Already hooked to Netflix's A House of Dynamite? Watch these 7 political thrillers next and you won't regret it

A House of Dynamite (2025) is a thriller movie that tells a story of danger and politics. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Noah Oppenheim. It features Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, and Tracy Letts. Tension and action characterize the movie with glimpses of a nuclear missile en route to Chicago forcing the US government to act quickly and avoid disaster. Idris Elba, in this film, plays the president, and Rebecca Ferguson assists in locating the threat.

If you liked A House of Dynamite, here are seven other political thrillers that deal with nuclear threats and political crises. The films depict the leaders as running out of time, making difficult decisions, and having moral dilemmas. There are stories set in war rooms, and there are those set out in the city streets, with authorities attempting to prevent a catastrophe. From Cold War paranoia to current threats, these thrillers discuss how a single failure can endanger the lives of millions of people.

Also know: Find more about the ending of A House of Dynamite & its sequel!

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

Here is the list of 7 political thrillers similar to A House of Dynamite:

7. The Peacemaker (1997)

The Peacemaker is about Dr. Julia Kelly, a nuclear scientist who works at the White House. She teams up with Colonel Thomas Devoe from Army Intelligence to stop a deadly threat involving stolen Russian warheads. Together, they race against time to prevent disaster. As two trains collide in Russia and one of them has a nuclear cargo, thousands of innocent people die. Kelly assumes that Chechen rebels are the cause of the incident, but Devoe thinks otherwise. Together, they discover that Russian General Aleksandr Kodoroff staged the crash to hide the theft of nine nuclear warheads.

The film takes them across Europe and America as they chase down the missing weapons. In their probe, they find that one of the warheads has landed in New York City, and a terrorist has prepared to blow himself up inside the United Nations building. Similar to A House of Dynamite, the film depicts how government officials work feverishly to prevent a nuclear accident on American soil. The scene where Kelly and Devoe frantically search for the final warhead in Manhattan mirrors the urgency in A House of Dynamite. Both films show officials tracking radiation signatures through city streets while millions of lives hang in the balance.

6. Unthinkable (2010)

Unthinkable tells the story of a former Delta Force operator, Steven Younger, who converts to Islam and plants three nuclear bombs in different American cities. He forwards a videotape to the government, which captures him in storage rooms where the bombs are stored, which will explode in a few days. Before the bombs can blow up and slaughter millions of people, FBI Special Agent Helen Brody and her colleagues have to locate them. The government brings in a mysterious interrogator known only as H to extract information from Younger. H uses increasingly brutal torture methods that horrify Brody, who believes physical torture produces unreliable information.

Like A House of Dynamite, the film explores the moral dilemmas government officials face when nuclear weapons threaten American cities and conventional methods fail to produce results. The interrogation room scenes in Unthinkable are akin to the tense government discussions in A House of Dynamite. In both movies, authorities struggle with the extent to which they should go to save lives when it is too late.

5. Crimson Tide (1995)

Crimson Tide is set amid political unrest in Russia, in which ultra-nationalists are threatening to attack the United States and Japan using nuclear missiles. The USS Alabama submarine is used to patrol an ICBM base that is controlled by rebels. The commander of the Alabama is Captain Ramsey, and his new executive officer is Hunter, who is second in command. When Russian rebels attack the submarine, the radio is damaged during the battle. The crew gets a launch order, but it is incomplete.

Ramsey says they must fire immediately, while Hunter argues that they wait for confirmation. The argument results in mutiny as the crew divides between those who remain loyal to Ramsey and those who support Hunter. Like A House of Dynamite, the film showed military experts facing nuclear danger with limited information and relying on their own judgment. The fight between Ramsey and Hunter in the control room is just as heated as the debates by officials in A House of Dynamite.

4. Fail Safe (1964)

Fail Safe is a nightmare movie in which a computer error at Strategic Air Command causes American planes to fly to Moscow, where the technicians are to drop nuclear bombs on Moscow. The bomber group, which receives the signal of the attack, is led by Colonel Jack Grady as the mysterious jamming prevents all communications with their headquarters. The crew verifies the signal and proceeds toward their target following their training. The President of America desperately wants to recollect the bombers via the hotline with the Soviet Premier, but the aircraft disregards all external communications since they have suspected enemy subterfuge. Those Americans who are fighting to shoot their own bombers find themselves using up their fuel before they hit them.

Like A House of Dynamite, the movie shows leaders trapped in a no-win situation. Even when systems fail or safety tools exist, they are unable to stop the threat of nuclear disaster. The scenes showing the President negotiating with the Soviet Premier through a translator echo the diplomatic crisis management in A House of Dynamite. There is a common moment in both movies, as the leaders are talking via representatives, and the nuclear missiles focus on targets.

3. Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Dr. Strangelove is a black comedy of the nuclear catastrophe: a mad Air Force general sends bombers to strike at Russia without permission. He believes that communists are contaminating water with fluorides. President Muffley and his team hurry to cancel the attack. They discover that Russia has a doomsday device that would blow up the whole world in case of an attack. One bomber makes it through and drops a bomb. The movie ends with global destruction.

Like A House of Dynamite, leaders are caught in crisis while systems fail. In both movies, there are tense scenes in underground rooms where officials debate nuclear threats. In Dr. Strangelove, the president tries to call the Soviet Premier to explain the mistake. This call turns absurd as bombers close in. This mirrors desperate talks in A House of Dynamite. According to one IMDb user, this film combines Cold War fear and panic.

2. Thirteen Days (2000)

Thirteen Days depicts the Cuban Missile Crisis as experienced by the Americans. Spy aeroplanes find Soviet missiles in Cuba. As the threat is rapidly developing, President Kennedy and his advisors consider immediate military action. Military leaders want to strike Cuba immediately. Kennedy fears that this would lead to a Third World War. He opts instead for a naval blockade. The movie then follows the tension of thirteen days as Kennedy balances war and peace.

One IMDb user praised the picture, calling it intriguing and tension-packed. Like A House of Dynamite, it shows leaders having to make tough choices with little time. Both films have scenes of officials arguing over military action in the crisis room. In Thirteen Days, Kennedy debates whether to trust Soviet messages or to prepare for war. The peak moment is when Soviet ships are near the blockade line. That creates some of the same tension as the scene in A House of Dynamite where officials must determine how to respond to a missile.

1. The Sum of All Fears (2002)

The Sum of All Fears | Image via Prime Video

The Sum of All Fears is about CIA analyst, Jack Ryan, who tracks a conspiracy to initiate nuclear war. A new Russian president makes American leaders nervous. Terrorists steal a nuclear bomb and detonate it at a Baltimore football game. Thousands die. The US president believes Russia is behind the attack and readies a strike. Ryan discovers proof that terrorists planted the bomb to dupe both sides. He must stop the war before it starts.

Despite its shortcomings, an IMDb user stated that the film instills genuine dread. Like A House of Dynamite, the film portrays nuclear attacks on American soil as a source of panic and confusion. The two movies showcase ruined cities and manoeuvring leaders. In The Sum of All Fears, the president gets out of the stadium shortly before the explosion. Hospitals are full of victims, and generals demand revenge. This matches the crisis in A House of Dynamite.