'A House of Dynamite' debuts on Netflix to mixed reactions as viewers criticise ambiguous ending

Kathryn Bigelow’s new thriller A House of Dynamite has sparked mixed reactions from viewers after debuting on Netflix, with many criticising its unresolved ending.

The film unfolds across three perspectives in the 18 minutes following a nuclear missile launch targeting the United States — first from the White House Situation Room, then the United States Strategic Command, and finally from the President himself.

Starring Idris Elba as the President and Rebecca Ferguson as a senior adviser, the movie builds tension around the decision of whether to retaliate or not.

However, the film’s ending — which leaves the missile’s impact unseen and the antagonist undefined — has divided audiences.

Bigelow explained the creative choice in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum: “The antagonist is the system we’ve built to essentially end the world on a hair-trigger.”

The director added that her goal was to prompt reflection rather than closure. “I want audiences to leave theatres thinking, ‘OK, what do we do now?’” she said. “This is a global issue… we really are living in a house of dynamite.”

Despite her intentions, many viewers expressed frustration online. One X user wrote, “Nobody wants to hear the same story three times and have it end without an end.”

Another added, “I was glued to the TV, then with that ending I was praying the nuke hit me.” Discussions on Reddit’s r/movies community echoed similar disappointment, with some calling the conclusion “unfinished.”

Critics, however, have been more positive. A House of Dynamite currently holds a 79% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. In The Independent, Geoffrey Macnab praised it as “the most entertaining movie about mass destruction since Dr Strangelove.”

A House of Dynamite is streaming now on Netflix.