Plot
The film is non-chronological, showing the same sequence three times from different perspectives. Each section has a separate title.
Inclination Is Flattening
One morning in Washington, D.C., Capt. Olivia Walker, the oversight officer for the White House Situation Room, is informed of several geopolitical developments: an imminent exercise by the PLA, suspicious chatter between Iran and its proxies, and silence from North Korea after a recent ballistic missile test.
The Pacific-based SBX-1 early-warning radar detects an unidentified ICBM launch; surprisingly, the missile is not detected at launch, but rather mid-flight over the northwest-Pacific. Initially presumed to be a routine North Korean test, the situation changes when the ICBM enters low orbit, with a trajectory targeting Chicago within the next twenty minutes.
A video conference is initiated between the Situation Room, the Pentagon, and various commands of the armed forces. The President joins last, and alertness is raised to DEFCON 2. NORTHCOM directs units under Maj. Daniel Gonzalez at Fort Greely, Alaska to launch two ground-based interceptors (GBI); the first GBI fails to deploy while the second fails to neutralize the ICBM, horrifying Gonzalez, who vomits outside. Alertness is raised to DEFCON 1.
Simultaneously, Secretary of Defense Reid Baker initiates the government's continuity of governance protocol, resulting in designated federal employees, including FEMA official Cathy Rogers, to be evacuated immediately. Deputy National Security Advisor [a] Jake Baerington, who was rushed to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC), advises the President to not retaliate until the missile’s origin is confirmed. With impact only a few minutes away, Walker phones her family to warn them to leave the D.C. area.
Hitting a Bullet With a Bullet
The same morning, at Offutt AFB in Nebraska, STRATCOM commander Gen. Anthony Brady is informed of the launch, and joins the conference call while B-2 bombers under INDOPACOM are scrambled to prepare for possible retaliation. Brady's team observes that China, Russia and Iran have mobilized their forces; he presents the President with the OPLAN 8010 and recommends immediate retaliation.
While Baerington rushes to the PEOC, he considers attributing the launch to North Korea, and refers to NSA advisor Anna Park, who infers North Korea may be able to use submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Baerington and Park warn that failure of the DSP satellites to detect the launch could be indicative of a cyberattack against U.S. C2 systems.
Baerington speaks with Russia's foreign minister who denies that they and China launched the missile, but threatens to retaliate should Russia be targeted. Baerington attempts to convince him to stand down all Russian strategic-military assets in goodwill; the minister leaves to present the idea to the Russian president. With the ICBM nearing Chicago, the President confirms his nuclear command authority with Brady through the biscuit, who advises him to consult with his nuclear aide, Lt Cdr. Robert Reeves, regarding retaliation options.
A House Filled With Dynamite
The same morning, Reeves accompanies the President to a basketball event while Baker starts work at the Pentagon. Both are informed of the unfolding crisis; while the President is evacuated by the Secret Service, Baker unsuccessfully attempts to privately evacuate his estranged daughter from Chicago. The President is uncertain of Baerington's idea of non-retaliation, considering it surrender, but is unable to decide to retaliate as suggested by Brady.
The President learns of the GBI's failure to intercept and is airlifted by Marine One to an undisclosed location. Airborne, he confirms his nuclear authority with Brady, confers with Reeves regarding strike options, and is informed of Baerington's conversation with the Russian foreign minister. He informs the First Lady, who is in Kenya, of the upcoming disaster. While being evacuated, Baker instead commits suicide by jumping from the rooftop helipad.
The President discusses with Reeves the precarity of nuclear proliferation, comparing it to living in "a house of dynamite". He is divided between Baerington's advice against retaliation and Brady's advice supporting it. Emphasizing the latter option, Reeves presents the President with two major retaliation options from the OPLAN; the President's final decision is not shown.
Production
In May 2024, it was announced that Kathryn Bigelow would be directing a thriller film for Netflix, her first feature film since Detroit (2017). [3] In June, Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, and Greta Lee joined the cast. [4] [5] [6] In August, Tracy Letts and Moses Ingram joined. [7] In September, Anthony Ramos, Brian Tee, Jonah Hauer-King, Kyle Allen, Francesca Carpanini, Abubakr Ali, Malachi Beasley, Aminah Nieves, and Jason Clarke joined the cast of the film. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] In October, Gbenga Akinnagbe joined the cast. [13] On October 24, it was reported that filming had begun in Trenton, New Jersey. [14] In early December, it was reported that the film was in post-production. [15]
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