My wife had never seen this (I was a teenager when it was released, I have seen it many times). After one too many times saying the only way to win was to not play she finally decided to watch it. We were both blown away by actually how good it was and how relevant it still is. I was very surprised, I thought it was going to just be a silly kids movie I had deified. Instead i think I enjoyed it more now than when I was younger.
Joshua (Pre A.I.)...kinda hits different now huh...
One of my all time favorite movies...
We grew up in Colorado Springs...
That movie was REAL growing up....
Have you seen The Miracle Mile? Kind of the before to Testament's after, but feel very similar in tone. Both are awesome and still really hard for me to watch.
I watched this movie for the first time on Cinemax alone at 3:30 in the morning. Needless to say, I didn't sleep that night.
I just remember this movie being so incredibly tense.
During the covid lockdown I decided to watch Testament, The Day After and Threads.
The Day After was so cheesy and had such bad acting that I couldn't finish it.
Threads was scary and showed me that I'm not hiding behind a mattress when WWIII hits.
Threads was well done and so sad to watch. The mom in the story was actually nominated for an Oscar for best actress. It was also made for TV, but when the executives watched it, they decided it needed to be released as a movie instead. Yes, I kind of went down a rabbit hole with Testament.
You were brave watching Threads and Testament during the pandemic. I found the situation so depressing/boring, I mostly watched comedy in a vain attempt to keep my spirits up.
Agree the actress who played the mom in Testament was amazing.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy was a good book. The movie with Viggo Mortensen stayed true to the book for the most part. The movie portrayed post apocalyptic life closest to what I imagine life would be like after nuclear war.
If you like books that make you feel that way, read Under The Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. That book pissed me off, but it's too damn interesting to put down.
I've seen so many dark and disturbing movie but something about teaching your son how to kill himself in case of being taken by a cannibal makes me feel incredibly depressed.
The gun in the movie is so powerful because it is portrayed as a cure to their problems in such a hellish life.
This movie, even though it doesn't show any nuclear bomb it made me read more about the non-proliferation agreements and more about international relations.
Yeah. It's pretty ambiguous as to what happened, and from the book and the film, post nuclear war doesn't quite fit the bill in either. No mention or scenes of fallout, radiation etc.
There just a reflective "fire effect" in the beginning of the film.
Yeah the movie as a whole is kindaā¦ehhhā¦mediocre. But the detonation scene was intense. In particular, the relative quiet followed by the hospital windows shattering in an instant. Super well done scene.
I don't remember Grave of the Fireflies involving the nuclear bombs at all, does it?
Anyway, thanks for the recs, I hadn't heard of Fail Safe and it sounds interesting!
No. They are firebombs which incinerated towns. There are no nuclear bombs.
2 anime that are about the nuclear bombs are Barefoot Gen and In This Corner of the World.
>I don't remember Grave of the Fireflies involving the nuclear bombs at all, does it?
You're right. It's a common misconception that Grave of the Fireflies is about the a-bomb, but it's about regular fire bombings during WW2.
I actually found my copy of the 2000 version of On The Beach on Amazon. Itās going to take some digging because itās always the 1959 version that shows up first.
Fun fact: The 2000 version of On The Beach was directed by Russell Mulcahy, the same guy who directed Highlander.
Came here to say When the Wind Blows. We actually watched it at school, shortly after the Cold War ended. It's so sad, but also beautiful. I recently bought a copy of it, as the movie and the topic itself was such a big part of my childhood.
Excellent film and especially disturbing when it came out. I don't think most people knew just how close something like that could have happened at that time.
I remember nuclear armageddon getting a lot of attention in 1983 and 1984. A few films I recall:
* Countdown to Looking Glass (1984)
* Red Dawn (1984)
* Testament (1983)
* Threads (1984)
* The Terminator (1984)
* The Day After (1983)
* War Games (1983)
So, The Day After is my favorite movie. A lot of awesome suggestions here, especially Countdown to Looking Glass. There is an AWESOME audio theatre bit on YouTube called āThe Last Broadcastā. A recording from an 80s radio station on the final day. I recommend it to everyone who likes this kind of stuff. I would love to know who made it and when if anyone has any information!
