Overview
- Screenwriter Noah Oppenheim said on MSNBC he respectfully disagrees with the Pentagon’s assessment and maintains the film reflects an imperfect defense system based on extensive research.
- The Missile Defense Agency’s Oct. 16 memo asserted interceptors have shown a 100% testing success rate over the past decade and characterized the movie’s depiction as entertainment.
- Analysts including Fred Kaplan and Joseph Cirincione argue real-world test records are mixed and accuse the Pentagon of cherry-picking data to claim perfect performance.
- Director Kathryn Bigelow says the film’s design is intended to prompt public discussion about nuclear responsibility rather than provide tidy answers.
- The movie is currently Netflix’s most-watched title and has stirred international commentary, including Korean editorials weighing regional vulnerability and crisis timelines.