I feel like I made a mistake by pressing play and getting to the end of Casa de Dynamite

Maybe you came to this text after watching or while watching the new Netflix film, House of Dynamite. Directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow and with a cast full of famous and talented actors, it’s the kind of production that makes you want to press play to see it. I did this on Friday night (24). And I regretted it.

First of all, I want to warn you that this text is not a criticism and does not aim to provide an in-depth geopolitical analysis of the nuclear war scenario. It’s just an opinion from someone who saw Casa de Dynamite and was disappointed. Maybe you saw it and ended up with a different opinion than me – and that’s okay. Or else you will read this text and identify with my feelings.

(The text below contains spoilers for the film House of Dynamite)
The Netflix film starts well, creating all the suspense that intends to keep you hooked for the next two hours, with a soundtrack, restless camera and an interesting plot. It’s the type of production that wins you over in the first 15 minutes and, no matter how repetitive it gets, keeps you hooked until the end.

In the plot, an unknown force launched an ICBM, which is an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile with nuclear capability, against the United States. While the missile makes its trajectory, those responsible for trying to stop it need to make decisions in less than 15 minutes. What to do? Who to notify? How to retaliate? What will happen when this missile falls? Will this missile really cause any damage? Will Chicago disappear? These questions remain in the viewer’s head, but the entire atmosphere of suspense gradually disappears.

This is because the film unfolds from three different perspectives, trying to put together a puzzle. You see the same story repeated three times, from different points of view. However, some pieces of the puzzle never quite fit together. Furthermore, the film doesn’t make a point of explaining much to those watching: the various technical terms used in the dialogue cause some confusion at certain moments.

Anthony Ramos in a scene from House of Dynamite

Photo: Disclosure/Netflix

A problem with the perspectives in the film is that no very different information about the situation is added when the point of view changes. The same dialogues and moments were repeated several times, which left the plot monotonous at a certain point.

House of Dynamite had a positive review from critics, with a 79% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Those who liked it argue that the director managed to convey well what horror would be like in the face of a nuclear threat, conveying the tension through the characters’ lack of understanding and humanity, needing to deal with their family and professional conflicts while the missile makes its way. Leaders seem more concerned about what will happen to their families than their jobs.

The most frustrating thing, for me, is that House of Dynamite doesn’t give us an ending for either the crisis or the characters.

A user on the review platform IMDb summed up my feeling well when the credits appeared on the screen: “When you’re ready for a thriller, you want heroes to root for and villains to curse. Or at least a clear message and a call to arms at the end of it all. But House of Dynamite denies us either. The only thing that really remains is the existential horror of knowing that we live in such a fragile world.”

House of Dynamite does not have a sequel planned on Netflix. It ended just like that. Despite everything, I didn’t finish feeling like I had seen a bad film. But I ended up frustrated because I believed that the story could be told in a much more interesting way. And you, what did you think?