BOTTOM LINE
Tense Survival Thriller, Fresh Treatment
PLATFORM
Netflix
CENSOR
1h 52m
What Is the Film About?
A single, unidentified intercontinental ballistic missile is launched toward the United States, with an estimated impact in Chicago in under 20 minutes. The frantic period is showcased from three different perspectives: the White House Situation Room, Strategic Command generals debating retaliation, and the President grappling with the ultimate decision to strike back or hold fire.
Performances
The film doesn’t revolve around a central performance (remember the Malayalam film 2018?), but the actors do their part in the hour of need. Rebecca Ferguson (as Olivia) means business as a workaholic, while Idris Elba, in an extended appearance, provides groundedness to his portrayal of the President. Gabriel Basso, Greta Lee, Tracy Letts, Jared Harris, and others deliver intense, precise performances, offering an insight into unsung contributions and tensions.
Analysis
A House of Dynamite is a cautionary tale that mirrors the precarious geopolitical situation across the globe. Unlike a staple survival thriller, the premise is not far-fetched; you grapple with the fear of being trapped in a deadlock situation, where you must retain your poise and still do your job. Like always, the USA is the first nation to be in trouble, but the film is as humanistic as it is political.
The film begins like any other day at work. A mom leaves her home; her partner drops off their infant at a daycare facility. Two security colleagues approach their day with cautious optimism. A man in his 50s plans to reconnect with his daughter soon; another youngster is excited to become a father. The President gets ready for a public appearance, having a casual chat with his wife.
The narrative, for a good half hour, romanticises mundanity (it takes some time to know why), while gradually raising the stakes with a tense revelation. The country appears to be in control of the situation at first, until chaos sets in. An entire city is under threat of destruction, attempts to foil the attack have failed, and no country has yet claimed responsibility for the same.
The mumbo-jumbo about the nuclear threat, military issues, political talks, and the jargon that people at work mouth goes right over your head for a while. You get a sense of the situation, but the specifics don’t register. Yet, the filmmaker creates enough urgency in the ambience to indicate the criticality of the event; the backdrop brims with authenticity, not dumbing it down for the viewer.
The core issue of the story is a nation’s unpreparedness/helplessness in handling a nuclear threat. The very estimate of its intensity shocks the daylights out of the characters. It all boils down to the fact that they are ultimately family men and women, doing all it takes to protect their loved ones. Even when the President has to take a crucial call about retaliation, all he desires is a chat with his wife for some timely advice.
The screenplay is sharp and precise, chronicling the workplaces for a day—in fact, minutes—before a disaster is about to strike. Through the gravity around the event, the film is a comment on the vulnerability of our countries in preventing disasters (more so for the USA, which claims to be a world superpower, possessing the best of resources), a delicate dance between the political and the personal.
The film’s aim is not to make a hero out of a nation (or its unsung, nameless officers who work tirelessly day after day) but instead underlines the human-ness of its characters, regardless of their position. The entire story centres on the anxiety around a catastrophe, the readiness to counter it, the art of negotiation, and the need for pausing and reflection for those in power before making landmark decisions.
The open ending is a natural extension of the film’s theme. While the idea is to make a freaking-good thriller, it also wants to provide a context to a situation where decisions altering the future of a country are made (and the price the world may have to pay for it). The best part: it is always in the moment, keeps the audience in mind, preferring to be suggestive over preachy.
A House of Dynamite is a gripping, tense political/survival thriller. Go, watch it.
Music and Other Departments?
Volker Bertelmann’s music score makes its presence felt both in the bigger and littler moments, gradually unfurling its layers, maintaining calm and also exploding, whenever necessary. Alternating between various cities and workplaces, while also capturing the tension of the average mortal, the cinematography (by Barry Ackroyd) fits the bill perfectly. The barely 110-minute runtime is a relief; you’re glad that the team knows the elasticity of their narrative.
Highlights?
Arresting narrative
Political and personal at the same time
Technically impressive
Drawbacks?
Drowns itself in the moment too much
Slow to take off
Overly idealistic ending may disappoint
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, it’s a survival thriller with fresh treatment.
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A House of Dynamite Review by M9
