Netflix Will Stream A 2025 Star-Studded Thriller With A Terrifying Premise Very Soon

On October 24, Netflix will stream a thriller that has already gotten critical accolades and major Oscar buzz. That movie is "A House of Dynamite," which opened in select theaters in the U.K. on October 3 and in the U.S. on October 10 before making its global streaming debut. "A House of Dynamite" is directed by Kathryn Bigelow, making it her first feature since 2017's "Detroit." 

While Bigelow's earlier films, like "Near Dark," "Point Break," and "Strange Days," were genre exercises, she has since focused to great acclaim on political and social matters in films like "Zero Dark Thirty." So the return of the first woman to win the Academy Award for best director (for 2008's Iraq War drama "The Hurt Locker") is a big deal, and the film is an even bigger deal because of what it's about.

Written by Noah Oppenheim, "A House of Dynamite" chronicles the launching of a single nuclear missile at the U.S. and efforts by government officials to find out who fired it, whether it can be stopped, and how to respond. Starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Anthony Ramos, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke, the topical film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, where Bigelow said (via Variety), "Hopefully the film is an invitation to decide what to do about all these weapons. My answer would be to initiate a reduction in the nuclear stockpile."

"A House of Dynamite" has an 81% "fresh" critics score on Rotten Tomatoes from 155 reviews as of this writing. The New York Times' Manohla Dargis wrote in her review, "The movie itself can feel like a doomsday clock that's fast running out, what with its racing pace, restless camerawork, propelling editing and many flashing electronic displays ... [Kathryn Bigelow] sustains a powerful sense of forward momentum that takes hold of your whole body." 

Similarly, Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire gave the film an A- and stated, "Hardly mere agitprop due to the stylistic intensity of its filmmaking, this gun-to-your-head engrossing movie ... also wants to shake you out of your slumber with a cataclysmic whisper of an ending."

Many critics loved the thriller and appreciated its deadly serious examination of an all-too-plausible scenario. However, there were some that didn't care for "A House of Dynamite," including Variety's Owen Gleiberman, who wrote, "'House of Dynamite' felt like hyped-up TV, with too much caffeinated camera jitter, too many unconvincing but in-your-face 'quotidian' moments, and too much hambone acting ... The film felt to me like a schlock disaster movie taking itself seriously." Clearly, opinions vary widely, but naysayers not withstanding, the critical response to "A House of Dynamite" is, for the most part, very good.

"A House of Dynamite" is one of several films released by Netflix this year that are gearing up for awards campaigns, but it may be the streamer's most serious contender for the Academy Award for best picture. The movie has an urgency to go with its top-level craftsmanship, which many of the people involved with the film should benefit from. Plus, Netflix has been chasing a best picture Oscar for years, and putting its full promotional muscle behind "A House of Dynamite" seems like an especially good bet because of the movie's prescient story, which can't help but reflect the current geopolitical landscape.

In terms of individual awards, Kathryn Bigelow is predicted to again compete for best director. Idris Elba, who earlier in 2025 played the U.K. prime minister in a very different film, "Heads of State," may grace the best actor race with his presence for his role as the president of the United States — a towering performance, especially in the film's final scenes. Rebecca Ferguson, who plays a senior official in the White House, Captain Olivia Walker, may get nominated for her work, which stands out in the first part of the movie. Whether or not these people are nominated, "A House of Dynamite" appears to be one to watch when it comes to Netflix on Friday.