Overview
- A Missile Defense Agency memo dated Oct. 16, reported by Bloomberg, instructs personnel to correct misconceptions and asserts U.S. interceptors have shown 100% accuracy in testing for more than a decade.
- The Pentagon said it was not consulted on the production and that the film does not reflect this administration’s views or priorities.
- Screenwriter Noah Oppenheim publicly disagreed with the memo’s assessment, saying the film’s depiction is accurate based on research and expert interviews.
- Director Kathryn Bigelow said she avoided formal Defense Department consultation to preserve independence and instead used former officials as advisers, including retired Lt. Gen. Dan Karbler.
- The film quickly climbed Netflix’s charts and holds a roughly 79% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes as audiences debate its ending and its portrayal of U.S. nuclear readiness.