The U.S. Department of Defense has challenged the depiction of America's missile defense capabilities in Kathryn Bigelow's new Netflix film 'A House of Dynamite,' claiming real-world systems are far more reliable than shown. An internal memo highlights a 100% success rate in testing, contrasting the movie's portrayal of a failed intercept attempt on a missile targeting Chicago. Screenwriter Noah Oppenheim respectfully disagreed, emphasizing the film's basis in consultations with experts.
Film Overview
'A House of Dynamite' is a nuclear disaster drama directed by Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow and written by Noah Oppenheim. The film stars Idris Elba as a leader in a crisis scenario, alongside Rebecca Ferguson, Jared Harris as Defense Secretary Reid Baker, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Jason Clarke, and Gabriel Basso. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, had a limited theatrical release on October 10, 2025, and became available on Netflix shortly after. The story centers on an incoming enemy missile threatening Chicago's nearly 10 million residents, with U.S. officials scrambling to respond amid the risk of global escalation.
The Dispute
A October 16, 2025, memo from the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, first reported by Bloomberg, addresses what it calls 'false assumptions' in the film. It states that the depicted Ground-Based Interceptors (GBIs), launched from Alaska, fail due to a 61% success rate—a key plot point where interceptors miss the target, leaving the military without options. The memo acknowledges this as 'a compelling part of the drama' for entertainment but asserts that real systems have 'displayed a 100% accuracy rate in testing for more than a decade.' Currently, the U.S. operates about 44 interceptors from Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, with expansions planned for 2028 including Next Generation Interceptors.
In the film, after the failure, officials debate not retrying to preserve resources for potential further attacks. Harris's character rages: 'So, it’s a f*cking coin toss? That’s what $50 billion buys us?'
Filmmakers' Response
Oppenheim, in an MSNBC interview on October 26, 2025, said he 'respectfully disagree[s]' with the Pentagon, noting consultations with former White House and Pentagon officials. 'I’m not a missile defense expert, but I did talk to many missile defense experts who were all on the record,' he explained. 'What we show in the movie is accurate.' Bigelow told CBS Sunday Morning on October 12 that the team avoided current military involvement for independence but used multiple ex-Pentagon tech advisers on set.
Bigelow has expressed hope that the film sparks dialogue on nuclear threats. 'I feel like nuclear weapons... has become normalized,' she said in a recent Awardsline interview. 'My hope was to maybe move it to the forefront of our lives.' At the Los Angeles premiere, she added to Variety: 'We live in a very combustible world and bringing awareness to that is a very positive step forward.' Neither Netflix nor the Pentagon commented further.
The global nuclear arsenal stands at about 12,300 warheads across nine nations, underscoring the film's real-world implications.