1
- 6 weeks ago
When it comes to cinema's most explosive moments, nothing compares to the mushroom cloud. Join us as we count down the most impactful, memorable, and downright terrifying nuclear bomb scenes ever put on film! Our countdown includes classics like "Dr. Strangelove," "Terminator 2," "Oppenheimer," "The Dark Knight Rises," and many more!
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:01There's something you don't see every day?
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:06And today we're counting down our picks for the most impactful, notable, and or climactic
00:10nuclear blasts on film.
00:11Some spoilers ahead for the following movies.
00:2050. G.I. Joe Retaliation
00:30In the case of North Korea, just to be sure.
00:33And all at the push of a button.
00:42Far from playing with action figures, this G.I. Joe sequel follows what could happen in a world-ending scenario.
00:48A Cobra agent named Zartan impersonates the U.S. President and gets hold of the American nuclear arsenal.
00:53Firing off the weapons, the disguised villain prompts other world leaders to follow suit.
00:57It's true.
00:58Yeah.
01:00Yeah, I pressed it.
01:01You have lost your mind!
01:03It's all relative.
01:07You got three minutes to decide.
01:09It's the kind of fantasy sequence that provokes real questions about what should be done about disarmament.
01:14With a clever twist, one self-destruct sequence inspires the other representatives to destroy their own weapons.
01:19This is all part of a dastardly and effective plan by the enemy organization to attain power.
01:23While the blasts happen before the missiles reach land, they prove an important point.
01:27I figured North Korea for last.
01:30Aye!
01:32Number 49. Beneath the Planet of the Apes
01:34This is the instrument of my god.
01:37He can speak!
01:38No!
01:39No!
01:46While not as loved as the original, Beneath the Planet of the Apes does feature an entertaining plot with a
01:50doomsday bomb.
01:51Brent and Taylor find themselves in a cathedral with the aforementioned device.
01:55Both apes and humans fight over the weapon, with multiple heroes dying in the process.
01:59The chaos leads to a memorable exit for Charlton Heston's character.
02:01As Taylor falls over with a fatal wound, he triggers the end of the world.
02:05What is this?
02:08Taylor!
02:09It's doomsday.
02:14The end of the world.
02:16A white flash leaves much to the imagination.
02:18In the end narration, you learn the destructive truth of it all.
02:21It's hard to imagine a more permanent ending to an ongoing series.
02:24And yet they still produce three more direct sequels.
02:26In one of the countless billions of galaxies in the universe lies a medium-sized star.
02:33And one of its satellites, a green and insignificant planet, is now dead.
02:39If you're eager for more explosive moments in film and pop culture history, head over to WatchMojo's 24-7 livestream
02:45for more truth bombs.
02:46Scan the QR code on screen to join us for more nuclear content.
02:49Man is evil! Capable of nothing but destruction!
02:53Number 48. Mission Impossible Fallout
03:11Six movies into a series, you'd expect Mission Impossible to be stale.
03:15Fallout is the furthest thing from Bland from the very first scene.
03:18Ethan Hunt's dream about marrying his wife Julia quickly turns into a nightmare.
03:21The cold and sinister dialogue of Solomon Lane fills the air, making the hero question the momentary paradise.
03:27Stop.
03:27In a selfish, futile, fleeting attempt to escape your own true self.
03:33Please, stop.
03:34As Hunt's nemesis continues, a bright flash appears behind the main character's wife.
03:38A nuclear explosion envelops the trio in some spooky foreshadowing.
03:42While it might have been in his mind, the IMF agent can't help but worry about what it could mean
03:46for him going forward.
03:48You should have killed me.
03:56Number 47. Terminator Genisis
04:07Various films in this franchise have depicted or discussed the impact of Judgment Day.
04:12Terminator Genisis provides another interpretation, including harrowing views of missiles flying through the air.
04:17As ordinary people go about their day, Skynet unleashes a global event that changes the world.
04:22This scene shows the launches and the grisly images that follow.
04:24With many citizens flying or enjoying a picnic, bombs wreak havoc on cities.
04:34San Francisco crumbles after a massive blast tears through streets and even the Golden Gate Bridge.
04:39For this sequel, the filmmakers show that they're willing to dish out gruesome imagery to make their point.
04:55Number 46. Panic in the Year Zero
04:57Maybe they're testing. Las Vegas isn't far.
05:01No. Las Vegas is over there. Los Angeles is in that direction.
05:06On a fishing trip, Harry Baldwin and his family witness the unthinkable.
05:09Several flashes distract him as he drives through the mountains.
05:11It might not seem like much of a special effect, but it's still an ominous look at what's to come.
05:16Baldwin pulls over to investigate before seeing much worse.
05:18This time a mushroom cloud attracts everyone's attention, with the characters worrying about the fate of Southern California.
05:24Harry, I'd like to go back home.
05:27Yeah. I guess we'd better.
05:41Showing the larger effects from a distance, you're left with many questions about what happened in Los Angeles.
05:46Panic in the Year Zero might be a B-movie, but it does create an enthralling setup for one of
05:50humanity's worst fears.
