The new thriller A House of Dynamite by Kathryn Bigelow has sparked controversy with its portrayal of U.S. missile defense systems. The Pentagon has dismissed the portrayal of U.S. missile defense, calling it wildly inaccurate. However, national security expert Fred Kaplan is sounding the alarm. He claimed that the movie’s depiction of the $50 billion missile defense system is closer to reality than the Pentagon would like to admit, as reported by TMZ.
Speaking on CNN, Kaplan, a political journalist and former defense-policy adviser, said that Kathryn Bigelow’s thriller is actually quite accurate, particularly in its line about America’s missile defense being accurate half the time. Kaplan argues, the Pentagon’s claims of 100% accuracy in intercepting nuclear missiles are misleading (via Bloomberg).
Kaplan claims America’s system has been tested 20 times, and it has hit the target 12 times. This is indeed above a 50% average, which is a far cry from the Pentagon’s claim that a nuclear missile can never touch U.S soil.
What Did the Pentagon Claim About the Accuracy of A House of Dynamite?
In response to the movie’s depiction, the Pentagon quickly dismissed the suggestion that America’s missile defense could fail in such a dramatic way. On October 16, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) released an internal memo stating that the failure of interceptors in A House of Dynamite was simply “a compelling part of the drama intended for the entertainment of the audience,” but the result from real-world “tells a vastly different story” (via Deadline).
In the movie, Interceptor’s missiles are said to have a 61% success rate in taking down the incoming missile, which was heading towards Chicago. The Idris Elba-led administration failed to stop a missile as the Ground-Based Interceptors (GBIs) they launched from Alaska were unsuccessful.
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The memo goes on to argue that the U.S. missile defense system has a 100% success rate in testing, asserting that results from the system’s tests over the past decade have been highly effective. The MDA claims this should reassure officials, particularly with the billions of dollars the U.S. spends on missile defense systems like the Ground-Based Interceptors (GBIs) stationed in Alaska and California.
The MDA further stated that while the missile defense system’s cost is high, it’s far cheaper than the potential cost of a nuclear strike on U.S. soil.
A House of Dynamite Screenwriter Responds to the Pentagon’s Accusations
The screenwriter of A House of Dynamite, Noah Oppenheim, responded diplomatically to the Pentagon’s criticism. In an interview with MSNBC, Oppenheim said that he would “respectfully disagree” with the Pentagon’s assessment. He acknowledged the Pentagon’s concerns but maintained that the movie’s portrayal of missile defense failure was accurate within the context of its plot.
Oppenheim, the former NBC News chief, said:
I welcome the conversation. I’m so glad the Pentagon watched, or is watching, and is paying attention to it, because this is exactly the conversation we want to have.
Oppenheim also pointed out that the movie worked with several technical advisers, some of whom had worked with the Pentagon in the past. Both Bigelow and Oppenheim said HoD “had multiple tech advisers who have worked in the Pentagon.”
However, he clarified that these advisers were not currently involved with the administration. The movie’s portrayal was intended to remain independent from official military perspectives.
A House of Dynamite premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. It was released in selected theatres in the US on October 10 and debuted on Netflix on October 24, 2025. The cast includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Anthony Ramos, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke.
As A House of Dynamite continues to spark discussions about nuclear threats and defense technologies, the world watches closely.
Can the U.S. really defend itself against a nuclear missile strike? Have you watched the movie yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
A House of Dynamite is available to stream on Netflix (US).
