Nuclear war movies and TV shows

The list contains the best, new and most relevant nuclear war movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out serious, suspenseful, apocalyptic, realistic, bleak and suspense films and TV shows about / with nuclear war, nuclear holocaust, apocalypse, danger, disaster, post apocalypse, end of the world, nuclear threat, distopia and chaos plots mostly in Drama, Sci-Fi and Thriller genres shot in USA, UK, Canada and other countries.
nuclear war
 193
nuclear war movies
TOP 10 movies tagged as nuclear war: The Day After (1983), Miracle Mile (1988), Testament (1983), Countdown to Looking Glass (1984), By Dawn's Early Light (1990), The Divide (2011), The Sum of All Fears (2002), War Book (2014), Black Garden (2019), WarGames (1983).

List of nuclear war movies

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 7.0
 18K
The Day After (1983)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story: The film portrays a fictional nuclear war between NATO forces and the Warsaw Pact that rapidly escalates into a full scale exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union, focusing on the residents of Lawrence, Kansas, and Kansas City, ...
Style: disturbing, futuristic, apocalyptic, harsh, serious ...
Plot: cold war, nuclear war, disaster, post apocalypse, apocalypse, catastrophe, nuclear holocaust, radiation, end of the world, dystopia, nuclear threat, nuclear ...
Time: 80s, future, distant future, 20th century
Place: usa, kansas, soviet union, missouri, ussr ...
Is relevant ?
 7.0
 12K
Miracle Mile (1988)
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story: After 30 years of searching, Harry (Edwards) has finally met the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, before they even have a chance to go on their first date, Harry intercepts some chilling news: WWIII has begun and nuclear missiles will destroy Los ...
Style: suspenseful, bleak, suspense, surreal, futuristic ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: end of the world, nuclear war, night, apocalypse, survival, nuclear holocaust, race against time, coffee shop, post apocalyptic, panic, danger, love affair ...
Time: 80s
Place: los angeles
Is relevant ?
 6.9
 7K
Testament (1983)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story: 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 ...
Style: depressing, disturbing, bleak, emotional, tense ...
Plot: nuclear war, cold war, nuclear holocaust, dystopian future, apocalypse, post apocalypse, tragedy, small town, death, visceral, danger, life is a bitch ...
Time: 20th century, future, year 1983, 80s, near future
Place: california, usa, bay area
Is relevant ?
Countdown to Looking Glass (1984)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story: A fictional confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Persian Gulf. The narrative of the film details the events that lead up to the initial exchange of nuclear weapons from the ...
Style: apocalyptic, tragic ending, mockumentary
Plot: nuclear holocaust, nuclear war, disaster, apocalypse, cold war, found footage, post apocalypse, u.s. president, president, catastrophe, distopia, post apocalyptic ...
Place: usa, soviet union, saudi arabia, middle east
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
By Dawn's Early Light (1990)
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story: When a nuclear missile is launched by presumably Soviet forces toward Turkey, the beginning of the ultimate war to end all wars WW 3 is started. Powers Boothe, his girlfriend and copilot Rebecca DeMornay and their flight crew take off in a B 52 on ...
Style: serious, suspenseful, bleak, independent film, suspense ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: nuclear war, nuclear holocaust, world war three, apocalypse, nato, nuclear threat, aviation, post apocalypse, politics, doom, flying, cold war ...
Time: 80s, 90s, year 1991
Place: usa, nebraska, ussr, washington d.c., soviet union ...
Is relevant ?
 5.8
 38K
The Divide (2011)
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany, Canada, France
Duration: 112 min.
Story: Survivors of a nuclear attack are grouped together for days in the basement of their apartment building, where fear and dwindling supplies wear away at their dynamic.
Style: suspense, tense, apocalyptic, bleak, disturbing ...
Plot: survival, isolation, survival horror, torment, nuclear holocaust, losing-it hero, disaster, social decay, group of strangers, apocalypse, confined, danger ...
Time: 2010s, future, 21st century
Place: usa, new york, north korea
Is relevant ?
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: USA, Germany, Canada
Duration: 124 min.
Story: When the president of Russia suddenly dies, a man whose politics are virtually unknown succeeds him. The change in political leaders sparks paranoia among American CIA officials, so CIA director Bill Cabot recruits a young analyst to supply insight ...
