House of Dynamite on Netflix: Can France Intercept a Nuclear Missile?

“I always thought that the key was to be prepared– says Idris Elba in Dynamite House.It helps to control people and maintain order in the world. If they see how prepared we are, no one will start a nuclear war.”

But in the new thriller from Kathryn Bigelow (Oscar for Best Director for Minesweepers), things don’t go as planned. An intercontinental ballistic missile is headed for the United States, and a dream cast including Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson and Jason Clarke must respond quickly.

This ultra-realistic film, available on Netflix from October 24, takes us into the corridors of power during a nuclear crisis. “They are dedicated professionals at the highest levels of government who are called upon to make impossible decisions under the most extreme circumstances imaginable, which are somewhat more terrifying.Bigelow confides Tudum.

A thriller that asks the right questions

The director views House of Dynamite as the third part of an unofficial trilogy, following Minesweepers and Zero Dark Thirty, all centered around the military-industrial complex. “I created Dynamite House because I was curious, and it didn’t offer policy prescriptions or solutions“, he explains.

The film deliberately leaves the identity of the enemy vague, focusing on the shock waves that run through the American government. “I wanted the film to come from the inside, not the outside, and for the audience to consider the uncertainty at the heart of the nuclear debate: how can we call this protection when the result could be total destruction?– says Bigelow.An antagonist is a system we’ve built to essentially end the world on a sentient trigger.“

As Gabriel Basso says in the film, dropping a nuclear attack is like “Stop the bullet with the bullet“.”It was quite tense, ultra-realistic in terms of what we understood to be a real reaction to a situation like that.Elba said at the film’s presentation in Venice.It was an incredible experience for me as an actor. It was like being in a documentary, while also benefiting from acting.“

And how will it work in France?

Faced with this nightmare scenario, the question arises: does France have a missile defense system capable of dealing with such a threat? The answer is nuanced. according to Ministry of Armed ForcesFrench air and missile defense is based on three missions: target detection, classification (friendly or enemy?) and destruction by interceptor.

It’s already talked about”Protection from land or sea against all threats that may come from the sky“, explains Christophe Kabaj, the architect of ground-air defense capabilities of the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA). The threats will be “From drones to ballistic missiles and new hypersonic missiles, including conventional aircraft as well as cruise and anti-ship missiles“.

Layered protection, but with limits

difficulty? Diversity of threats. “First of all, speed: the slowest targets fly at a speed of several hundred km/h, while the fastest ones, such as ballistic missiles or gliders, descend at several kilometers per second.“, – clarifies Kabaj.Secondly, the altitude range to be detected is very wide, as these threats can fly at very low altitudes, above the sea or several tens of kilometers, or even in exoatmospheric flight. Finally, these hidden threats have the ability to confuse and deceive our defenses.“

To defend itself, France has chosen a layered approach to solutions. In the national territory, the Air and Space Forces maintain a Persistent Air Security Position (PPSA) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“It consists of constant surveillance of the airspace with a dense network of radars. Added to this is the deployment of fighter jets that can take off at very short notice to assist aircraft or intercept a variety of threats, from cruise missiles to fighter jets.“, explains Lieutenant-Colonel Jeremy Guay.

France also has a SAMP/T system (Medium Range Surface-to-Air System) currently deployed in Romania to protect French forces. This system can be strengthened during special events, as it was during the Paris Games last year.

Verdict: Not a very fantastic scenario

House of Dynamite is not just a suspense thriller. This is a warning. If France has anti-missile defense capabilities, intercepting an intercontinental ballistic missile remains a titanic challenge. As the director notes:We invite the audience to the room. And then, hopefully, it’s an invitation to decide what to do with all these weapons in a similar situation. what will we do what should i do“

House of Dynamite Kathryn Bigelow with Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Clarke. Available on Netflix.