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A House of Dynamite had us gripped over the Bank Holiday weekend, though the third and final segment's ending left some viewers scratching their heads. The three-part Netflix film examines what would happen if the US had just 18 minutes to react to an unattributed nuclear missile being fired at the country. We watch the same minutes play out from the point of view of different officials as they attempt to prepare for the unprecedented attack. If you, like many, were left reaching for Google to break down the final scene and understand the movie's takeaway message, we are here to explain. What happens at the end? The final scene of A House of Dynamite sees the unnamed president being handed a Black Book and informed he must pick from a selection of retaliatory strike options by Jonah Hauer-King's character, Lieutenant Commander Robert Reeves. While the fictional president is a seemingly great leader with admirable characteristics, it's clear that he is no more equipped to make the decision than the others. Just as he is about to make his decision in an extremely tense moment, the screen fades to black. The show's creators intended to make a significant point with the scene. Why this happens 'That is the point we wanted to make. Even in the best-case scenario, if you had a president who is thoughtful, responsible, informed, and deliberative, to ask someone, anyone, to make a decision about the fate of all mankind in a matter of minutes while he’s running for his life simultaneously is insane,' show writer Noah Oppenheim told Deadline. Meanwhile, director Kathryn Bigelow explained why they left the audience on a cliffhanger. 'I felt like the fact that the bomb didn’t go off was an opportunity to start a conversation,' she told the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 'I'd like to see people decide they don’t want to live in a world that’s this volatile or this combustible. And then of course, the next step is to reach out to their representatives and try to, you know, create a movement.' So there you have it, there is a very good explanation for the sudden ending in A House of Dynamite! Reaction to the ending Reaction online to the dramatic ending has been divided, with some people appreciating the bigger meaning they were trying to create but others slamming it as potentially the 'worst ending ever.' 'I think A House of Dynamite accomplished its purpose. The ending is exactly what it needs to be. Anything else would undercut the message. The tension, the adrenaline, the morality. It all works frustratingly well. I will sit with this for a long time,' wrote one person who approved. On the other end of the spectrum, someone else shared on X: 'Just wasted 2 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.
