Movie Review Time

Star-studded cast and Oscar-winning director power dramatic A House of Dynamite

Rebecca Ferguson in A House of Dynamite.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Director Kathryn Bigelow has had two distinct phases to her feature film career. From the early ‘80s to the early 2000s, she made movies for the masses like Near Dark, Point Break, and K-19: The Widowmaker. But that all changed with the 2008 release of the Iraq War film The Hurt Locker, for which she won the Oscar for Best Director and Best Picture. Every movie of hers since then has leaned hard into real-world drama, including the new A House of Dynamite.

Instead of trying to understand past events, this film imagines a scenario that is still frighteningly real: Nuclear war. As the story begins, it’s discovered that a missile has been fired in the direction of the United States from close to the east coast of Asia where China, Russia, and North Korea connect. The unattributed weapon is at first thought to be a test, but when it continues on a path toward the U.S., people at all different levels of the U.S. government try to figure out how to stop it and what to do if they can’t.

The same story is essentially told three different times, changing the perspective to different officials in multiple locations around the country. They include people at an Army missile defense base in Alaska, led by Major Daniel Gonzalez (Anthony Ramos); the White House Situation Room, led by Captain Olivia Walker (Rebecca Ferguson); a top brass video call featuring General Anthony Brady (Tracy Letts) and Secretary of Defense Reid Baker (Jared Harris); and, naturally, the President of the United States (Idris Elba).

Directed by Bigelow and written by Noah Oppenheim, the film is an extremely tense experience as it juggles the personal and professional lives of many different people. The sense of duty that each one of them feels in serving their country slowly turns inward as they understand that a major American city could be wiped off the map, an event that would almost certainly trigger World War III.

Bigelow and Oppenheim do a fantastic job of serving the bigger stars in the cast, as well as the supporting actors who may not be as well known. A normal film would be able to take more time to establish the various characters, but the intensity of the plot lends extra meaning to every moment, allowing the audience to connect with everyone more quickly. It’s not at all difficult to put yourself in the shoes of those in the film who desperately try to get in touch with loved ones as the threat becomes larger.

Telling the story three times from different perspectives not only allows the audience to understand who all is involved in such a world-changing event, but it also shines a light on the strengths and weaknesses of each department. How accurate the film is to what would happen in real life is debatable, but the film gives off an air of legitimacy in how it depicts the actions of the various players.

Given the structure of the film, there’s no one star, but each of the main actors does a fine job in bringing their characters to life. Ferguson, Letts, Harris, and Elba are the most compelling in their roles, but other people like Jason Clarke, Greta Lee, Malachi Beasley, and Jonah Hauer-King do a lot with their limited time on screen. The cast is so packed that someone like Kaitlyn Dever is given only one small, albeit impactful, scene.

The ending of the film is likely to be divisive, but it only serves to underscore the idea that no one can truly know how to handle an existential threat like nuclear war. The military and the government can simulate and prepare all they want, but it’s only when things go to hell that anyone can tell if they’re able to meet the moment.

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A House of Dynamite is now playing in select theaters. It debuts on Netflix on October 24.

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Weekend Event Planner

These are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend

Nickolas Muray, Frida with her Pet Eagle, Coyoacán, 1939, printed 2024, inkjet print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.

Nickolas Muray, Frida with her Pet Eagle, Coyoacán, 1939, printed 2024, inkjet print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.

“Frida: The Making of an Icon" open at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in January, 2026.

It’s MLK weekend, which means Houstonians have an extra day to do something other than work. On that Monday, the City of Houston will team up with the Black Heritage Society and the MLK Grande Parade for the first MLK Unity Parade, taking place near City Hall, starting at the intersection of Lamar and Smith.

Before that goes down, this weekend offers a number of events, from a new experience at Sloomoo Institute to a green film festival at the DeLuxe Theater to a night of LEGO-building at Houston Botanic Garden to – keeping with the MLK weekend theme – a two-day, MLK tribute concert.

Thursday, January 15

Sloomoo Institute Houston presents Groov’s Groovy Grove
Sloomoo Institute Houston will unveil a new immersive experience of sound and...slime. Picture this: you step into a glow-in-the-dark, black-light disco room powered by sound‑reactive slime. Touch the slime lightly and the sound ripples; press it firmly and the groove bursts to life. You become the DJ, the slime becomes the turntable, and together you create a never-ending party that responds to every move, every beat, and every sound you make. 11 am.

McClain Gallery presents “Nick Vaughan & Jake Margolin: Around the Corner and Two Blocks Down” opening reception
McClain Gallery’s second solo exhibition with artists Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin features a group of new drawings depicting fragments of architecture and details of sites throughout Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas that formerly housed queer spaces. Vaughan and Margolin make beautiful material work that spans media to reveal queer histories from all 50 states. Through their work, they reveal and protect sensitive histories via careful retelling. Through Saturday, March 7. 6 pm.

ISHIDA Dance Company presents Rara avis
ISHIDA Dance Company is back with Rara avis, a highly physical and emotionally resonant program. Rara avis (Latin for “rare bird") follows a singer who struggles with imposter syndrome as she returns to the stage after taking a hiatus. The program includes Mutual Comfort by Romanian choreographer Edward Clug and a new dance theater work by British-Finnish choreographer Kristian Lever. 7:30 pm (7:30 pm Friday and Saturday, 3 pm Sunday).

