Overview
- The political thriller, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Noah Oppenheim, began streaming globally on Netflix on Oct. 24 following a limited theatrical run and festival premiere.
- Set over roughly 18 minutes in near real time, the film revisits the same crisis through multiple perspectives as leaders race to respond to a single inbound missile threat.
- Idris Elba leads an ensemble that includes Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Greta Lee and Anthony Ramos as the story moves between the White House, StratCom and Fort Greely.
- Coverage highlights the filmmakers’ consultations with former White House, Pentagon and intelligence officials to ground procedures, protocols and technical details in real-world practice.
- Fact-checks underscore the film’s focus on vulnerabilities, noting fewer than 50 U.S. ground-based interceptors and a test success rate often cited around 61%, alongside the president’s sole launch authority; critics praise the tension and craft while questioning the rewind-and-replay structure.