Style: suspenseful, suspense, exciting, political, tense ...
Audience: kids
Plot: spy, cia, cold war, terrorism, espionage, nuclear war, secret agent, terrorist, nuclear bomb, nuclear explosion, nuclear threat, covert operation ...
Time: year 2002, 90s, year 1973, 2000s, 20th century ...
Place: maryland, israel, russia, washington d.c., chechnya ...
Is relevant ?
 6.8
 707
War Book (2014)
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 92 min.
Story: In a contemporary Commons briefing room, a government minister and several aids enact the ‘war book’ exercise: a protocol written in the 1950s which is periodically played out to test post-nuclear scenarios. Low-budget but high-concept, War Book ...
Style: serious, suspenseful, tense, thought provoking, bleak ...
Plot: politics, nuclear explosion, nuclear war, danger, chaos, international crisis, state affairs, international relations, terrorism, end of the world, terrorist attack, government official ...
Time: 21st century
Place: india, england, london, mumbai india, pakistan
Is relevant ?
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Genre: Comedy, War
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story: After the insane General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, a war room full of politicians, generals and a Russian diplomat all frantically try to stop the nuclear strike.
Style: black comedy, black and white, dark comedy, political, funny ...
Audience: chick flick
Plot: cold war, military, satire, nuclear war, nuclear threat, anti war, disaster, doomsday, nuclear holocaust, u.s. president, nuclear, president ...
Time: 20th century, 60s, year 1942
Place: soviet union, washington d.c., persia, united kingdom, britain ...
Is relevant ?
 3.7
 3K
Black Garden (2019)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Country: Australia
Duration: 90 min.
Story: Set on Christmas Eve, eight days after the war ends, survivor Kate discovers a mysterious radio signal and befriends the voice. As she embarks on a journey to find its origins, Kate encounters the isolation and horror of a nuclear war and the failed ...
Style: neo noir, psychotronic, dark, suspense, crying ...
Plot: distopia, nuclear war, survival, world war three, strong female lead, false identity, murder, isolation, politics, military, lie, betrayal ...
Is relevant ?
 7.1
 110K
WarGames (1983)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story: High School student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) has a talent for hacking. But while trying to hack into a computer system to play unreleased video games, he unwittingly taps into the Defense Department's war computer and initiates a ...
Style: clever, futuristic, tense, cyber, suspenseful ...
Audience: teens, kids, family outing, teen drama
Plot: cold war, hacker, computer, computer hacker, teenager, nuclear threat, hacking, computer cracker, computer genius, chess, artificial intelligence, nuclear war ...
Time: 80s, 20th century, year 1983
Place: seattle, oregon, washington state, usa, ussr ...
Is relevant ?
 8.0
 24K
Fail-Safe (1964)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story: Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little time to prevent an atomic catastrophe from occurring. Director Sidney Lumet gives an atmospheric ...
Style: tense, political thriller, political, realistic, bleak ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: cold war, nuclear holocaust, nuclear war, nuclear threat, politics, military, u.s. air force, atomic bomb, nuclear, chaos, radio, president ...
Time: 20th century, 60s, year 1967
Place: russia, new york, usa, moscow russia, washington d.c. ...
Is relevant ?
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 8.0
 7K
The War Game (1966)
Genre: Drama, War
Country: UK
Duration: 48 min.
Story: A docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain.
Style: apocalyptic, controversial, mockumentary, disturbing, futuristic ...
Plot: nuclear war, cold war, nuclear threat, apocalypse, post apocalypse, dystopia, nuclear holocaust, found footage, distopia, nuclear disaster, post apocalyptic, nuclear ...
Time: year 1965, distant future, 60s, future
Place: europe, england, britain
Is relevant ?
 6.9
 4K
On the Beach (2000)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Australia, USA
Duration: 195 min.
Story: The world has finally managed to blow itself up and only Australia has been spared from nuclear destruction and a gigantic wave of radiation is floating in on the breezes. One American sub located in the Pacific has survived and is met with disdain ...
Style: tense, apocalyptic, serious, suspense, exciting ...
Plot: nuclear, nuclear holocaust, apocalypse, nuclear war, save the world, atomic bomb, post nuclear, post apocalypse, survival, heroic mission, race against time, chaos ...
Time: future, 21st century
Place: australia, asia
Is relevant ?