Friday, January 16

Ali Wong Live
Some may know her from her Emmy-winning Netflix show Beef, but we shouldn’t forget how funny Ali Wong is on stage. After winning a Golden Globe for her 2024 Netflix special Single Lady, Ali Wong returns to her stand-up roots to workshop raw and unfiltered new material in an intimate club setting. Wong has three other Netflix specials: Baby Cobra, Hard Knock Wife, and Don Wong. 7 pm.

DACAMERA presents D'Est en musique (From the East)
For two nights, French-American cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton and pianist Sarah Rothenberg bring Wieder-Atherton and filmmaker Chantal Akerman’s D’Est en musique to H-Town. DACAMERA joins forces with Paris’s La Philharmonie to offer this interweaving of image and music, where Akerman’s scenes of eastern Europe and Russia after the fall of the Berlin Wall merge hauntingly with works of Rachmaninoff, Janáček, Chopin, and others. The interplay of music and image transports the audience to another place and time. 7 pm.

Stages presents Denise Fennell's The Bride
Beloved fan favorite Denise Fennell, best known for her role as Sister in Late Nite Catechism, returns to Stages for The Bride: Or, Does This Dress Make Me Look Married? With less than two hours until her wedding, a bride of a certain age begins to question the meaning of love, life, and the ritual of marriage. Drawing inspiration from her own life and the advice of the audience, The Bride will lead to the decision of a lifetime: Will she or won’t she? Through Sunday, February 8. 7 pm (2 pm Sunday).

River Oaks Theatre presents Live Q&A: F**k My Son! with director Todd Rohal
Yeah, this one isn’t for the kiddies. This unflinchingly loyal adaptation of transgressive artist Johnny Ryan’s graphic — in every sense of the word – novel is an X-rated descent into demented comedy and maniacal horror, as a desperate mother drags an innocent stranger into an absurd, filthy nightmare beyond comprehension. Director Todd Rohal will be doing a post-screening Q&A at both Friday and Saturday screenings. 10 pm (8:15 pm Saturday).

Saturday, January 17

Citizens' Environmental Coalition presents Wild About Houston: A Green Film Festival
Houston’s environmental stories will be celebrated at the Wild About Houston Green Film Festival. Hosted by the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, the festival features short films highlighting local conservation efforts, wildlife, climate, nature, resilience, and community-driven sustainability projects across the Greater Houston region. This will be followed by the Wild and Scenic Film Festival at 3 pm. 12:30 pm.

LEGO Night at Radiant Nature
LEGO enthusiasts of all ages are invited to come and build at the Houston Botanic Garden on Saturday evening as part of the first LEGO Night at Radiant Nature. Builders may pre-order sets from the LEGO Botanical Collection, then enjoy bringing their floral creations to life while surrounded by a living natural museum. All of the LEGO sets were curated from the Botanical Collection by staff at the Houston Toy Museum. 4 pm.

Community Music Center of Houston presents MLK Tribute Concert
Houstonians have two chances this weekend to attend Community Music Center of Houston’s annual MLK Tribute Concert. Going down at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday and St. Philip Presbyterian Church on Sunday, attendees can expect performances from the Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra, baritone Dorceal Duckens and soprano Mahoganee Medlock; spirituals and early classical works from the canon of Black American music; and spoken-word excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches. Both concerts are free and open to the public. 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).

Ghostface Killah in concert
Ghostface Killah, better known as the robe-wearing member of the Staten Island rap collective Wu-Tang Clan, is currently on tour promoting his latest release Supreme Clientele 2, the sequel to his gold-selling, 2000 sophomore album Supreme Clientele. The second installment has him rapping with Wu mates Method Man, Raekwon, and GZA, as well as fellow East Coast icons like Redman, Nas, and Conway the Machine. So, basically, expect Ghostface to bring some hardcore, New York hip-hop over at House of Blues this weekend. 7 pm.

Sunday, January 18

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents "Frida: The Making of an Icon"
"Frida: The Making of an Icon" is the first exhibition to trace the artist’s transformation from a relatively unknown local painter to a universal icon and global brand. It will feature more than 200 works, including over 30 by Kahlo. Documents, photographs and memorabilia — including the artist’s clothing, jewelry and other personal items — culled from Kahlo’s archives and other sources will provide additional context for the art in the show. Through Sunday, May 17. 12:30 pm.

MATCH Family Fun Day
MATCH’s 9th Annual Family Fun Day is a free, family-friendly celebration featuring live performances by local favorites including Main Street Theater for Youth, Prelude Music, and Open Dance Project. Guests can enjoy face painting, balloon art, stilt walkers, bounce houses, chalk art, and more. Explore MATCH’s four theaters, gallery, and open-air breezeway filled with activities, plus food trucks and MATCH concessions available on-site. All entertainment and activities are free and open to the public. 1 pm.

ReelAbilities Houston presents ReelArt opening reception
The ReelAbilities Houston Film & Arts Festival promotes inclusion and celebrates the lives, stories and talents of people with disabilities. See the world through the eyes of artists from Celebration Company, an entrepreneurial employment program for adults with disabilities and enjoy a special exhibition by the featured artist. The artists work with various mediums, such as painting, photography, and glass fusion. These allow the artist multiple ways to excel at expressing themselves when they otherwise would be unable to. 1 pm.

$Nickolas Muray, Frida with her Pet Eagle, Coyoac\u00e1n, 1939, printed 2024, inkjet print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.$

Nickolas Muray, Frida with her Pet Eagle, Coyoacán, 1939, printed 2024, inkjet print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.

“Frida: The Making of an Icon" opens at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in January 2026.

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