A docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain. After backing the film's development, the BBC refused to air it, publicly stating "the effect of the film has been judged by the BBC to be too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting." It debuted in theaters in 1966 and went on to great acclaim, but remained unseen on British television until 1985.
Directed by Peter Watkins
post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
nuclear war
cold war
nuclear radiation
nuclear missile
state of emergency
riot
survival
nuclear holocaust
nuclear bomb
black and white
docudrama
struggle for survival
nuclear weapons
fake documentary
found footage
mondo
disturbed
firestorm
hypothetical
war
pseudo-documentary
docufiction
cold war era
powerful
tactical nuclear warfare
nuclear deterrent policy
nuclear holocaust fiction
survival film
fallout shelters
civil defence
mondo film
voice-over
panic buying
nuclear strikes
hunger riots
armed police
v bombers
countervalue
vulcan mk ii
nuclear war aftermath
deterrence theory
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Cast
Michael Aspel
Commentator
Kathy Staff
Interviewee (uncredited)
Peter Watkins
Documentist (uncredited)
Crew
Peter Watkins
Director
Peter Watkins
Writer
Peter Watkins
Producer
Popular Reviews
79 reviews
Achref Riahi
This is the minimum of what’s gonna happen if nations will resort to nuclear weapons !!
This is the minimum of what’s gonna happen if nations will resort to nuclear weapons !!
Ayanakoji
Couldn't have picked a worse time to open my popcorn
Couldn't have picked a worse time to open my popcorn
Running just a short 46 minutes, Peter Watkins’ ‘The War Game’ is a straight and sober depiction of britain if it come to a nuclear war.
Made for the BBC, the film was banned from TV, probably because it was deemed too gruesome or nihilistic, possibly for going against the official government line concerning the survivability of a nuclear war. It was released in theaters tho and went on to win the academy award for best documentary feature, which is very interesting and somewhat debatable, as it’s not actually a documentary, but a mockumentary.
The film is fantastic. It keeps the balance between educational and absolutely harrowing with its depiction of the preparations for and fallout of a nuclear war. In typical Watkins fashion, it doesn’t hide its ambitions either.
Running just a short 46 minutes, Peter Watkins’ ‘The War Game’ is a straight and sober depiction of britain if it come to a nuclear war.
Made for the BBC, the film was banned from TV, probably because it was deemed too gruesome or nihilistic, possibly for going against the official government line concerning the survivability of a nuclear war. It was released in theaters tho and went on to win the academy award for best documentary feature, which is very interesting and somewhat debatable, as it’s not actually a documentary, but a mockumentary.
The film is fantastic. It keeps the balance between educational and absolutely harrowing with its depiction of the preparations for and fallout of a nuclear war. In typical Watkins fashion, it doesn’t hide its ambitions either.
Matthew Davies
8.0★ · 03/15/26
45 mins in hell. Absolutely required viewing.
45 mins in hell. Absolutely required viewing.
alfie newsham
8.0★ · 03/10/26
not quite as horrifying as threads, but horrifying none the less
not quite as horrifying as threads, but horrifying none the less
