I’ll admit, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to post about this “first look” still of Kathryn Bigelow’s “A House of Dynamite,” which might be the worst image you could pick to build anticipation for a film. That said, it’s our first official glimpse at a new Kathryn Bigelow movie, her first in over eight years, and that alone makes it newsworthy.
The Netflix thriller, previously known only as the “Untitled White House Thriller,” finally has a name: “A House of Dynamite.” The film marks Bigelow’s return to the director’s chair for the first time since 2017’s “Detroit,” and the streamer clearly has high hopes — a limited theatrical run will precede its Netflix release on October 24. The goal is obvious: awards season, with a well-timed world premiere set for the Venice Film Festival.
Bigelow is directing from a script by Noah Oppenheim, the former NBC News president whose screenwriting credits include “Jackie.” The project was once described as a “hot script,” and the plot revolves around how the White House responds in real time to ballistic missiles heading toward the U.S.
Tonally, this is said to be in the same style as “Zero Dark Thirty” and “The Hurt Locker,” the two politically-charged thrillers that made Bigelow a household name. The ensemble cast is loaded: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Greta Lee, Anthony Ramos, Tracy Letts, Jason Clarke, Kaitlyn Dever, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Moses Ingram, Brian Tee, Jonah Hauer-King, and Kyle Allen.
Bigelow, 73, is best known for “The Hurt Locker,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Near Dark,” “Point Break,” and “Strange Days.” In the late 2000s and early 2010s, she was one of the most sought-after directors in the business, taking home the Best Director Oscar in 2010 — the first woman to do so — and delivering back-to-back Best Picture nominees.
“A House of Dynamite” marks her return to the genre she does best; tension-soaked, politically-tinged thrillers that move with real urgency. Bigelow is one of the best when it comes to visceral realism and relentless pacing.
Here’s hoping “A House of Dynamite” delivers the goods this October.
