What it’s about
After World War II and throughout the Cold War, the United States stockpiled nuclear weapons. In 1980, one warhead with the power of all the bombs dropped in WWII combine sat atop an old Titan missile housed in an underground silo in Arkansas. Due to a maintenance worker’s error, a falling socket ruptured the side of the fuel tank. The on-site crew and surrounding area was faced with imminent disaster, which was only narrowly averted. Only now do we get the full story of what happened.
Why we love it
Unfolding like a tense thriller, Kenner’s minute by minute account uses gripping testimony from survivors and Air Force personnel, with all the action illustrated by expert dramatic reconstructions. Based on Eric Schlosser’s book, the film exposes America’s longstanding secrecy surrounding its nuclear programs and questions the safety of the defensive systems meant to protect us. This documentary is as scary as any horror movie, and demands to be seen.