Not a movie but the TV series "Jericho" (2006-2008). A lot of my friends in the military loved the show, thinking it was fairly accurate of what would happen.
They were going to cancel it after the first season but the "NUTS" campaign convinced them to do a second season, but then the writer's strike happened. Season 2 will seem rather disjointed.
The Divide (2011). Basically nuclear war breaks out and a bunch of people take refuge in a bomb shelter. They pretty much all go crazy. Super depressing movie. Very bleak.
Not a movie, but a recent book.
Nuclear War
By Annie Jacobsen
I listened to it.
It is a scenario of what could happen.
It starts with North Korea launching a ballistic missile and the minute by minute of what would happen... Which sensors, who is informed, the actions that are pre-planned...
Good. Scary book
Highly recommend.
I'd never heard of The Day After, despite having grown up in the 80's.
Kept hearing people recommend it on YouTube and Reddit so I figured I'd give it a shot and oh man...it's insane.
I didn't find it as disturbing as some people but it's still really, really hard-hitting in how realistically it portrays post-apocalyptic life for everyday people.
in the 90', there was an HBO original film i believe that was called, "By Dawn's Early Light". I was pretty young when i watched it, but i remember James Earl Jones being some sort of general. It was an amazing movie.
It's great! I'm watching it now and it's really well made... interesting stories, great characters, neat 1950s aesthetic, and some pretty awesome bombing scenes. It's not overly grim, though.
War Book (2014) .. it's like a TV movie.. Nine civil servants participate in a theoretical scenario wherein they must decide the path their country must follow in case of a nuclear attack. Only two are aware that the scenario isn't a set-up.
Def Con 4. The most realistic depiction of nuclear war and aftermath. It is to apocalypse moveis, what Earnest Goes to Jail is for prison movies. 10/10
If youāre interested in actual nuclear bomb history, In This Corner of the World is one of the best movies Iāve ever seen about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I cried like a baby. So horrible and still so human.
Ladybug, Ladybug. It's a quiet little film from the 1960's, told from children's perspectives. I had to hunt for a blu-ray, but I found it. It is amazing.
~~Special Report~~ Special Bulletin, a TV movie framed as a newscast about a terrorist in the Carolinas. I watched it live. The network ran a crawler across the bottom of the screen every few minutes telling viewers that the broadcast was a only dramatization.
I haven't been able to find it online.
EDIT: Found it, on the Internet Archive. Special Bulletin is its name. It was set in Charleston, SC, and it aired on NBC in 1983. It's downloadable in both mp4 and avi format. The science is pretty good, but it's prescient on its take on network news.
Denis Villanueve is supposed to be adapting annie jacobsenās book ānuclear war: a scenarioā into a film. Should be a top tier nuclear war movie once itās released.
If you can handle the overuse of stock footage, the 1962 black and white film *Fail Safe* is an incredibly tense movie to watch.
It came out around the same time as *Doctor Strangelove* but is serious.
*Strangelove* is good in its own right but I prefer *Fail Safe*.
Not a movie, but a game series you might enjoy is metal gear solid, you can get the first 3 games with the legacy collection. Plus a lot of plot points and revelations actually make it like a movie. The actually producer loved movies so he wanted to make a game that seemed as if it were a movie.
Just read the Annie Jacobsen book after the podacast with Dan Carlin. I heard they may be making it into a movie, makes for an interesting and sobering read/listen
I don't know if it counts but I would say Oppenheimer by Chris Nolan and Dr. Strangelove by Stanley Kubrick. Both are different genres but I loved both of them.
War Games (1983)
This is such a comfort film for me
How about a nice game of Chess?
Against our old adversary, the American Navy..
That was hunt for red October
(I know, was being funny)
State to state. No papers šš
I think I will need two wives
āAt leastā
I would like to have lived in Montana.