05:51I heard L.A. being torn apart and watched it being tossed into the air.
05:57You headed that way?
05:58Yeah. You'll never make it. The roads will be choked by now.
06:02Number 45. World War Z
06:14It's fair to say that a zombie apocalypse changes the response of a world government.
06:18Rather than reason with the undead, some serious weaponry ends up being used.
06:21While Brad Pitt's Jerry Lane rides away in a plane, he notices a huge bomb going off in the distance.
06:26It's a sobering image that shows one serious option in defeating such a violent outbreak.
06:31When regular medicine and bullets don't do the trick, you're not left with many humanitarian options.
06:35World War Z showcases the desperate lengths world leaders and the military might go to in order to shut it
06:39all down.
06:40I'm running out of time. I need specifics. I need answers.
06:43I don't have answers. All you can do is find a way to hide.
06:47Number 44. Red 2
06:48Marvin. It's going to detonate?
06:52Yeah.
06:53Put your arms around me.
06:55Unsurprisingly, this reliable franchise does the trick just by having great actors in a fun action plot.
07:00The climactic moments come down to an evil physicist riding away on a plane.
07:04Dr. Edward Bailey seems to have escaped, but little does he know what other cargo he's carrying on board.
07:08A powerful bomb goes off with the heroes watching from below.
07:11I didn't see that one coming.
07:14I didn't see that one coming.
07:24We're more invested in the entertainment value of this scene than the larger implications of such a device.
07:29You put the bomb on the plane.
07:35And, um, you didn't think to mention that?
07:38Number 43. Batman vs. Dawn of Justice.
07:41Sir, look, they've cleared the city.
07:43Looks like he's taking it into space.
07:44We can go straight to Key Red, Mr. President.
07:46Not yet. Are you crazy?
07:48When a superhuman creature threatens the world, Superman jumps in to help defeat him.
07:52Doomsday proves to be a much tougher opponent than anyone could have imagined.
07:55With an imposing missile launch, the two fighters have a third party to worry about.
07:58Kal-El and his opponent end up in space during a violent brawl.
08:01Viewers might be biting their nails as they watch the climactic fight with the explosion threatening both the hero and
08:06the monster.
08:16You then have to imagine what that kind of device would do to a Kryptonian.
08:20With the Man of Steel's fate hanging in the balance, we come to realize that even superheroes have to deal
08:24with nuclear weapons.
08:25No apparent re-entry.
08:28Projectile 2.
08:30Superman, Mr. President. Projectile 2's Superman.
08:34Number 42. Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning.
08:37You know what humanity must do to change their destiny.
08:41You know they cannot stop the inevitable.
08:44They will destroy themselves, believing they have no choice.
08:48When Ethan Hunt watches a home movie from the evil entity, he sees the destruction of the planet.
08:53Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning concerns itself with the threat of nuclear war from its first act.
08:57The lead IMF team member then communicates with the cyber antagonist for some insights into what might go down.
09:02In four days, they will face their final Reckoning.
09:16These messages come in a flurry of violent images that include missiles, explosions, and an endgame plot.
09:21While it might be an AI interpretation of the future, it also comes with some realistic projections.
09:26This kind of premonition triggers an urgency in Hunt that never stops throughout the film.
09:30Through some frenetic editing and believable special effects, the moment leaves a haunting aftertaste.
09:53This complicated story goes from an assassination plot to the threat of nuclear war.
09:57Steel Rain then lets everything come down to an important scene.
10:01With missiles pointed in almost every direction, the US sends their lethal weapons towards North Korea among other grave decisions.
10:07With Japan also involved, there is one hope to intercept the incoming payload.
10:10The resulting splash creates a beautiful and sobering light show for viewers.
10:14As the orange glow billows, we are nearly speechless by the amazing images.
10:18This close call comes before more thrills and spills in this third act.
10:41This film combines a meet-cute with Cold War paranoia.
10:44While worried about Doomsday, two young people fall in love.
10:47You could call this incredibly unlucky and even dour as the final scene starts to play out.
10:51Rather than giving the pair a happy ending, the movie lets them share one more wild ride together before Armageddon.
11:05They're riding in a helicopter before a terrifying blast that sends them crashing down.
11:09It's one thing to fly in such a precarious vehicle, but having to do so during a nuclear bomb strike
11:14makes it all worse.
11:15The couple's only respite is their last exchange before another blinding flash.
11:18They'll find us here someday.
11:25They'll put us in a museum.
11:30Number 39. Southland Tales.
11:32In the aftermath of the nuclear attacks in Texas, America found itself on the brink of anarchy.
11:38Hundreds of thousands have perished through the nuclear attacks in Abilene.
11:42Richard Kelly's film shows a startling alternate history of the United States.
11:46Before his creepy visions about the future of government and media, he starts Southland Tales with a serious bang.
11:54Nuclear bombs destroy two Texan cities on July 4th.
11:57Beginning as a home movie, you witness some of the last happy moments of families on a summer day.
12:01Their picnics, celebrations and leisure time end with a staggering explosion.
12:06You can expect the unnatural light, sheer panic and the mushroom cloud.
