The Pentagon isn’t happy with Hollywood’s latest doomsday flick, and for good reason. Netflix’s new political thriller “A House of Dynamite” has the U.S. military on the defensive after the film depicts America’s missile interceptors failing to stop an incoming nuclear strike.
As reported by Task and Purpose, the Missile Defense Agency sent an internal memo to service members earlier this month warning that the movie is a work of fiction. The memo urged personnel to be ready to “address false assumptions” and “provide correct facts” about America’s missile defense systems, which are portrayed in the film as unreliable and costly failures.
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, known for politically charged films like “Zero Dark Thirty”, the Netflix production imagines a crisis where an unidentified intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) heads toward the U.S. Army’s Fort Greely base in Alaska. Two interceptors are launched; one misfires, and the other misses its target. With minutes to impact, the film spirals into chaos, painting America as defenseless in the face of global catastrophe.
That narrative didn’t sit well with the Department of Defense. “The fictional interceptors in the movie miss their target, and we understand this is intended to be a compelling part of the drama,” the internal memo said, according to Bloomberg News. The memo also pointed out that real interceptors have been “100 percent accurate in tests for several years” and dismissed the film’s inflated $50 billion price tag for the missile defense system.
Order Jonathan Cahn’s Newest Book, “The Avatar” on Amazon.com!
But Hollywood isn’t exactly known for letting the truth get in the way of a good scare. The film’s screenwriter, Noah Oppenheim, told MSNBC he “respectfully disagreed” with the Pentagon’s statements and stood by his “research,” claiming his portrayal was based on conversations with unnamed experts. In other words, the usual Hollywood spin—a mix of half-truths and dramatic flair—served up as “informed commentary.”
The Pentagon made it clear it wasn’t consulted during the movie’s production and emphasized that the film “does not reflect the views or priorities of this administration.” That alone should raise eyebrows. Hollywood has long used fiction to convey political undertones, especially in military and national security themes. Fear sells, and painting America as perpetually one mistake away from nuclear disaster fits the narrative that the entertainment elite can’t seem to resist, especially under an administration they oppose.
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
While the movie’s storyline may keep audiences glued to their screens, the idea that the nation’s missile defense would crumble so easily doesn’t hold up to real-world scrutiny. The Pentagon’s response says it all: reality doesn’t match Hollywood’s fear-fueled fantasies.
At the end of the day, “A House of Dynamite” is just that, a house built on fiction.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
