Nuclear war horror movie “so bleak” it scared Ronald Reagan is free on Tubi now

Technically, Threads is not classified as a horror movie.

Imagine the scenario: it’s a Saturday morning and you’re strolling down the street, carrying a carton of milk in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other. Everything appears to be typically ordinary, a state of apathy that comes naturally.

In an instant, the piercing sound of an air raid siren fills your ears, causing chaos and fear to erupt in the town center. People are screaming, crying, and running in all directions, with some even losing control of their bodily functions. In this moment of terror, you must decide whether to run away, take cover, or face the impending wave of fire that is approaching.

Threads, a 1984 anti-war drama, brings to life a horrifying scenario of what could occur if nuclear war were to erupt in Europe. It is widely considered one of the greatest horror films ever made and is currently available for free on Tubi. Additionally, it is also accessible on streaming platforms such as Shudder and Mubi.

To get an idea of what you can anticipate, take pleasure in the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrHoMSRZOS4

Threads (1984) – Bombing Scene (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrHoMSRZOS4)

Despite its dated setting, this film remains one of the most distressing ever made. The build-up is timeless, as warnings on the news are ignored, people panic-buy without understanding the reason, and concerns about war are numbed with drinks at the local pub.

The survivors are forced to envy the dead, as Nikita Khrushchev once said, until avoiding it becomes impossible.

According to the film’s director, Mick Jackson, former president Ronald Reagan viewed it when it was screened in the United States.

In the year before, he had introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative and viewed the Soviet Union as an “evil empire.”Following Threads, Jackson began to consider that it could have potentially affected his later, less aggressive stance on nuclear deterrence.

After the release of The Day After, which was essentially America’s counterpart to Threads, Reagan was left “greatly depressed”- a feeling that ultimately influenced his stance on nuclear policy.

This month, you can also discover new movies to watch and upcoming TV shows available for streaming.