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.

movies film

weekend event planner

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this Labor Day weekend

Photo by Brian Bowen Smith

See Josh Groban in The Woodlands on Thursday night.

Houstonians who are still mourning the loss of the one-and-only Dolly Parton can celebrate her music and her acting at two Houston events this weekend.

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown will screen the 1989 tearjerker Steel Magnolias, starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts, and Parton, on Thursday. (10 percent of ticket sales will go to Parton’s Imagination Library.) Or head over to Echoes in Montrose, where local DJs are playing an all-night “Dolly’s Country Music Carousel.”

Of course, a lot of other things are worth checking out this Labor Day weekend — like Jack Harlow, who will be at 713 Music Hall on Monday night.

Thursday, September 3

Mid Main Houston First Thursday Block Party
Mid Main Houston’s First Thursday Block Party starts up another season of monthly, indoor/outdoor fun this weekend. Local bands Blue Heron Yacht Club, Hudson Mueller & The Texas Teardrops, and Juke Box Train Wreck will perform. HISD Foundation, this month’s nonprofit partner, will have an HISD art car show and student performances, while the CAMH Teacher Advisory Group will have a “The Sequence Is Yours” art show at the Mid Main Gallery. And don’t forget about DJ Count Chocula spinning tunes in the breezeway. 6 pm..

Asia Society Texas presents Author Talk: Shern-Min Chow on If Not You...
Inspired by true events, retired KHOU anchorperson Shern-Min Chow's debut novel If Not You… follows a young girl who survives a devastating fire and rises from the slums of India to the elite cancer research labs at MD Anderson. Heartfelt and compelling, the novel highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the bonds that shape people's lives. A copy of the book is included with ticket purchase, and Shern-Min will be available to sign copies following the talk. 6:30 pm.

Josh Groban in concert
Singer and occasional actor (remember when he was in Muppets Most Wanted?) Josh Groban has gone full Hollywood with his latest album Cinematic. This collection has him performing such classic, Oscar-winning themes as “Moon River,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” and “Skyfall.” Catch him perform these big-screen anthems when he comes to The Woodlands, as part of his Stage, Screen, and Symphony tour. 7:30 pm.

Friday, September 4

Lone Star Flight Museum presents "Moments of Heroism: Stories of Sacrifice, Selflessness and the American Spirit on 9/11" opening day
This panel exhibition features stories drawn from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum collection in New York, in remembrance of the 2,977 people who lost their lives and honors many more who stood with first responders to help others. The exhibit chronicles powerful accounts of rescue and great courage on that fateful day. Through Sunday, January 3. 10 am.

Photo by Brian Bowen Smith

See Josh Groban in The Woodlands on Thursday night.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Some Like It Hot
Celebrate Marilyn Monroe’s centennial with a glorious-35mm showing of Billy Wilder’s classic 1959 comedy. After a police raid on a Chicago speakeasy, jazz musicians Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) find themselves unemployed and on the run. When they stumble upon a gang war, they land a gig in Florida with Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopators. Transforming themselves in drag, they befriend the alluring Sugar Kane (Monroe), but things derail for the pair as they start attracting unwanted attention. 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).

Improv Houston presents Russell Peters
Internationally-known Canadian comedian Russell Peters will be in H-Town at Improv Houston this weekend, giving his takes on the current state of the world. But did y’all know he’s been apparently getting back into DJing? Earlier this year, he did a set at the kickoff party for Toronto’s Departure Festival + Conference, returning to the gig he used to do back in the day when he wasn’t making money doing stand-up. We don’t know if he’ll be doing any late-night sets in the city, but it would be wild if he did. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 pm and 9:30 pm Saturday).

Carolyn Wonderland in concert
Texas’ award-winning, guitar-slinging, soul-singing Carolyn Wonderland will perform at Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge this weekend. Wonderland has more than earned her reputation as a fiercely independent artist. She has been performing professionally since the age of 15 and has been on the road her entire career. Wonderland has played with icons from Townes Van Zandt to Levon Helm, from Buddy Guy to Hubert Sumlin, from Bob Dylan to John Mayall, all while writing her own story. 9 pm.

