THE CURSE OF THE THIRD ACT
Eight years had to pass before Kathryn Bigelow directed another feature film. Detroit was her previous, underappreciated film, perhaps due to the preconceived notions and stereotypes viewers had about the adrenaline-fueled female director of action films, or simply because a different project was expected of her—one that would expose a real-life case of racism and raise awareness. You can read this excellent piece by Quintín on the subject.
While Bigelow never stopped growing professionally, her inactivity became formalized after the failed Triple Frontier project, an idea by screenwriter Mark Boal, with whom she collaborated on three films, fell through. The project was later revived by J.C. Chandor for exclusive release on Netflix. Bigelow continued to explore short films, but all of them went unnoticed. Even Last Days, screened at the 2024 New York Film Festival, was a documented testament to the slaughter of elephants in Africa for ivory. This short film led to the follow-up of the case, until the material was found in commercial premises in Manhattan and an exemplary sentence was obtained against the smugglers.
With House of Dynamite, Bigelow returns to directing suspense thrillers related to international threats, weaponry and implicitly, of course, politics, with a bleak ending just like in Detroit.
The film opens with Captain Olivia Walker (Rebecca Ferguson) greeting her husband and son, unaware that this could be the last time she does so. She works in a section of the White House where, to enter, she must sever all ties with the outside world (cell phone). The tactical decision-making office is filled with monitors displaying minute-by-minute updates on the potential threat: a nuclear missile has been launched from the Pacific. It’s impossible to determine whether it’s an exercise—which could be deactivated and nothing would happen—or which party is involved (North Koreans or Russians). A sign above one of the monitors indicates the level of danger. This adds to the tension when it changes to an even more alarming status as General Daniel Gonzalez (Anthony Ramos), in charge of an air traffic control base, calculates the missile’s trajectory: Chicago, home to approximately 10 million people. The time remaining until impact is estimated to be a mere 20 minutes.
Bigelow shines in a tense first act, conveyed through sharp, clockwork editing and a script by Noah Oppenheim, former president of NBC News, who certainly knows a thing or two about this genre. In short, the film is reminiscent of The China Syndrome or Tom Clancy adaptations like The Sum of All Fears. The difference is that Bigelow chooses a strong woman, much like herself, to take charge. Unfortunately, the film then introduces an unimaginable number of supporting characters who, while initially serving the plot, often disappear from the story without much further development. This is the case with Secretary of Defense Reid Baker (Jared Harris), General Anthony Brady (Tracy Letts), National Security Consultant Jake Baerington (Gabriel Basso), and FEMA expert Cathy Rogers (Moses Ingram).
Firing one bullet at another.
As concern rises after a failed attempt to neutralize the missile, the second act unfolds. It takes place in a virtual setting, with each participant separated and prioritized via Zoom. Among them, absent with their screen off, is none other than the President of the United States. Ana Park (Greta Lee), an expert on North Korean relations, is also consulted while she is enjoying a day off with her son. Each of these participants becomes paralyzed at some point, thinking about their loved ones, seeing no favorable way out of the situation, and imagining the worst-case scenario. After another failed plan to reverse or neutralize the nuclear threat, uncertainty, tension, and the notion that there is no Plan B only increase—a hypothesis intended to demonstrate the fragility of a country like the United States. A new phase begins, an even higher level of danger, and thus the third act arrives.
When there is no plan B.
At this point, where we already know what will happen minute by minute and can identify all the participants involved, their ranks, and their roles, the President (Idris Elba) is introduced, flashing back in time and presenting his parallel story. When the threat emerges, he is evacuated from a visit with children playing basketball, reminiscent of George W. Bush being informed of the attack on the Twin Towers while at a school. Through different perspectives, the President is shown to be concerned about the situation and the people. He even contacts the First Lady, who is on safari, to ask her what he should do. Then a new character appears: the frivolous Lieutenant Robert Reeves (Jonah Hauer-King), who gives the President a coded briefcase and explains the instructions to be used in such a situation.
Suddenly, the screen abruptly goes black, just as we were waiting for a resolution or a fourth act that never comes.
On the one hand, analyzing the film’s overall context, it’s clear that the First Lady is the one running the United States, that the President is just one of us, concerned for others. But ultimately, it’s Rebecca Ferguson who shines with her performance, making her character even more compelling than the President himself. Her character breaks the rules, in another parallel with the highly anticipated Kathryn Bigelow.
(United States, 2025)
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow. Script: Noah Oppenheim. Cast: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos. Produced by: Kathryn Bigelow, Noah Oppenheim, Greg Shapiro. Lenght: 112 minutos.
