'A House of Dynamite' Director & Writer Defend the Controversial Ending

The Netflix movie A House of Dynamite has audiences divided over the ending and now both director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Noah Oppenheim are defending their choices.

The movie follows how key figures in the United States government act to respond and determine who is responsible after a single, unattributed missile is launched at the country.

Head inside for spoilers, plus the explanation from the filmmakers…

If you don’t want to know what happens in the end, stop reading now to avoid spoilers!

The film is divided into three parts, each giving a different perspective on the events from various characters’ points of view. Each part concludes just seconds before the missile is set to strike the United States and we never learn if the missile actually detonates, nor do we learn who sent the missile.

Viewers have criticized the ending, with many complaining that there was no “payoff” for finishing the movie. Audiences are forced to come up with their own conclusions.

Bigelow says that the point of the movie was not whether the missile actually hits the United States. She wanted audiences to debate whether the response should really fall into the hands of one person: the President of the United States.

“I want audiences to leave theaters thinking, ‘Okay, what do we do now?’ This is a global issue, and of course I hope against hope that maybe we reduce the nuclear stockpile someday,” she told Tudum. “But in the meantime we really are living in a house of dynamite. I felt it was so important to get that information out there, so we could start a conversation. That’s the explosion we’re interested in — the conversation people have about the film afterward.”

Oppenheim has an ending in mind, but he noted that it’s not important.

“I do have answers in my head to both, but it’s not relevant to the issues we’re trying to raise,” he told Decider. “The first [issue] being should one person have the power to decide the fate of all mankind, with little preparation and only minutes to decide, while simultaneously running for his (or her) life? That should already be terrifying enough, regardless of what happens next.”

“No matter what final outcome you imagine, you’ve already seen a horror unfold. And in the real world, these weapons and all the processes you’ve just seen are still lurking in the background of our lives. Are we comfortable with that reality or should we do something about it?” he added.

The movie earned rave reviews during its premiere in Venice. Now, the film sits at a 78% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 77% audience score.