12:09Adding so many witnesses to the event, you start to tremble at the thought of being in their position.
12:13The beginning of the movie doesn't waste time with its frightening glimpse at nuclear power.
12:16And he sent and signified it by his angel and to his servant John.
12:20He bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ.
12:24And of all things that he saw.
12:27Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy.
12:30Number 38. The Core.
12:31Number two's going.
12:32Come on. Come on.
12:35Sending experts to the center of the Earth, the United States hopes to save the planet with explosives.
12:39The Virgil ship heads into dangerous territory with nuclear explosives on board.
12:44After several hiccups, the daring crew makes their final preparations for this harrowing mission.
12:48Dr. Zimsky awaits his fate in the last few seconds before the altering blast.
13:03With some dated special effects, the Core reaches its climax with flying colors and super explosions.
13:09The fantastical images come with a successful mission.
13:11While it might seem far-fetched, it's a satisfying way to end this sci-fi disaster film.
13:15We've got full rotation! It's turning!
13:23Number 37. Hulk.
13:25Well, it starts...
13:27It starts with a memory.
13:29I think it's my first memory.
13:30It's this image I have.
13:33From when I was maybe two years old.
13:36For Ang Lee's version of Hulk, Bruce Banner contemplates a relationship with Betty Ross.
13:39She tells him of a dream that starts as a partial memory and ends as a nightmare.
13:43Eating ice cream with her dad, the character suddenly realizes that something more awful lurks behind her nostalgia.
13:48The dream goes on.
13:51And...
13:51Suddenly I'm alone.
13:59A nuclear bomb stops what could have been a happy and peaceful moment.
14:02With all of the destruction that Banner causes, he can't seem to quell the disturbing thoughts in his girlfriend's head.
14:06The green look of the cloud adds to the otherworldly nature of this superhero story.
14:10This is terrible.
14:12I know it never hurt you.
14:13Number 36. Skyline.
14:16Come on. Come on. Come on!
14:18We wouldn't exactly fault you for forgetting this sci-fi movie.
14:21Skyline didn't make a huge splash back in 2010, but it did feature some notable fights with alien visitors.
14:26The remaining survivors spot a dogfight between human planes and foreign aircraft.
14:29As everyone hopes for the best, they get to see some spectacular moves before a nuclear missile reaches the mothership.
14:44The colossal explosion is a sight to behold when you're not averting your eyes.
14:48It's supposed to help the Earthlings fend off the invasion, but the initial flash and shockwave proved to be rough.
14:59Number 35. The War Game.
15:019.16am. A single megaton nuclear missile overshoots Manston Airfield in Kent and airbursts six miles from this position.
15:15In this British film about nuclear war, director Peter Watkins delivers a realistic account of what might happen when the
15:20bombs drop.
15:21The fact that it's shot and edited like a documentary only makes the moment more powerful.
15:25A bright flash blinds multiple victims while fires light up a family home.
15:28In this Cold War movie, you realize that dying in a nuclear blast might be better than surviving one.
15:33Many of these people will probably lapse into a state of permanent neurosis.
15:39Because they will totally outnumber the psychiatric services needed to cure them.
15:46This, too, will be the legacy of thermonuclear war.
15:51You might even ask yourselves what you do in this type of emergency, wondering if you're capable of enduring such
15:56a horrible event.
15:57Watkins lets the disturbing sequence play out with some awful side effects.
16:00Within this card, a family is burning alive.
16:10Number 34. Silent Running.
16:12I just can't do it anymore.
16:17You see, things are...
16:22Things just haven't worked out for me.
16:24Over the course of this sci-fi film, Bruce Dern plays an astronaut who hopes to save the remnants of
16:29Earth's plant life.
16:30Freeman Lowell decides to go against his orders, get rid of his fellow astronauts, and send his ship's wildlife center
16:35into space.
16:36He then makes a sacrifice that might seem dramatic to some.
16:39Lowell takes a bunch of nuclear charges and rigs them to blow, eliminating him and the remaining robots on the
16:43ship.
16:44It's a complicated decision that ends in a massive space explosion.
16:47You might call it drastic, but it ultimately shows how far the hero will go to achieve his goal.
17:02Number 33. Kiss Me Deadly.
17:04The liar's kiss that says I love you, but means something else.
17:11You're good at giving such kisses.
17:14Clearly in over his head, Detective Mike Hammer stumbles into a plot that's all about a mystery box.
17:19Several characters seem to be after the treasure device, and a few die having learned about it.
17:23While it might contain secrets, the elusive prize turns out to be much more important than the private eye previously
17:28thought.
17:28You come to realize that it's likely a deadly weapon and a presumptive metaphor for a nuclear bomb.
17:43At the end, Hammer escapes a house before the doomed Gabrielle interacts with the strange item.
17:48An unnatural light, fire, and a big explosion happen as a result of the container being opened.
18:03Number 32. Akira
18:17Told through stunning animation, Akira opens with a literal bang.
18:21The destruction of Tokyo sets off events that will completely change the course of Japanese history.
18:26The incredible mushroom cloud builds and influences the rest of this sci-fi tale.