 6.5
 788
World War III (1982)
Genre: Drama, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Duration: 200 min.
TV show
Story: Soviet paratroopers drop into Alaska to sabotage the oil pipeline in retaliation against a United States grain embargo. A skirmish occurs at a pumping station, lightly defended by Col. Jake Caffey and a National Guard reckon unit. A stalemate ensues ...
Style: serious, realistic, exciting, epic, rough ...
Plot: world war three, cold war, president, u.s. president, spy, apocalypse, end of the world, disaster, spy thriller, distopia, world war, die hard ...
Time: 80s, year 1987, near future
Place: alaska, russia, usa, moscow russia, soviet union
Is relevant ?
 7.4
 7K
Fail Safe (2000)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story: Cold War tensions climb to a fever pitch when a U.S. bomber is accidentally ordered to drop a nuclear warhead on Moscow.
Style: tense, captivating, serious, suspenseful, political ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: cold war, nuclear threat, aviation, moral dilemma, nuclear holocaust, politics, military life, disaster, danger, military, race against time, chaos ...
Time: 90s
Place: russia
Is relevant ?
 6.4
 3K
Deterrence (1999)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story: The President of the United States must deal with an international military crisis while confined to a Colorado diner during a freak snowstorm.
Style: tense, suspenseful, independent film, talky, serious ...
Plot: nuclear war, nuclear, politics, nuclear threat, diner, nuclear bomb, president, government, american politics, politician, nuclear holocaust, snow ...
Time: future, year 1999, 2000s, year 2008, near future ...
Place: iraq, colorado, usa, korea, baghdad iraq
Is relevant ?
O-Bi, O-Ba - The End of Civilization (1985)
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Poland
Duration: 88 min.
Story: Set in an underground dungeon inhabited by bundled, ragged human beings, after the nuclear holocaust. The story follows the wanderings of a hero through the situations of survival. People wait for the Ark to arrive and rescue them while their ...
Style: art house, apocalyptic, psychotronic, crying, ambiguous ending ...
Plot: post apocalypse, nuclear war, post apocalyptic, nuclear holocaust, distopia, dystopia, apocalypse, love letter, european, renaissance, wasteland, winter ...
Time: distant future, near future
Place: eastern europe, central europe
Is relevant ?
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 7.4
 500
Day One (1989)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 141 min.
Story: Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard leaves Europe, eventually arriving in the United States. With the help of Einstein, he persuades the government to build an atomic bomb. The project is given to no-nonsense Gen. Leslie Groves who selects physicist J. ...
Style: tense, thought provoking, captivating, realistic, serious
Plot: atomic bomb, world war two, nuclear war, nuclear holocaust, super weapon, nuclear, cold war, holocaust, terrorism, war, atomic weapons, politics ...
Time: 1930s, 1940s, 20th century
Place: usa, new mexico, london, hiroshima japan, chicago ...
Is relevant ?
 7.9
 59K
Jericho (2006)
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story: Jericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States.
Style: captivating, apocalyptic, serious, suspenseful, tense ...
Audience: boys' night, adult
Plot: survival, post apocalypse, apocalypse, chaos, post nuclear, small town, disaster, danger, nuclear holocaust, leadership, distopia, courage ...
Time: future, 2000s, 21st century
Place: kansas, usa
Is relevant ?
Right at Your Door (2006)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: A dirty bomb goes off in Los Angeles, jamming freeways and spreading a toxic cloud.
Style: suspenseful, serious, rough, tense, futuristic ...
Plot: infection, isolation, terrorism, post apocalypse, disaster, epidemic, couples, toxic, save the day, danger, race against time, virus ...
Time: future, distant future, year 2006
Place: los angeles, california, usa
Is relevant ?
When the Wind Blows (1986)
Genre: Animation, Drama, War
Country: UK
Duration: 84 min.
Story: With the help of government-issued pamphlets, an elderly British couple build a shelter and prepare for an impending nuclear attack, unaware that times and the nature of war have changed from their romantic memories of World War II
Style: adult animation, bleak, apocalyptic, disturbing, realistic ...
Audience: kids, adult
Plot: nuclear holocaust, nuclear war, cold war, nuclear threat, tragedy, apocalypse, countryside, nuclear disaster, epidemic, chaos, post apocalyptic, distopia ...
