Pick of the week
A House of Dynamite
A missile of unknown origin has been launched from the Pacific – and it’s heading for the US. From that hook, Kathryn Bigelow has fashioned an almost unbearably tense thriller out of the American response. As government agencies and armed forces kick into “defcon” mode, the subsequent 15 minutes or so are seen several times from multiple points of view – a missile defence battalion in Alaska, White House politicians and advisers (including Rebecca Ferguson), the military high command, the president himself (Idris Elba). It’s a dazzling, skilful piece of cinema, laser-focused despite the huge (yet utterly believable) cast, with Bigelow’s fascination with the nuts and bolts of statecraft to the fore. Simon Wardell
Friday 24 October, Netflix