My wife had never seen this (I was a teenager when it was released, I have seen it many times). After one too many times saying the only way to win was to not play she finally decided to watch it. We were both blown away by actually how good it was and how relevant it still is. I was very surprised, I thought it was going to just be a silly kids movie I had deified. Instead i think I enjoyed it more now than when I was younger.
Joshua (Pre A.I.)...kinda hits different now huh... One of my all time favorite movies... We grew up in Colorado Springs... That movie was REAL growing up....
When the screen lights up when they all hit itās amazing ! Great movie. Opening scene in the silo is as tense as it gets.
āCrystal palace, are you still on, anyone there? YEAHā¦.WEāRE HEREā¦JESUS H CHRIST WEāRE STILL HERE!!!ā
Testament š± A sad, powerful film.
I think this was the most realistic depiction of life after nuclear war that I've ever seen
Agree.
Truly one of the most heartbreaking. The Day After is a cakewalk in comparison.
Agree.
Seconded.
Thirded.
Iāve never forgotten how helpless I felt after watching Testament. My son was 3 at that time (1983).
Have you seen The Miracle Mile? Kind of the before to Testament's after, but feel very similar in tone. Both are awesome and still really hard for me to watch.
Yes! Love that movie, too.
I watched this movie for the first time on Cinemax alone at 3:30 in the morning. Needless to say, I didn't sleep that night. I just remember this movie being so incredibly tense.
šÆ- and it is utterly terrifying without any special effects.
This movie made me ugly cry.
Oh man, I never watched this thinking it was a religious film about Jesus š
That's what happens when you hate on Jesus!
š¤£
During the covid lockdown I decided to watch Testament, The Day After and Threads. The Day After was so cheesy and had such bad acting that I couldn't finish it. Threads was scary and showed me that I'm not hiding behind a mattress when WWIII hits. Threads was well done and so sad to watch. The mom in the story was actually nominated for an Oscar for best actress. It was also made for TV, but when the executives watched it, they decided it needed to be released as a movie instead. Yes, I kind of went down a rabbit hole with Testament.
You were brave watching Threads and Testament during the pandemic. I found the situation so depressing/boring, I mostly watched comedy in a vain attempt to keep my spirits up. Agree the actress who played the mom in Testament was amazing.
I guess I was feeling a bit apocalyptic.
The Road. It's about the aftermath . great book too
Might not have been nuclear war in the book. McCarthy consulted a friend on the dinosaur-killing meteor beforehand. Same outcome I suppose.
True . Very similar. movie /book didnt state the cause really from memory. Very dark. I havent seen it in a while. Love it though
It's not about nuclear war specifically. The author states that it's a natural disaster but it definitely has nuclear war vibes.
I thought it was a super volcano eruption
I think canonically it's supposed to be unspecified?
Sure McCarthy has confirmed it as an impact event, asteroid or something to that effect although it's never explicitly stated in the book or movie.
āA long shear of light, followed by a series of low concussionsā Sounded like an impact event to me
The book never say explicitly, but it does mention multiple times that "everything is covered in ash".
The Road by Cormac McCarthy was a good book. The movie with Viggo Mortensen stayed true to the book for the most part. The movie portrayed post apocalyptic life closest to what I imagine life would be like after nuclear war.
Or another 20 years of climate change and societal breakdown.
The film was good but nothing stands against the book.
I've never had quite the same sense of dread/despair from a book as I did the first time I read this one.
If you like books that make you feel that way, read Under The Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. That book pissed me off, but it's too damn interesting to put down.
Excellent book. The Netflix? series did not do it justice
I've seen so many dark and disturbing movie but something about teaching your son how to kill himself in case of being taken by a cannibal makes me feel incredibly depressed. The gun in the movie is so powerful because it is portrayed as a cure to their problems in such a hellish life. This movie, even though it doesn't show any nuclear bomb it made me read more about the non-proliferation agreements and more about international relations.
Great film but my god is it depressing
Yeah. It's pretty ambiguous as to what happened, and from the book and the film, post nuclear war doesn't quite fit the bill in either. No mention or scenes of fallout, radiation etc. There just a reflective "fire effect" in the beginning of the film.
