House of Dynamite (2025) recently took Netflix by storm with its fast-paced, nightmarish premise of the United States’ attempt to intercept a missile heading for Chicago. Films and shows that tackle the aftermath or lead-up to a potential nuclear war or disaster resonate strongly with audiences, given the small but real possibility of a nuclear apocalypse.
Whether you’re looking for nightmarish, fictional scenarios or dramatizations of real-life nuclear disasters, this guide will help you find the five best nuclear movies and TV shows of the past decade available on HBO Max, Prime Video, and more.
Chernobyl (2019)
The award-winning miniseries Chernobyl dramatizes one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. It tracks the onset, duration, and aftermath of the 1986 nuclear plant disaster in Ukraine and shines a light on the numerous heroes who responded to the disaster. The series brings the harrowing disaster to life in vivid detail, creating a level of shock and horror made all the more potent by its basis in a true story.
Chernobyl doesn’t just explore the nuclear disaster, but also the corruption, abuse of power, and lapses of judgment that led to the preventable catastrophe. Perhaps most unsettling about the series is that it only conveys a fraction of the immeasurable toll of the nuclear disaster on millions of people. If you’re looking for realistic nuclear disaster shows, you can’t get closer to the historical accuracy and scope of Chernobyl.
The Days (2023)
The Days is another TV show dramatization of a real-life nuclear disaster. The series tackles the Fukushima nuclear accident, focusing on the employees of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant as they scramble to respond to the catastrophic damage caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Like Chernobyl, it dives deep into the aftermath of the accident and how the actions of those involved, from first responders to authorities, either helped save or devastate millions of lives.
It’s a harrowing depiction of the disaster, though it lacks some of the scale and drama of Chernobyl. However, The Days excels in different areas, such as capturing the human element of the disaster, leaving viewers concerned for the displaced citizens or sympathetic to the moral dilemmas. Viewers who enjoyed Chernobyl but want something a little more detail-oriented and that leans more heavily on emotional stakes will love The Days.
Fallout (2024-Present)
Based on the video game series of the same name, Fallout takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has retreated to underground bunkers after a nuclear war rendered Earth a wasteland. However, when one fallout bunker inhabitant, Lucy (Ella Purnell), ventures outside the bunker to save her father, she begins to question what she and others have been told about their lives in the vaults.
While fictional, there are elements of realism to Fallout, drawing inspiration from the real-life fallout shelters constructed during the Cold War, when fears of nuclear war reached their height. Fallout is an excellent, faithful adaptation of the video game franchise, but also a wildly entertaining and harrowing watch for fans of post-apocalyptic action. Reminiscent of Silo (2023) and Station Eleven (2021), it creatively imagines not only a post-apocalyptic world but the inhumanity and corruption that may arise in such an event.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Filmmakers have long utilized Godzilla as a metaphor for nuclear weapons and their devastation, and Godzilla Minus One returns to those roots. The film focuses on an already devastated post-World War II Japan, which is then hit by the arrival of Godzilla, insinuated to be the product of mutations brought on by nuclear testing. Godzilla’s devastating atomic breath, akin to a nuclear bomb, further drives the nuclear devastation allegory.
Godzilla Minus One is one of the best modern Godzilla movies, harkening to the franchise’s more profound thematic elements while making excellent use of cutting-edge effects. The result is a moving, visually dazzling, and terrifying depiction of Godzilla striking a vulnerable target. Fans of Godzilla (1954) and Shin Godzilla (2016) will love the nuclear themes in Godzilla Minus One, while MonsterVerse fans will enjoy the epic scale, visuals, and suspense of this harrowing monster movie.
A House of Dynamite (2025)
A House of Dynamite follows the President of the United States (Idris Elba) and his staff as they race to respond to a potential missile strike in Chicago. Neither the characters nor the viewers know who fired the missile, and misplaced retaliation could spark an all-out nuclear war. The entire movie will have you on the edge of your seat, watching as the President and his staff navigate a “house of dynamite,” where one single spark can have devastating, or even world-ending, consequences.
A House of Dynamite doesn’t need to show the disaster to frighten viewers. It demonstrates that the mere existence and harboring of nuclear weapons could be more precarious than viewers thought and that humanity may always unknowingly be on the edge of nuclear disaster. Fans of tense political thrillers like September 5 (2024) and Munich - The Edge of War (2021) will love A House of Dynamites’ suspense and nuclear themes.
