Pentagon vs Netflix: House of Dynamite Writer Separates Fact From Fiction
Netflix’s buzzed-about thriller A House of Dynamite is drawing raves—and fire from the Pentagon. A US Department of Defense memo challenging the authenticity of Kathryn Bigelow’s new film has prompted a response from its writer.
Netflix drops a new Kathryn Bigelow thriller, A House of Dynamite, and it lands the rare combo of strong reviews and an official Pentagon memo calling it out. Yes, an actual Department of Defense document about a movie. Welcome to 2025.
So what did the Pentagon take issue with?
On October 16, Pentagon officials issued a memo flagging what they called 'false assumptions' in the film, according to Bloomberg. The big sticking point: how the movie portrays America’s missile defense system.
In the film, the system is said to be about 61% effective, and it fails to intercept a nuclear missile. The Pentagon says that is not how the current tech performs in testing.
The memo states the system has 'displayed a 100% accuracy rate in testing for more than a decade.'
At the same time, the memo is careful to tip its hat to storytelling, noting that the movie’s interceptors missing the target is clearly a dramatic choice meant to entertain.
The writer fires back
Screenwriter Noah Oppenheim pushed back on TV, saying he and the team did their homework with people who actually know this stuff.
He told MSNBC that he is not a missile defense expert, but he interviewed plenty of them on the record and asked a ton of questions with the goal of getting the reality right on screen. And then he went a step further:
'Unfortunately, our missile defense system is highly imperfect. If the Pentagon wants to have a conversation about improving it or what the next step might be in keeping all of us safer, that’s the conversation we want to have. But what we show in the movie is accurate.'
How Bigelow approached the research
Director Kathryn Bigelow said on the October 12 episode of CBS Sunday Morning that the production did not work with the military because they wanted to stay 'more independent.' Instead, they leaned on multiple technical advisers who have worked in the Pentagon.
What happened, in order
- Oct 12: Bigelow says they skipped direct military cooperation to remain independent, but consulted several Pentagon-experienced tech advisers.
- Oct 16: Pentagon officials circulate a memo, per Bloomberg, calling out 'false assumptions' in A House of Dynamite’s portrayal of missile defense.
- The movie cites a 61% effectiveness figure and shows a failed nuclear intercept; the Pentagon counters that the system has shown 100% accuracy in testing for over a decade, while acknowledging the film’s dramatic license.
- Writer Noah Oppenheim responds on MSNBC, saying they spoke with many experts and stand by the film’s depiction, arguing the real system is imperfect.
It’s a pretty unusual PR clash: a Netflix thriller says the shield has holes; the Pentagon says its tests are spotless and also, relax, it’s just a movie. Either way, the back-and-forth basically turned a tech-wonky plot point into a headline. Not bad for a new release that was already getting good notices.