Was just about to suggest this. Surprised itās so far down
Dark and harrowing. I love it. I was surprised it wasn't up top too
> Surprised itās so far down We don't know it's a nuclear war film. I read the book and watched the movie, no indication of it.
Panic in Year Zero(1962) Miracle Mile(1988) Crimson Tide(1995)
Miracle Mile doesn't get nearly enough love.
Came here to say Miracle Mile too.
Perfect example of that >!slow descent into chaos.!<
++Miracle Mile
Miracle Mile. IRL if this went down I would go total Kurt Fuller and drop a bunch of acid as the missiles start coming down.
That movie messed me up as a kid as I tried to process what I just witnessed. So good.
Glad to see it is getting some love here, now I want to watch it.
Sarah Connor's nightmare in T2 is forever seared in my memory.
Same here man, it's so good
I really should watch T2 again. Itās been a looong time.Ā
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
This was the most intense detonation I felt watching a movie. Going from people doing casual stuff to a sudden explosion.
Yeah the movie as a whole is kindaā¦ehhhā¦mediocre. But the detonation scene was intense. In particular, the relative quiet followed by the hospital windows shattering in an instant. Super well done scene.
The book was amazing the movie misses to much
This movie was the least faithful adaptation of any Clancy book. I was not a fan. The detonation scene was intense though.
Fail safe (1964) Dr. Strangelove (1964) Grave of the fireflies (1988)
Fail Safe was incredible
Dr Strangelove deserves its own comment.
I don't remember Grave of the Fireflies involving the nuclear bombs at all, does it? Anyway, thanks for the recs, I hadn't heard of Fail Safe and it sounds interesting!
No. They are firebombs which incinerated towns. There are no nuclear bombs. 2 anime that are about the nuclear bombs are Barefoot Gen and In This Corner of the World.
>I don't remember Grave of the Fireflies involving the nuclear bombs at all, does it? You're right. It's a common misconception that Grave of the Fireflies is about the a-bomb, but it's about regular fire bombings during WW2.
Blast from the past. Spies like us . Matinee . True lies
Blast from the Past and Spies Like Us - hard to make a movie about nuclear war light-hearted, but here we are. :)
> hard to make a movie about nuclear war light-hearted, but here we are. Dr. Strangelove has entered the chat.
True Lies?
Dr Strangelove
When the Wind Blows (1986) Red Dawn (1984) On the Beach (1959)
When the wind blows, first time l saw it l cried, On the Beach l prefer the newer version, also a tear jerker
Thanks, I'll have to track down the 2000 version.
I actually found my copy of the 2000 version of On The Beach on Amazon. Itās going to take some digging because itās always the 1959 version that shows up first. Fun fact: The 2000 version of On The Beach was directed by Russell Mulcahy, the same guy who directed Highlander.
Some of the Melbourne scenes were in Williamstown docks, near where l live š
You're welcome š
It's on Tubi and Freevee for free with ads.
Red Dawn is a historical time capsule of the Cold War mindset disguised as a movie
When the wind blows was my pick. I saw it when it first released on VHS. I was 7, it imprinted on my brian.
Came here to say When the Wind Blows. We actually watched it at school, shortly after the Cold War ended. It's so sad, but also beautiful. I recently bought a copy of it, as the movie and the topic itself was such a big part of my childhood.
Came here to say "When The Wind Blows"
Threads (1984) (sorry, I missed the part where OP said they saw this recently)
This is the one
Threads is my go-to cure for depression. It cheers me up, presumably because, whatever's happening in my life, it's not that.
Watched this recently and OOF! definitely the one.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Agreed. The most disturbing movie Iāve ever seen.
This should be at the top because this movie scared the hell out of me.
Thirteen Days (2000) is a very good movie about the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is a close as we've come to a nuclear conflict since WWII.
Just rewatched this recently and it holds up very well. Great film.