18:30With some awe-inspiring visuals, this anime classic draws you in with its opening
18:34before sending you on a journey full of crime, gang violence, and mind-bending plot twists.
18:38A time jump only makes you reconsider the awesome blast and its true impact.
18:41As the future takes hold, the fate of Neo-Tokyo rests in the hands of the Capsules and the Clowns.
18:57Number 31. Superman
18:59Someone's trying to destroy Metropolis.
19:01Uh, actually, sir, it looks like it's headed for New Jersey.
19:05New Jersey? What the hell's in New Jersey?
19:08Lex Luthor wants to steal missiles for his own megalomaniacal plot.
19:12Superman gives chase to one of the weapons, sending one into space to prevent disaster.
19:16He fails to top a second one that causes some seismic shifts in California.
19:20This might be one of the more fascinating looks at the faults of a caped hero.
19:23Since he can't be everywhere at once, the main character must choose one avenue before fixing his mistakes elsewhere.
19:37He also has to go save Lois Lane when she ends up in the danger zone.
19:41The 1978 Superman helped to restart the character for a new generation, showing off how he could help solve a
19:46Cold War-era crisis.
19:47Hi.
19:50Don't bother, I think it's dead.
19:54Sure it's dead.
19:55Number 30. The Crazies
19:56A virus causing people to commit acts of depraved violence spreads through a small town.
20:01Two survivors, David and Judy, escape in a truck just as the government unleashes a nuclear weapon on the town
20:06in hopes of containing the virus.
20:08The explosion's massive.
20:09Anything?
20:11No.
20:20Though the CGI effects may leave a little to be desired, the ensuing dust form and mushroom clouds are really
20:26effective.
20:26Some may want to dock some points for accuracy since the characters seem to be unharmed by looking directly at
20:31the flash, but all in all, it's a really well done climax.
20:34No.
20:36Sorry, honey.
20:37Number 29. Empire of the Sun.
20:39Steven Spielberg's moving film about a British boy imprisoned in an internment camp in China only briefly touches on the
20:45bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
20:46As young Jim Graham watches over the dead body of his fellow prisoner, he sees the sky set alight.
20:51I saw it.
20:53I saw it.
20:56I saw it.
20:57White light.
21:00I thought it was Mrs. Victor's soul going up to heaven.
21:03A flash from the bombings of Japan some hundreds of miles away soars across the sky above him.
21:08He seems to interpret it as something otherworldly, perhaps godly.
21:11It's a beautiful and unexpectedly serene representation of the bombings.
21:14Jim doesn't know what it is until later.
21:16We only see what he sees.
21:17A beautiful wave of light shooting across the sky.
21:20Atom bomb was like a white light in the sky.
21:30Like God taking a photograph.
21:32Number 28.
21:33Countdown to Looking Glass.
21:35Told entirely through a fictionalized news broadcast, this HBO TV movie from 1984 takes place on the brink of a
21:41third world war.
21:42The broadcast covers increasingly tense global relations as alliances and communication breaks down and militaries advance on one another.
21:49We have no confirmation that nuclear weapons have been used.
21:53You're telling me that mushroom cloud out there is a conventional weapon? Who has release authority in this group? Whose
21:59death charge was that?
22:00Mick, honest to god, I just don't know.
22:02A correspondent reports live from the field when a huge flash explodes.
22:06The anchor can only listen as the reporter covers what we know will be his last story.
22:10Without the benefit of seamless special effects, the movie relies on the breakdown of technology to communicate the helplessness and
22:16horror that would come with the nuclear war.
22:18Reasonable people, once they've looked the devil in the face, aren't going to shake hands with him. What do you
22:23think?
22:25Well, without that constant hope, I guess the human race wouldn't have got this far.
22:29Number 27.
22:30The Return of the Living Dead.
22:32A sequel to the Grindhouse classic Night of the Living Dead, the zombies in this 80s-tastic flick are generally
22:37figures of comedy more than anything else.
22:39I thought you said if we destroyed the brain, it'd die.
22:42It worked in the movie!
22:44Well, it ain't working now.
22:45You mean the movie's live?
22:46Even a nuclear bomb detonation has played for some sick laughs.
22:50When a toxic gas causes an epidemic of reanimated brain-eating corpses, the government eventually does the sensible thing.
22:56It's weird. These people seem to say they've been waiting for this to happen.
22:59Apparently they've got some sort of contingency plan to deal with it.
23:03Well, that's great!
23:04What is this plan?
23:05They nuke the town and everyone in it.
23:07Every character we've come to know and love is annihilated almost instantly.
23:11It may be in line with the movie's irreverent anti-establishment themes, but even if you're prepared for it, it's
23:16still a real downer.
23:17Number 26.
23:18The Peacemaker.
23:19While some movies draw out the effects of the initial explosion, this George Clooney political thriller is almost shockingly efficient.
23:25Khodorov, a traitorous Russian general, arranges a train collision which will detonate a stolen nuclear warhead.
23:31A couple in rural Russia, hearing the train crash, stumble out into the night.
23:34In a flash, the bomb explodes. A white light, then a wall of fire engulfs the entire surrounding area.
