full-scale nuclear conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. Threads, on the other hand, takes a more visceral approach by portraying the gritty reality of everyday life, as survivors struggle to cope in the devastating aftermath of a nuclear strike. Similarly, Fat Man and Little Boy delves into the historical roots of nuclear weaponry, chronicling the moral dilemmas and ethical quandaries faced by the scientists who developed the atomic bomb. These films represent just a few of the many fine examples of great movies about nuclear war.
Beyond their compelling narratives, these films offer a perspective on the dangers of nuclear war, emphasizing the importance of understanding the potential consequences of cataclysmic conflict. They allow audiences to gain a deeper understanding of the potential horrors of nuclear conflict, and serve as cautionary tales that emphasize the need for diplomacy and peace in our increasingly interconnected world. Watchers are left with both a heightened awareness of the grave consequences that could result from nuclear war.
CHAPTERS
| CHARACTERS
| MEDIA
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MOVIE REF |
SCREENPLAYS
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