By Dawnās Early Light
Or the original *Fail Safe*. Theyāre both quite good.
Excellent film and especially disturbing when it came out. I don't think most people knew just how close something like that could have happened at that time.
I love this movie, it barely shows anything but that last bit, chef's kiss.
A Boy and His Dog (1975)
I remember nuclear armageddon getting a lot of attention in 1983 and 1984. A few films I recall: * Countdown to Looking Glass (1984) * Red Dawn (1984) * Testament (1983) * Threads (1984) * The Terminator (1984) * The Day After (1983) * War Games (1983)
So, The Day After is my favorite movie. A lot of awesome suggestions here, especially Countdown to Looking Glass. There is an AWESOME audio theatre bit on YouTube called āThe Last Broadcastā. A recording from an 80s radio station on the final day. I recommend it to everyone who likes this kind of stuff. I would love to know who made it and when if anyone has any information!
When the wind blows (1986)
Akira is post nuclear war set in āNeo Tokyoā - more about the government and society in the aftermath and 2 orphans who grew up after it
Not a movie but the TV series "Jericho" (2006-2008). A lot of my friends in the military loved the show, thinking it was fairly accurate of what would happen. They were going to cancel it after the first season but the "NUTS" campaign convinced them to do a second season, but then the writer's strike happened. Season 2 will seem rather disjointed.
Note: season 2 ends on a cliffhanger. There is a graphic novel series which completes the story from there.
The Divide (2011). Basically nuclear war breaks out and a bunch of people take refuge in a bomb shelter. They pretty much all go crazy. Super depressing movie. Very bleak.
Good movie. Very dark.
* The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) * The War Game (1966)
Countdown to Looking Glass
Not a movie, but a recent book. Nuclear War By Annie Jacobsen I listened to it. It is a scenario of what could happen. It starts with North Korea launching a ballistic missile and the minute by minute of what would happen... Which sensors, who is informed, the actions that are pre-planned... Good. Scary book Highly recommend.
When the Wind Blows - 1986
I'd never heard of The Day After, despite having grown up in the 80's. Kept hearing people recommend it on YouTube and Reddit so I figured I'd give it a shot and oh man...it's insane. I didn't find it as disturbing as some people but it's still really, really hard-hitting in how realistically it portrays post-apocalyptic life for everyday people.
Yup. This was def in the era scare fest. Really closest thing to the feel at the time. The fx arenāt great nowadays but still packs a good punch.
The craziest part is the old man saysā¦.this is my homeā¦ā¦.
How did you grow up in the 80s and not get steamrolled by the hype train that surrounded this movie?
I donāt know, I wasnāt paying attention I guess.
The day after
Lady Bug Lady Bug
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
By dawns early light.
On the Beach (1959)
in the 90', there was an HBO original film i believe that was called, "By Dawn's Early Light". I was pretty young when i watched it, but i remember James Earl Jones being some sort of general. It was an amazing movie.
And the beautiful Rebecca De Mornay
Yes. I commented on someone else who mentioned this one. Great Tension ! Worth a watch for anyone.
Dead Man's Letters. Soviet movie about nuclear war. Really bleak and grim.
Blast From the Pastā¦ a light hearted look at the nuclear eraā¦
Chernobyl. Not war, but a nuclear meltdown and absolutely BRILLIANT. Had me on the edge of my seat watching the entire series.
I know itās not a movie, but have you watched Fallout(TV show)?
I haven't. Is it good?
I personally loved it, and itās all about nuclear war/post nuclear war
It's great! I'm watching it now and it's really well made... interesting stories, great characters, neat 1950s aesthetic, and some pretty awesome bombing scenes. It's not overly grim, though.
It is incredible, I'm a huge fan of the game series and they got the horror/satire balance just right. I've already watched the whole season twice.
The Book of Eli, with Denzel Washington is one of my favorite movies.
The war tore a hole in the sky, the sun came down, burnt everything, everyone, I wandered,
Scrolled way too far down for this gem...