23:40The couple represent the thousands killed in the blast.
23:43We don't linger too long. It's as simple as here one minute and gone the next.
23:54Number 25. Damnation Alley.
23:56In this post-apocalyptic thriller, the U.S. suffers a crippling nuclear attack by the Soviet Union.
24:01We see the action first from the confines of a military base.
24:04The bombs are just streaks on a computer display inching their way toward American cities.
24:09Multiple warhead strike confirmed.
24:11Retalatory strike on advisement.
24:12Contact at 265.
24:14Heading 85 degrees. They're unknown.
24:16Jesus.
24:17Then we see the destruction on the ground.
24:19Explosions erupt all over the country, sending eerie fire through the sky.
24:23As if the whole world is burning.
24:24Although the rest of the movie is relatively cheesy,
24:26the juxtaposition between the sterile environment of the military base
24:29and the reality of the bombs falling is deeply unsettling.
24:32Missile strikes confirmed.
24:35Boston.
24:37Philadelphia.
24:38Trenton.
24:40Washington.
24:41D.C.
24:42Detroit.
24:44Pittsburgh.
24:48Number 24. Failsafe.
24:50The Russians are watching their boards trying to figure out who they're up to.
24:53If we can't convince them it's an accident which we're trying to correct by any means,
24:57we're going to have something in our hands that nobody bargained for.
25:01And only a lunatic once.
25:03The bombing in this cold war thriller is left mostly to our imagination.
25:06That's more than enough.
25:07When a computer error accidentally sends a group of American bombers on a mission to destroy Moscow,
25:12the president offers the only solution he can think of.
25:15If their attack on Moscow succeeds,
25:16he will order American planes to bomb New York City as penance to prevent a world war.
25:21He listens in horror as the phone line to Moscow goes dead with a loud deafening beep.
25:25I can hear the sound of explosions from the northeast.
25:29The sky is very bright.
25:31All lit up.
25:33He makes good on his promise.
25:34The flattening of New York is represented in a series of still images and fast zooms.
25:38Then only the sounds of explosions.
25:50Watching it now is shocking and audiences in 1964 must have been horrified.
25:54Number 23.
25:55True Lies.
25:56The stakes of James Cameron's zany spy thriller may be life and death,
26:00but the tone is a lot lighter than you might expect.
26:02Are we gonna die?
26:04Yep.
26:06I'd say it's working.
26:07Having saved her from the bad guys, secret agent Harry Tasker and his wife Helen share a celebratory embrace on
26:12the highway.
26:13In what is easily one of the most innocuous and fun nuclear detonations on this list,
26:17the nuke that goes off in True Lies serves as a romantic backdrop for their kiss.
26:21While in real life this probably wouldn't be as much of a shrug, that's what movie magic is all about.
26:26And with all the death and devastation on this list, at least it's memorable for something other than the destruction.
26:30You should be safe here.
26:41This is the wrong finger.
26:43Number 22.
26:44Fat Man and Little Boy.
26:45Before Christopher Nolan turned his attention to the discovery of the atom bomb,
26:49this underrated historical drama about the Manhattan Project dramatized the Trinity tests.
26:54Paul Newman stars as General Leslie Groves, the officer who oversaw the project.
26:58Whatever gives you the sweats, keeps you up at night, whatever, all of that, belongs to the United States Army.
27:11Or to me, if that makes you feel more comfortable.
27:14In its climax, the bomb is tested against a classical music score that lends an air of almost satirical levity
27:20to the proceedings.
27:21J. Robert Oppenheimer's mouth is blown open by the blast in an undignified and almost comical way.
27:37Then the reality sets in.
27:39The bomb is a success.
27:40The world is forever changed.
27:42Number 21.
27:43The Avengers.
27:43I can close it.
27:46Can anybody copy?
27:48I can shut the portal down.
27:49Do it!
27:50No, wait.
27:51Stark, these things are still coming.
27:53I got a nuke coming in.
27:54It's gonna blow in less than a minute.
27:55This team really has their hands full.
27:57If they're not saving New York from an invasion of Chitauri, they're attempting to defuse a potential nuclear attack.
28:03Fearing the Chitauri invasion, the World Security Council launches a nuke at Manhattan.
28:08Director Fury, the council has made a decision.
28:12I recognize the council has made a decision.
28:15But given that it's a stupid ass decision, I've elected to ignore it.
28:18What results is pure action cinema.
28:20Iron Man intercepts the nuke and uses it to destroy the Chitauri mothership.
28:34The spectacle is fantastic, but what works best here is the emotion.
28:38Tony is fully aware of the danger and calls Pepper to say goodbye, but to no avail.
28:43Robert Downey Jr. is superb, conveying fear, anxiety, and eventual heartbreak with nothing but his facial expressions.
28:50Number 20.
28:51American Assassin.
28:52We've seen a ton of nuclear detonations on screen, but few that have occurred underwater.
28:57American Assassin tried doing something a little different and it worked out wonderfully.
29:01If we take out his boat, it'll detonate.
29:04If it goes off above the water line...
29:06Dust, we fall out all over the mainland.
