The Pentagon wants service members to remember that a new Netflix movie, “A House of Dynamite” is a work of fiction.
Bloomberg News reported that the Missile Defense Agency sent an internal memo to its personnel earlier this month, telling them to be prepared to “address false assumptions, provide correct facts and a better understanding” about American missile interceptors, which are depicted in the movie. The new film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow (“Point Break,” “Zero Dark Thirty”), was released on Netflix over the weekend and depicts American military and defense personnel dealing with a single, incoming intercontinental ballistic missile.
Mild spoilers for ‘A House of Dynamite’ follow.
Soon after the ICBM is detected over the Pacific — who fired and why remains a mystery for the film’s runtime — Army personnel at Fort Greely, Alaska, fire two ground-based interceptors to take it out. One fails to fire while the other misses, leaving the United States with only minutes until impact and no way to stop the missile. That narrative choice is a major point of contention for 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 intended for the entertainment of the audience,” the memo says, per Bloomberg. It goes on to note that interceptors have been shown to be 100% accurate in tests for several years, and also disputes the $50 billion price tag given in the movie for their costs.
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Task & Purpose reached out to the Pentagon regarding the memo.
The interceptors’ failure is a major point of drama in the film, with characters stressing about the inherent risk they have when fired. The defense secretary (Jared Harris) notes a successful intercept is a 50-50 chance. Meanwhile, the deputy national security advisor (Gabriel Basso) compares it to hitting a bullet with another bullet. The rest of the movie follows the decisions spiraling out of the interceptors’ failings, with everyone from security experts to the president (Idris Elba) trying to find out who is responsible for the attack and what to do next.
The internal memo said that the film “reinforces” the need for an active missile defense system, saying the movie “highlights that deterrence can fail.”
In a statement to Bloomberg News, the Pentagon said that it was not consulted during production and that the movie “does not reflect the views or priorities of this administration.” According to film industry trade reporting, production on the movie started in October 2024 and wrapped before the end of the year.
Speaking to MSNBC over the weekend, the film’s screenwriter, Noah Oppenheim, addressed the memo and said he welcomed the conversation, but said he respectfully disagreed on the statement of interceptor accuracy, citing his research and conversations with experts.
“What we show in the movie is accurate,” he said.
“A House of Dynamite” is streaming now on Netflix.
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