Famous film director Kathryn Bigelow has spoken out after the Pentagon criticized her new movie A House of Dynamite. The film, now streaming on Netflix, shows a nuclear attack on Chicago and questions how safe the U.S. missile defense system really is.
Officials from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said the movie gives a false idea of how the system works. In a memo, they claimed that the real interceptors based in Alaska have had “perfect accuracy” in tests for more than ten years. However, some experts say those tests do not match real-life situations and that the defense system is not foolproof.
Bigelow, who won an Oscar for The Hurt Locker, said she was not trying to make the Pentagon happy. She explained that she wanted to show things as they are, not as the government wants people to see them. “I just speak the truth,” she said. “The world is a dangerous place. We live in a house of dynamite.”
The director added that the film was meant to start a serious talk about nuclear weapons and how they are controlled. “If this movie makes people discuss nuclear weapons, that’s a good thing,” she said.
Bigelow worked with writer Noah Oppenheim and made sure the film did not rely on military support. She said this allowed her to keep the story honest and independent. The film shows both the bravery and the limits of those who work in national defense.
Since its release, A House of Dynamite has become one of Netflix’s most-watched films, reaching over 20 million viewers in just a few days. Many viewers praised its tense story and realistic style, while others said it felt too close to real fears about war.
The movie has sparked a bigger debate about how films can raise awareness of security issues. Bigelow says she hopes the story helps people think more deeply about how fragile peace can be. “We live in a very risky world,” she said. “That’s what the movie is trying to show.”