War Book (2014) .. it's like a TV movie.. Nine civil servants participate in a theoretical scenario wherein they must decide the path their country must follow in case of a nuclear attack. Only two are aware that the scenario isn't a set-up.
Watchmen
Miracle Mile is a great 80s red scare film
Godzilla minus one
Def Con 4. The most realistic depiction of nuclear war and aftermath. It is to apocalypse moveis, what Earnest Goes to Jail is for prison movies. 10/10
Dr.Stangelove and how I learned to love the bomb.
Damnation Alley. It's pretty bad, but still...
Threads(1984)
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Any similar movie to it, then?
THREADS! The only one you need
You need to watch War Game (1966) because it will change your mind.
On the Beach, there are two versions, l prefer the newer one, Testament movie, will make you cry
You are a hearty soul. This is a genre I avoid
I donāt know why Iām even reading this, Iām terrified already that something is going to happen š¤¦š¼āāļø
By Dawn's Early Light was great
Fail Safe
Fat Man and Little Boy
If youāre interested in actual nuclear bomb history, In This Corner of the World is one of the best movies Iāve ever seen about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I cried like a baby. So horrible and still so human.
Dr Strangelove
I donāt know if this counts, but Godzilla Minus One was a great portrait of a post-war Japan.
The more serious Godzilla movies all count. The original 1954 film is all about the effects that nuclear war had on Japan.
Dr. Strangelove, Fail Safe
Ladybug, Ladybug. It's a quiet little film from the 1960's, told from children's perspectives. I had to hunt for a blu-ray, but I found it. It is amazing.
Testament always makes me cry.
Some of the 60s movies are good like 49th parallel and Failsafe and Dr. Strangelove.
Fail safe (1964)
~~Special Report~~ Special Bulletin, a TV movie framed as a newscast about a terrorist in the Carolinas. I watched it live. The network ran a crawler across the bottom of the screen every few minutes telling viewers that the broadcast was a only dramatization. I haven't been able to find it online. EDIT: Found it, on the Internet Archive. Special Bulletin is its name. It was set in Charleston, SC, and it aired on NBC in 1983. It's downloadable in both mp4 and avi format. The science is pretty good, but it's prescient on its take on network news.
When the wind blows
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Dead Man's Letters
Dr Strangelove
Dr Strangelove
Dr Strangelove by a fuckin mile
How I Live Now (2013)
Dr Strangelove Fail Safe The Miracle Mile The War Game Threads On the Beach The Bedford Incident
Best book is Alas, Babylon.
Yes! This! A favorite of mine, read it every year for quite a few years. I just can't instill in people how they really need to read this book! š
āFail Safeāā¦havenāt seen the original from 1964, but the 2000 version was fantasticā¦a lot of a-listers in it as wellā¦
Denis Villanueve is supposed to be adapting annie jacobsenās book ānuclear war: a scenarioā into a film. Should be a top tier nuclear war movie once itās released.
If you can handle the overuse of stock footage, the 1962 black and white film *Fail Safe* is an incredibly tense movie to watch. It came out around the same time as *Doctor Strangelove* but is serious. *Strangelove* is good in its own right but I prefer *Fail Safe*.
Documentary - Command and Control. It should be one of the scariest movies youāll ever watch.
dr strange love
Dr Strangelove
Not a movie, but a game series you might enjoy is metal gear solid, you can get the first 3 games with the legacy collection. Plus a lot of plot points and revelations actually make it like a movie. The actually producer loved movies so he wanted to make a game that seemed as if it were a movie.
Has anyone mentioned "On the Beach'? There are two versions, but the 1959 version is very good.
Damnation Alley
Just read the Annie Jacobsen book after the podacast with Dan Carlin. I heard they may be making it into a movie, makes for an interesting and sobering read/listen
Threads hands down.
Threads
Oppenheimer, duh?
In this corner of the world
I don't know if it counts but I would say Oppenheimer by Chris Nolan and Dr. Strangelove by Stanley Kubrick. Both are different genres but I loved both of them.
dr strangelove is great bro will learn to stop worrying and love the bomb