29:09After killing Ghost, Rap drops the nuclear bomb into the water and it goes off in a spectacular display.
29:14The nuke creates a massive hole in the ocean causing nearby ships to break apart,
29:18and even generates an enormous tidal wave that engulfs everything in its path.
29:22This is great entertainment and the idea of doing it in the water was fresh and ingenious.
29:27If we don't engage, that guarantees detonation.
29:30I understand there's a risk, but this is the best chance we've got.
29:32Number 19.
29:33The Divide.
29:34Most movies work their way up to a devastating nuclear attack.
29:37The Divide opens with one.
29:39As the film begins, New York City is slammed by numerous nuclear explosions.
29:43The image is a startling one.
29:45A large mushroom cloud rises from the impact zone.
29:48Dust billows through the streets and the apocalyptic yellow sky sparkles with lightning.
29:59As this is a low budget movie, we don't see much of the attack itself.
30:02Rather, the movie switches focus to the immediate aftermath and panic.
30:06However, this is a welcome shift as it horrifyingly depicts the fright and hysteria that accompanies a disaster.
30:12It's a haunting opening to a haunting movie.
30:15After a blast, everything gets vaporized and sucked up into the atmosphere and rains back down to earth.
30:26Number 18.
30:27When the Wind Blows.
30:28A heartbreaking piece of animation, When the Wind Blows follows a loving elderly couple who attempt to survive in a
30:34nuclear ravaged England.
30:36The story takes place during the Soviet-Afghan war and presents an alternate reality in which England was hit by
30:42a nuclear bomb.
30:43An enemy missile attack has been launched against this country.
30:47It is estimated that the missiles will arrive in approximately three minutes.
30:51Jim and Hilda hide in their makeshift shelter while the world-ending destruction occurs outside.
30:57Said destruction is both gorgeously animated and tragically evocative, depicting images straight out of a Cold War nightmare.
31:03The movie portrays a real-life fear through the magic of animation and it does so in strikingly vivid fashion.
31:18Number 17.
31:19Testament.
31:20Nuclear movies were very popular back in the 80s as Cold War fears plagued the collective mind of America.
31:26Testament is one of those movies, depicting a small suburb in the midst of a nuclear event.
31:31The bombing scene is ingeniously filmed, favoring realism over cinematics.
31:36This is San Francisco.
31:38We have lost our New York signal.
31:40Radar sources confirm the explosion of nuclear devices there in New York and up and down the East Coast.
31:48The Weatherly family experiences the bombing through the likes of distressed news anchors.
31:52The emergency broadcast system cut electricity and air raid sirens.
31:56This is a petrifying scene that scares the viewers through authenticity.
32:00This is how a good number of Americans would experience a nuclear strike.
32:04Not through a massive mushroom cloud, but through sheer panic and a frightening disruption of everyday routine.
32:10Hello?
32:12Mom!
32:13Mom!
32:14Mom!
32:14Get away from that window!
32:15No!
32:17Get down there!
32:18Number 16.
32:19Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines.
32:21We thought that Terminator 2 gave the story a happy ending.
32:24We were wrong.
32:25One of the most surprising aspects of Terminator 3 is the incredibly gutsy and dour ending.
32:30John and Kate are sent to Crystal Peak, which is believed to be connected to Skynet.
32:34However, they quickly realize that it's a military fallout shelter and that they were sent there for protection.
32:39Why did he lead us down here?
32:47To live.
32:48As they make this realization, the world is bombarded with Skynet's nuclear strikes and Judgment Day officially begins.
32:55It's a stellar twist that contains some shocking visuals and nicely places John on his predetermined path as a military
33:01leader.
33:02What the hell is happening?
33:04Who's in charge there?
33:12I am.
33:14Number 15.
33:15By Dawn's Early Life.
33:16This movie was released in May of 1990 and as such is one of the last of the aforementioned Cold
33:21War movies.
33:22It's based on William Prochnow's novel, Trinity's Child, which accurately depicts the consequences of a nuclear war between the United
33:29States and the Soviet Union.
33:31We have a preliminary missile trajectory moving north, northeast from Turkey to the Soviet border, sir.
33:36The movie features a number of nuclear blasts, including one that hits the White House and blows out its windows.
33:41Another forces down the president's helicopter, which causes many to presume that he's dead.
33:46The limited TV budget does what it can with the visuals, but our imaginations are more than capable of filling
33:52in the nauseating details.
33:55Tyler, they're dead.
33:59Everybody, you got that? They're dead!
34:02Number 14. Independence Day.
34:03This over-the-top classic is fondly remembered for the alien attack sequence in which the UFO beams decimate numerous
34:10American landmarks, but it also contains some killer nuclear bomb sequences.
34:14In the first, a nuke is dropped on an alien spaceship above Houston.
34:18We are on station and awaiting instructions.
34:20Roger.
34:20Brake formation. Head to target.
34:23The explosion is magnificent, but it fails to destroy the ship.
34:27In the second, a nuke is deployed in the alien's mothership and the entire thing erupts in a brilliant flash
34:32of blue lights.