Saturday, September 5

First Saturday Arts Market
At Houston’s original monthly outdoor art market, First Saturday Arts Market, visitors will find artists with paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and more art mediums. This month’s artists include Aimee Kudla, Annette Cenci Smith, Jose Canales, Art by Butter, Arthur Deatly, Barb Mueller, and Vivre Coffee Collective. A food truck will be on site, and local singer/songwriters can often be found providing entertainment at the market. 11 am.

Axelrad presents KG BBQ
Austin's Egyptian-inspired, Michelin-recognized barbecue joint returns to Houston for another day of smoked brisket, lamb chops, Mediterranean rice, and more. Beginning at 8 pm, DJ Caballero Cosmico will teach attendees to two step, while Tyson Webb's Outlaw Boogie will keep the crowd moving. Pre-order at the link above to skip the line. Noon.

Moody Center for the Arts presents "Radiant Geometries: Vectors of Knowledge from the Indigenous Americas" opening reception
"Radiant Geometries: Vectors of Knowledge from the Indigenous Americas" brings together contemporary Indigenous and Latin American artists whose practices illuminate knowledge as a living technology, through which the mathematical, metaphysical, and artistic realms converge. The exhibition features national and international artists, including Nanibah Chacon, Jordan Ann Craig, Patricia Domínguez, Sara Flores, Natalia Montoya Lecaros, Cisco Merel, Caroline Monnet, and Eamon Ore-Giron. Through Saturday, December 19. 6 pm.

The Tune Up: A Texas Folklife Benefit Concert
This night of accordion-driven Texas music will power the heritage programming from Texas Folklife. The event is the warm-up to Accordion Kings & Queens, and every ticket sold helps Texas Folklife keep these traditions alive on stage and in communities across the state. The night will be headlined by Conjuntazzo, featuring Grammy Award winner Joel Guzman and Sarah Fox. Opening the show is Mark Halata Texavia. 7 pm.

Katrina Walker presents Miss Dee's Kitchen
Meet Miss Dee, the Queen of the Hood — rocking her housecoat, smoking a cigarette, pushing her oxygen tank, and keeping everybody laughing with her unfiltered mouth. When her hood friends gather in Miss Dee’s kitchen, secrets spill, gossip flies, and drama unfolds. The show also features her nosy mama Sugapie, a murder mystery surrounding Frankie J’s wife, the neighborhood sidepiece Sweetbaby, Reverend Theodore Bucky aka “The Funky Preacher, “Crow,” the meanest man on the planet, and Bougie “Blu.” 8 pm.

Sunday, September 6

Trailblazers & Trendsetters Hair Show and Beauty Expo
Visitors can experience the artistry, culture, and innovation of the beauty industry at the inaugural Trailblazers & Trendsetters Hair Show and Beauty Expo. Attendees can explore the Expo and Vendor Marketplace, participate in professional education sessions, enjoy live demonstrations, and experience dynamic main-stage programming. The event will culminate with a Hair Presentation Showcase, where stylists, salons, and beauty brands will present their best work and compete for a $5,000 business grant and other prizes. 10 am.

Watercolor Art Society presents “Just Say Yes to Yupo” General Meeting and Demo
Join Fontaine Jacobs as she shares her passion for painting on Yupo. She is a self-taught artist who has shown in galleries and won awards for both her commercial and fine art throughout the United States. Fontaine paints portraits, landscapes, animals, and abstracts. She strives to merge impressionism with realism to capture an image or go completely abstract. From time to time, she gives instruction in watercolor. 2 pm.

Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company presents Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties
Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties by Jen Silverman explores anger, sex, love, and the “thea-tah” through the experiences of five women named Betty. Betty is rich; Betty is lonely; Betty’s busy working on her truck; Betty wants to talk about love, but Betty needs to hit something. And Betty keeps using a small hand mirror to stare into parts of herself she’s never examined. Through Saturday, September 19. 2:30 pm.

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