Movies About Nuclear War

From James Cameron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
Rated R

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) is a science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It is the sequel to the 1984 hit The Terminator. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, and Joe Morton. The movie follows Sarah Connor (Hamilton) and her son John (Furlong) as they are pursued by a new, advanced Terminator (Patrick) sent from the future to kill John. To protect John from the Terminator, Sarah and John enlist the help of the original Terminator (Schwarzenegger) from the first film. Together, the Terminators battle for John's future as Sarah teaches her son to fight for his own survival. In the end, John is able to defeat the Terminator and save humanity from the future robot uprising.

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn
Rated PG

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a 1964 black comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick. The film follows the accidental triggering of a nuclear doomsday device by an American General who is obsessed with fighting the communists. This triggers an escalating crisis between the US and the Soviet Union. The film follows the President of the United States, his advisors, and the Soviet ambassador as they attempt to avert an impending nuclear holocaust. The film satirizes the Cold War nuclear scare, while also providing a hilarious look into the absurdity of the military establishment. One of the main themes in the film is the notion that mutual assured destruction is the only way to prevent a nuclear war.

From Mick Jackson, starring Karen Meagher, Reece Dinsdale, David Brierly, Rita May
Rated TV-MA

Threads is a 1984 British television drama written by Barry Hines and directed by Mick Jackson. It tells the story of the effects of a nuclear war on the city of Sheffield in England. The film follows two families; the Kemps, a working-class family, and the Becketts, a middle-class family, as they struggle to survive the initial attack, the months afterward, and the years that follow. With brutal realism, the film shows the psychological, social, and physical effects of the war, from the immediate destruction to the gradual decline of society. The film is a bleak illustration of the idea that even in the event of a nuclear war, life would eventually find a way. Threads is often credited as one of the most realistic portrayals of a nuclear war ever made. The film was well-received by critics and went on to win numerous awards, including a BAFTA for Best Single Drama. It is widely regarded as a classic of British television.

From Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans
Rated G

Planet of the Apes is an iconic 1968 science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. In the film, an astronaut crew crash lands on a strange planet where intelligent apes rule over primitive humans. The astronauts discover that the apes can talk and have a complex hierarchical society. As the astronauts struggle to survive in this new world, they learn that the apes have a terrifyingly dark secret that could mean the end of human existence. Between its powerful themes of oppression, prejudice and the search for freedom, the film remains a timeless classic.

From Sidney Lumet, starring Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Fritz Weaver, Dan O'Herlihy
Rated Approved

Fail Safe is a 1964 American Cold War suspense film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. Set in the White House, the film follows a group of American military and political personnel as they struggle to prevent a nuclear holocaust when a group of U.S. bombers are accidentally dispatched to launch an attack on Moscow. As the President and his advisers face unprecedented dilemmas, the clock ticks down until the bombers reach their target. With a stark black-and-white aesthetic and a chilling score, Fail Safe is widely considered one of the greatest Cold War films ever made.

From Tony Scott, starring Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington, Matt Craven, George Dzundza
Rated R

From Stanley Kramer, starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins
Rated Approved

From Lynne Littman, starring Jane Alexander, William Devane, Rossie Harris, Roxana Zal
Rated PG

From John Mackenzie, starring Michael Caine, Pierce Brosnan, Ned Beatty, Joanna Cassidy
Rated R

From L.Q. Jones, starring Don Johnson, Jason Robards, Susanne Benton, Tim McIntire
Rated R

From Phil Alden Robinson, starring Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Ian Mongrain, Russell Bobbitt
Rated PG-13

From Chris Gorak, starring Mary McCormack, Rory Cochrane, Tony Perez, Scotty Noyd Jr.
Rated R