Time: 20th century, year 1986, distant future, 80s
Place: england, europe
Is relevant ?
 7.2
 253K
The Road (2009)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story: A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind and water. It is cold enough to crack stones, and, when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the ...
Style: bleak, harsh, depressing, rough, suspense ...
Audience: adult
Plot: survival, apocalypse, post apocalypse, post apocalyptic, distopia, father son relationship, cannibalism, end of the world, dystopia, starvation, on the road, catastrophe ...
Time: future, year 2009, near future, 20th century, 2000s ...
Place: pittsburgh, usa
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
Z for Zachariah (2015)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Iceland, Switzerland, USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story: In the wake of a nuclear war, a young woman survives on her own, fearing she may actually be the proverbial last woman on earth, until she discovers the most astonishing sight of her life: another human being. A distraught scientist, he’s nearly ...
Style: tense, bleak, suspense, suspenseful, apocalyptic ...
Audience: teens
Plot: survival, post apocalypse, apocalypse, love triangle, end of the world, survivor, post apocalyptic, radiation, nuclear war, farm, distopia, isolation ...
Time: future, 2010s, 21st century
Place: usa
Is relevant ?
Special Bulletin (1983)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story: A TV reporter and cameraman are taken hostage on a tugboat while covering a workers strike. The demands of the hostage-takers are to collect all the nuclear detonators in the Charleston, SC area so they may be detonated at sea. They threaten to ...
Style: bad ending, captivating, thought provoking, psychological, serious ...
Plot: found footage, nuclear holocaust, post apocalypse, nuclear, nuclear war, terrorism, end of the world, president, u.s. president, disaster, cold war, witch ...
Time: 80s
Place: south carolina, usa, charleston south carolina
Is relevant ?
 8.2
 12
Romeo 3000 (2018)
Genre: Action, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Story: This be the year 3000. The world has been enveloped within the flames of nuclear warfare, bringing with it a new dark age. In these times, technology can be a rare blessing, or curse, depending on its discovery and / or use. What is left of ...
Style: psychotronic, romantic, suspenseful, captivating, exciting ...
Plot: post apocalypse, steampunk, shakespeare's romeo and juliet, revenge, nuclear war, love, family relations, love and romance, male female relationship, tragic love, science and technology, supernatural power ...
Time: future
Is relevant ?
 7.9
 4K
Black Rain (1989)
Genre: Drama, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 123 min.
Story: The story of the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing, based on Masuji Ibuse's novel.
Style: depressing, disturbing, political, contemplative, gloomy ...
Plot: world war two, radiation sickness, nuclear war, atomic bomb, survival, female protagonist, time travel, asian, buddy cop, world war, japanese history, nuclear holocaust ...
Time: year 1989, 1950s, post world war two, 1940s, year 1945 ...
Place: hiroshima japan, asia, japan
Is relevant ?
The Chain Reaction (1980)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Australia
Duration: 92 min.
Story: Contaminated by a nuclear-plant spill, an Australian worker hides with a woman and tries to warn the public.
Style: serious, bleak, suspenseful, cult classic, independent film
Audience: boys' night
Plot: disaster, survival, car chase, contamination, quarantine, chase, corporate crime, apocalypse, race against time, danger, atomic bomb, nuclear war ...
Time: year 1980, 70s
Place: australia
Is relevant ?
Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 127 min.
Story: This film reenacts the Manhattan Project, the secret wartime project in New Mexico where the first atomic bombs were designed and built.
Style: factual, suspense, intense, serious, realistic ...
Plot: world war two, nuclear bomb, atomic bomb, scientist, military, biopic, idealism, politics, scientific research, nuclear, ego clash, moral dilemma ...
Time: 1940s, year 1945, 20th century
Place: usa, new mexico, bay area
Is relevant ?
Hiroshima Maiden (1988)
Genre: Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 53 min.
Story: "You have to think about whether they're really your friends," Johnny's dad says when Johnny talks to him about the grief his pals have been giving him lately. The other boys haven't exactly tried to understand why Dad ...
Plot: world war two, world war, nuclear war, atomic bomb, family relations, disfigured face, surgery, fbi, racism, disfigurement, prejudice, friend ...
Time: post world war two, 1950s
Place: japan, hiroshima japan
Is relevant ?
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