Highest-Rated Movies about 'Nuclear Attack', Sort by Popularity

The War Game (1966), When the Wind Blows (1986), The Day After (1983), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), Fail-Safe (1964), By Dawn's Early Light (1990), The Bedford Incident (1965), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Nuclear Attack movies.

#2. When the Wind Blows (1986)

Storyline: In this hand-drawn animated tale, elderly married couple Hilda (Peggy Ashcroft) and Jim Bloggs (John Mills) have their quiet, simple lives in the English countryside interrupted when they learn of an impending nuclear attack. Not completely understanding the gravity of their situation, Hilda and Jim react archaically and insufficiently after the attack -- and the film takes a dark turn as the radiation begins taking its toll on the unsuspecting couple.

Plot Keywords: retiree, wife, husband, amusing, disheartening, sad, sussex, england ...

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#4. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Storyline: Paranoid Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper of Burpelson Air Force Base, believing that fluoridation of the American water supply is a Soviet plot to poison the U.S. populace, is able to deploy through a back door mechanism a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union without the knowledge of his superiors, including the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Buck Turgidson, and President Merkin Muffley. Only Ripper knows the code to recall the B-52 bombers and he has shut down communication in and out of Burpelson as a measure to protect this attack. Ripper's executive officer, RAF Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (on exchange from Britain), who is being held at Burpelson by Ripper, believes he knows the recall codes if he can only get a message to the outside world. Meanwhile at the Pentagon War Room, key persons including Muffley, Turgidson and nuclear scientist and adviser, a former Nazi named Dr. Strangelove, are discussing measures to stop the attack or mitigate its blow-up into an all ...

Plot Keywords: military officer, russian general, president, pilot, scientist, witty, creative ...

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#6. By Dawn's Early Light (1990)

Storyline: A nuclear warhead launched by Soviet insurgents protesting the waning Cold War destroys the Ukrainian city of Donetsk. The destruction sets off a race between American and Soviet politicians to prevent a nuclear holocaust. While the U.S. president (Martin Landau) feverishly works to keep the military and political machine from going into overdrive, various subordinates panic. When the president is believed to be killed in a helicopter crash, zealous advisers take over.

Plot Keywords: renegade, president, politician, cabinet minister, pilot, intense, incredible ...

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#7. The Bedford Incident (1965)

Storyline: Richard Widmark plays a hardened cold-warrior and captain of the American destroyer USS Bedford. Sidney Poitier is a reporter given permission to interview the captain during a routine patrol. Poitier gets more than he bargained for when the Bedford discovers a Soviet sub in the depths and the captain begins a relentless pursuit, pushing his crew to the breaking point. This one's grim tension to the end.—KC Hunt <khunt@eng.morgan.edu>

Plot Keywords: reporter, naval officer, commodore, seaman, captain, tense, chilling ...

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#8. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

Storyline: In the 1960s with the Cold War in play, CIA agent Napoleon Solo successfully helps Gaby Teller defect to West Germany despite the intimidating opposition of KGB agent Illya Kuryakin. Later, all three unexpectedly find themselves working together in a joint mission to stop a private criminal organization from using Gaby's father's scientific expertise to construct their own nuclear bomb. Through clenched teeth and stylish poise, all three must find a way to cooperate for the sake of world peace, even as they each pursue their own agendas.

Plot Keywords: cia agent, kgb agent, daughter, scientist, villain, president, charming ...

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#9. WarGames (1983)

Storyline: A young computer whiz kid accidentally connects into a top secret super-computer which has complete control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal. It challenges him to a game between America and Russia, and he innocently starts the countdown to World War 3. Can he convince the computer he wanted to play a game and not the real thing ?

Plot Keywords: hacker, girlfriend, friend, doctor, programmer, military officer, tense ...

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#10. Colossus: The Forbin Project (1969)

Storyline: Forbin is the designer of an incredibly sophisticated computer that will run all of America's nuclear defenses. Shortly after being turned on, it detects the existence of Guardian, the Soviet counterpart, previously unknown to US Planners. Both computers insist that they be linked, and after taking safeguards to preserve confidential material, each side agrees to allow it. As soon as the link is established the two become a new Super computer and threaten the world with the immediate launch of nuclear weapons if they are detached. Colossus begins to give its plans for the management of the world under its guidance. Forbin and the other scientists form a technological resistance to Colossus which must operate underground.—John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Keywords: scientist, president, computer, russian, politician, tense, bleak ...

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#12. Miracle Mile (1988)

Storyline: A young man meets and falls in love with a young woman at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. This area is known as Miracle Mile, and the whole movie takes place there. They make a date, which he misses, and while he is searching for her, he accidentally finds out that we (the United States) are about to start a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. He frantically searches for her so that they can escape Los Angeles.—Mark Logan <marklo@west.sun.com>

Plot Keywords: musician, waitress, homeless person, stockbroker, restaurant owner, transvestite, tense ...

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#14. Above and Beyond (1953)

Storyline: 1943. In viewing an act of subordination, Maj. Gen. Vernon C. Brent of the US Air Force decides to take a chance in appointing Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets, the said insubordinate, to lead the testing of a new long range bomber, Boeing's B-29, for use in military service, as the plane operates like a dream in ideal conditions, but is known to be a deathtrap in extreme conditions often faced by the military. The General has a long term plan about which he does not inform Paul at this stage, but which is designed as a preemptive measure designed to end the war, the Allieds who seem to be losing: drop an atomic bomb, which is being developed in a top secret mission called the Manhattan Project, on a major Japanese city. While the testing of the bomber is a dangerous mission in and of itself, each progressive step along the way to the end goal becomes increasingly dangerous and difficult. When the team, including the Manhattan project researchers, come together at Wendover Air Force base in Utah to do the final testing with Paul the commanding officer, security will be paramount, where only a handful of people know the full story, all others will only know their small part of the entire plan, and when questioned one is supposed to answer evasively in not saying anything. As such, Paul has a zero tolerance policy for anyone breaking this protocol. Who are seen as the biggest security risks in total secrecy are the wives, who may talk out of turn at the proverbial hairdressers if they know too much. Although used to secrecy, Paul's wife, Lucey Tibbets, may not be able to withstand what Paul has turned into all in the name of national security in she not knowing what's going on. Also placing the mission at risk is Paul himself, who admits solely to himself that he is scared in wondering if the lives of innocent Japanese justifies the end of a better world if the mission is successful.—Huggo

Plot Keywords: pilot, commander, wife, captain, colonel, bleak, emotional ...

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#15. Testament (1983)

Storyline: Nuclear war in the United States is portrayed in a realistic and believable manner. The story is told through the eyes of a woman who is struggling to take care of her family. The entire movie takes place in a small suburban town outside San Francisco. After the nuclear attack, contact with the outside world is pretty much cut off.—Mark Logan <marklo@west.sun.com>

Plot Keywords: mother, father, son, daughter, neighbor, disturbing, dark ...

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