34:33This is pure summer blockbuster escapism, featuring a nuclear bomb, some hilarious banter, and a masterfully filmed escape sequence that
34:40leaves viewers white-knuckled and smiling.
34:42It's a legendary ending to a legendary movie.
34:46Left, left. Tunnel, tunnel. Exit, exit, left.
34:49Why the hell do you think I'm going?
34:50Number 13. Armageddon.
34:52This is perhaps the Michael Bay-est of all the Michael Bay movies.
34:55A humongous asteroid is headed straight to Earth, so NASA trains a group of oil drillers to become astronauts, sends
35:01them into space, and has them drill a nuclear weapon into the core of the asteroid.
35:04It's ridiculous and it's tons of fun.
35:06Yeah, one more thing. None of them want to pay taxes again. Ever.
35:19Harry stays behind to activate the nuke, saving the world just in the nick of time.
35:23The resulting explosion is awe-inspiring, and it elicits loud cheers from both the audience and the characters in the
35:28movie.
35:29But we are also wiping away tears as Harry's goodbye to his daughter, Grace, is enough to make even the
35:33toughest among us weep.
35:35It all combines to create a majestic and unforgettable climax.
35:38Colonel Willie Sharpe, United States Air Force, ma'am.
35:42Requesting permission to shake the hand of the daughter of the bravest man I've ever met.
35:49Number 12. The Sum of All Fears.
35:51For this Jack Ryan reboot, Ben Affleck took over the role from Harrison Ford and is tasked with stopping a
35:57fascist from starting a nuclear war.
35:59He has a bomb built in secrecy and drops it on Baltimore in an attempt to frame the Russians.
36:14The entire sequence is filled with great tension, and the resulting destruction is nothing short of harrowing.
36:19Thanks to the movie's high budget, we are given various spine-chilling sights.
36:23A hospital blows up and sends all the employees flying, cars are violently knocked off roads, and Jack's helicopter is
36:29thrown out of the air.
36:35It's a very impressive sequence, and it's arguably one of the best moments in the Jack Ryan franchise.
36:41Number 11. Broken Arrow.
36:43John Woo certainly knows how to direct an action sequence.
36:45Christian Slater plays Riley Hale, an Air Force pilot who must contend with John Travolta's Vic Deakins.
36:51Deakins is extorting the American government with two nuclear weapons.
36:55Hale recovers one of the bombs and stows it down an abandoned copper mine, where it proceeds to detonate.
37:07The plan mostly works, as the explosion causes the ground to shake and ripple, and a vast sinkhole is created
37:12near the mine shaft.
37:13An approaching helicopter is also disabled, and it explodes in a gigantic fireball.
37:18The scene contains some accomplished filmmaking and stunt work, and Travolta chews the scenery as the bad guy.
37:24What's not to love?
37:25S-E-M-P. Electromagnetic pulse. Nuclear bass sends it out for miles. Everything electronic shuts down, including choppers and
37:32radios.
37:33Number 10. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
37:36Whatever your thoughts on the scene are, this could very well be one of the defining moments of 2000 cinema.
37:41Indiana Jones is kidnapped by KGB agents, but eventually escapes and makes his way to a model town.
37:47This town is being used for atomic testing, and Indy is right on time.
37:50All personnel, it is now one minute to zero time.
37:54Put on goggles or turn away.
37:57Fearing the imminent blast, Indy hides inside a lead-lined fridge and is sent hurtling through the air as the
38:02nuclear bomb strikes.
38:03The scene is filled with some terrific visual effects as the shock wave obliterates houses and sets nearby mannequins on
38:10fire.
38:10It looks suitably apocalyptic, especially when Indy climbs out of the fridge and gazes upon the towering mushroom cloud.
38:17Steven Spielberg knows how to bring the spectacle.
38:29Number 9. The Dark Knight Rises.
38:31There's nothing like a good heroic sacrifice to make us tear up.
38:35Realizing that there's no stopping Bane's bomb, Batman decides to sacrifice himself for the good of Gotham.
38:40He attaches the bomb to the Batplane.
38:42Touchingly reveals his identity to Gordon and flies over the water to his presumed doom.
38:47A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a
38:52young boy's shoulders to let him know the world hadn't ended.
38:56Of course, the Bat isn't really gone, but that doesn't quell the power of the scene.
39:00Like all of Christopher Nolan's best work, this sequence combines breathtaking filmmaking with an undercurrent of rich emotion.
39:07And it makes for an amazing conclusion to his historic Dark Knight trilogy.
39:14That's detonation.
39:22It's out over the bay, it's clear of the city.
39:26Number 8. The Wolverine.
39:27This movie begins with a bang, quite literally.
39:30It opens in August of 1945, shortly before Nagasaki is decimated by the atom bomb.
39:36Logan is being held as a prisoner of war when Fat Man is dropped on the city.
39:47The event is shown in explicit detail.
39:49We see Fat Man quickly falling towards the ground and we see the colossal explosion and mushroom cloud that results
39:55from it.
39:56The scene also contains some pulse-pounding tension as the dust cloud quickly travels toward Logan and Ichiro
40:02and forces Logan to take some drastic measures that leave him literally scarred.
