Viewers explode on social media over ‘A House of Dynamite’ ending: Director Kathryn Bigelow defends the script

“A House of Dynamite” was released on Friday, Oct. 31, to much fanfare, with Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow directing a star-studded cast that includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson and Gabriel Basso.

Early buzz turns to backlash

Despite the hype, the movie has not lived up to expectations. Viewers have flooded social media with harsh reviews, taking particular aim at the film’s ending - or lack thereof.

“When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond,” reads a Netflix teaser on social media. Beyond that, we won’t give too much away in case you’re still planning to watch “A House of Dynamite,” even after reading the reactions.

A complex structure that divided audiences

The premise is relatively straightforward: government officials, including Elba as the president, must stop a nuclear missile from striking Chicago. The film’s structure, however, is far from simple. Told in a non-chronological format, it replays the same 18-minute sequence from the perspectives of different characters.

That creative decision seems to be one of viewers’ biggest complaints. “It’s a 20-minute short film they retell several times over two hours, and there is no ending. It just stops,” wrote one X user, echoing a common sentiment online.

Scathing viewer reactions

Some of the harshest online reviews of the movie include:

“Just wasted two hours of my life watching ‘A House of Dynamite’ on Netflix. I was glued to the TV, then with that ending I was praying the nuke hit me. Has to be in the conversation for worst movie ending of all time.”

“‘A House of Dynamite’ ended like someone accidentally deleted the last 10 pages of the script. Worst ending in the history of bad endings. Two hours I’ll never get back.”

“You know what’s great? The first 45 minutes of ‘House of Dynamite.’ You know what sucks? The rest of fucking ‘House of Dynamite.’”

“Just watched ‘House of Dynamite.’ What kind of ending was that? I fast-forwarded through the credits sure there was more, but no. Whoever decided to cut it there should be fired.”

“Don’t bother with ‘House of Dynamite’ on Netflix. It doesn’t have an ending. What a waste.”

“I can’t believe I wasted two hours watching ‘A House of Dynamite’ on Netflix. They made us watch what happened three different times just for nothing to happen. Everyone involved with this movie should be ashamed.”

Bigelow defends open ending

Bigelow has defended the film’s divisive conclusion, explaining that leaving the story unresolved was intentional. Her goal, she said, was to provoke thought about what she calls a “global issue,” rather than offering closure.

“I want audiences to leave theaters thinking, ‘OK, what do we do now?’” Bigelow told Netflix’s Tudum blog. “This is a global issue, and of course I hope against hope that maybe we reduce the nuclear stockpile someday. 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,” Bigelow added. “That’s the explosion we’re interested in - the conversation people have about the film afterward.”

A polarizing release that still got people talking

Even if much of the online reaction is negative, “A House of Dynamite” has certainly sparked discussion - exactly what its director intended.

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