(Massive spoilers below for A House of Dynamite)

Common reactions to A House of Dynamite are

“The first third was incredible. The next two parts less. And people in the theater groaned in disappointment after the end.”

The end does feel like we the audience are Charlie Brown, and Lucy snatched the football away at the last minute… for the third time. Again and again that countdown, and… nothing.

Now, I think I get why the creators ended it ambiguously: The point is to show the volatility and danger, and the chaotic decision process, with many people involved - hence the multiple perspectives - all working under huge uncertainty. That message is underscored by not telling us what really happened. All we see is the process leading up to the president’s momentous decision.

But I think it could be much more enjoyable and still make that point! Like this:

  • Show the nuclear explosion go off. Characters react in horror. We see the beginnings of US retaliation. Just a few minutes, but we see the worst has happened.
  • Rewind time to just before the explosion, and show it not go off, then word arriving that it was an unintended launch of an unarmed warhead by North Korea. Characters are relieved. Again, just a few minutes, but we see the world is safe.
  • Finally, rewind a third time to a split screen: One side shows the explosion timeline, the other the dud timeline - the same footage as before. Imagine seeing side by side the same character either crying in devastation or in relief.

This avoids an anticlimax while still making the movie’s main points. And I think it would be fun to watch:

  • Seeing the explosion, viewers are horrified. The worst has in fact happened. What a depressing movie!
  • Seeing the other ending, viewers are relieved but confused - what is going on?
  • Seeing the split screen, viewers realize the movie’s point - it will not resolve things. Both outcomes are possible. We still don’t know what the “right” decision would’ve been for the president, and the process getting there is terrible and dangerous.

Also, this fits in with the rest of the movie structurally: It also uses time jumps, and it also has three parts.

Comments

Feel free to tell me where I am wrong on Bluesky.