40:14The visuals are sensational as is the cacophonous sound design.
40:18Now this is how you open a movie.
40:20Number 7. Barefoot Gen.
40:22While we're on the subject of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, let's discuss Barefoot Gen.
40:26This is an anime from 1983 that follows Gen Nakaoka during the bombing of Hiroshima.
40:37The city is destroyed while Gen is at school and what result is one of the most imaginative sequences ever
40:46seen in an anime.
40:47Animation can do wondrous and lushly imaginative things and this sequence gets incredibly stylish.
40:52The visuals are boundless in their creativity and they also pack a devastating emotional punch.
40:57The scene is unbelievably graphic and disturbing, conveying a sense of nightmarish surrealism that live action simply can't capture.
41:04You're gonna need some eye bleach after seeing this one.
41:13Number 6. King of the Monsters
41:16Godzilla has a long history with nuclear weapons and radiation, but we've never seen anything quite like this.
41:21Godzilla, King of the Monsters, ramps up the action to enjoyably absurd heights and features a highly memorable sequence involving
41:29a nuclear warhead.
41:30To bring Godzilla back to full HP, Sarazawa sacrifices himself and quite literally detonates a nuke right next to the
41:37resting behemoth.
41:45The scene features some amazing sights and is suitably epic in scale, with Godzilla City and the underwater explosion being
41:51genuinely stunning.
41:52It looks cool, it sounds cool, and it's a definite high point of the Godzilla franchise.
42:05Number 5. Oppenheimer
42:07Christopher Nolan's bracing and cerebral biopic about the father of the atomic bomb culminates in the truly mesmerizing and utterly
42:14terrifying real-life Trinity test.
42:16What sets it apart is how Nolan and company choose to capture the moment.
42:19The magnitude of this bomb can't be conveyed in just a simple light, flash and a boom.
42:33This isn't just a bomb, they've opened Pandora's box.
42:36It's a monster, a destructive force unleashed on an unsuspecting world.
42:40We get the light, but we don't get the catharsis of the boom.
42:43We barely get any sound at all, instead the mushroom of fire and ash seems to go on forever, burning
42:48through space and maybe even time.
42:50I am become death, destroyer of worlds.
43:00Number 4. The Day After
43:02This apocalyptic television film from Nicholas Meyer is historic, capturing a 62% share in over 100 million viewers.
43:09Its subject matter was topical and it touched on collective fears that hundreds of millions were experiencing.
43:14The man on the radio said there might be a war. He's saying how we should unplug all our radio
43:20and TV and stuff. There's not going to be a war, is there?
43:24The attack segment is especially brutal, depicting a realistic sense of pandemonium and destruction that would occur with a nuclear
43:31strike.
43:31It is impeccably acted in shot, featuring high production values and plenty of unforgettable imagery.
43:37The visceral impact of the sequence lingers long after the credits have rolled, and it serves as a perfect representation
43:42of that distinctive Cold War paranoia.
43:53Number 3. Threads
43:55This movie aired on the BBC in September of 1984 and earned instant acclaim for its production values and harrowing
44:02realism.
44:03Threads accurately examines nuclear war and the resulting fallout, and the initial bombing scene is particularly distressing.
44:17Watching this can make viewers feel genuinely stressed.
44:20So perturbing are its visuals, chaotic editing and sound design.
44:23Movies like this aren't designed for entertainment. This was a warning, and a superbly effective warning at that.
44:30Luckily, the horrors of this scene never came to fruition during the Cold War, but it was a very real
44:35and very unnerving possibility.
44:46Number 2. Terminator 2. Judgment Day
44:49James Cameron is a masterful filmmaker, and this is arguably one of his greatest sequences.
44:55And that's saying a lot. Sarah suffers a nightmare in which she envisions Judgment Day.
44:59She's watching an innocent day at the park when a nuke strikes Los Angeles.
45:11The visual effects and cinematography throughout the scene are astonishing.
45:15The events are lit with an eerie and apocalyptic orange glow, and we watch in horror as buildings and vehicles
45:21are ripped apart like paper.
45:22And that's nothing compared to the unimaginable horrors back at the park.
45:26We can't imagine the terror of nuclear devastation, and hopefully this is the closest that we'll get.
45:31It's plenty close for us, thank you very much.
45:33God, you think you're safe and alive? You're already dead. Everybody, him you, you're dead already! This whole place, everything
45:42you see is gone!
45:43Number 1. Doctor Strangelove
45:45Okay, enough of the disturbing stuff. How about some comedy?
45:48Well, black comedy involving nuclear weapons and the end of the world, but comedy nonetheless.
45:53Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room!
45:56Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece ends in memorable fashion with Kong riding the hydrogen bomb down to its target.
46:01It's an iconic image, and also a gloriously bizarre one.
46:05Following some further hilarity in the war room, the movie ends with a montage of real nuclear bombs destroying the
46:10world while Vera Lynn's Will Meet Again plays over the footage.
46:13It's one of the most startlingly impactful endings in movie history, and its sardonic qualities could only come from the
46:19genius mind of Kubrick.
46:20But I know we'll meet again, some sunny day!