That sounds like an exciting and intense list! Here’s a potential Top 10 countdown for the most memorable, effective, and devastating nuclear bomb explosions in movies:
### Top 10 Memorable Nuclear Bomb Explosions in Movies
1. **"Oppenheimer" (2023)**
- **Scene:** Trinity Test
- **Why:** A haunting and realistic depiction of the first nuclear explosion, capturing the scientific breakthrough and the subsequent moral implications.
2. **"Godzilla" (2014)**
- **Scene:** Honolulu Attack
- **Why:** The devastating power of the nuclear breath attack highlights the terror of Godzilla as a force of nature, with the destruction of Honolulu as a major set-piece.
3. **"The Dark Knight Rises" (2012)**
- **Scene:** Gotham City Nuclear Bomb
- **Why:** The tension-filled climax where Batman sacrifices himself to save Gotham from a nuclear bomb, creating an unforgettable and emotional moment.
4. **"Independence Day" (1996)**
- **Scene:** Nuclear Attack on Alien Ship
- **Why:** The high-stakes decision to use a nuclear bomb against the alien invaders adds to the film’s epic scale and patriotic spirit, even if the plan ultimately fails.
5. **"The Divide" (2011)**
- **Scene:** Opening Nuclear Attack
- **Why:** A shocking and brutal depiction of a nuclear apocalypse, setting the tone for the grim and intense survival story that follows.
6. **"Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)**
- **Scene:** Skynet’s Nuclear Holocaust
- **Why:** Sarah Connor’s nightmare of the nuclear apocalypse remains one of the most chilling and iconic depictions of nuclear devastation in film history.
7. **"Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964)**
- **Scene:** Doomsday Device
- **Why:** The satirical take on nuclear war ends with the unforgettable image of Slim Pickens riding the bomb, underscoring the absurdity and horror of mutually assured destruction.
8. **"Watchmen" (2009)**
- **Scene:** New York City Destruction
- **Why:** The graphic novel adaptation portrays a devastating nuclear explosion that radically changes the course of history, questioning the morality of using such a weapon for supposed peace.
9. **"WarGames" (1983)**
- **Scene:** War Simulation
- **Why:** The climactic moment where the computer simulation of global thermonuclear war drives home the potential for total annihilation, serving as a powerful anti-war statement.
10. **"Sum of All Fears" (2002)**
- **Scene:** Baltimore Bombing
- **Why:** A gripping and realistic portrayal of a terrorist nuclear attack on American soil, adding a layer of contemporary geopolitical fear to the narrative.
These scenes not only showcase the sheer destructive power of nuclear weapons but also explore the deep emotional and moral consequences associated with their use. Which scene resonated with you the most? Let us know in the comments!
### Top 10 Memorable Nuclear Bomb Explosions in Movies
1. **"Oppenheimer" (2023)**
- **Scene:** Trinity Test
- **Why:** A haunting and realistic depiction of the first nuclear explosion, capturing the scientific breakthrough and the subsequent moral implications.
2. **"Godzilla" (2014)**
- **Scene:** Honolulu Attack
- **Why:** The devastating power of the nuclear breath attack highlights the terror of Godzilla as a force of nature, with the destruction of Honolulu as a major set-piece.
3. **"The Dark Knight Rises" (2012)**
- **Scene:** Gotham City Nuclear Bomb
- **Why:** The tension-filled climax where Batman sacrifices himself to save Gotham from a nuclear bomb, creating an unforgettable and emotional moment.
4. **"Independence Day" (1996)**
- **Scene:** Nuclear Attack on Alien Ship
- **Why:** The high-stakes decision to use a nuclear bomb against the alien invaders adds to the film’s epic scale and patriotic spirit, even if the plan ultimately fails.
5. **"The Divide" (2011)**
- **Scene:** Opening Nuclear Attack
- **Why:** A shocking and brutal depiction of a nuclear apocalypse, setting the tone for the grim and intense survival story that follows.
6. **"Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)**
- **Scene:** Skynet’s Nuclear Holocaust
- **Why:** Sarah Connor’s nightmare of the nuclear apocalypse remains one of the most chilling and iconic depictions of nuclear devastation in film history.
7. **"Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964)**
- **Scene:** Doomsday Device
- **Why:** The satirical take on nuclear war ends with the unforgettable image of Slim Pickens riding the bomb, underscoring the absurdity and horror of mutually assured destruction.
8. **"Watchmen" (2009)**
- **Scene:** New York City Destruction
- **Why:** The graphic novel adaptation portrays a devastating nuclear explosion that radically changes the course of history, questioning the morality of using such a weapon for supposed peace.
9. **"WarGames" (1983)**
- **Scene:** War Simulation
- **Why:** The climactic moment where the computer simulation of global thermonuclear war drives home the potential for total annihilation, serving as a powerful anti-war statement.
10. **"Sum of All Fears" (2002)**
- **Scene:** Baltimore Bombing
- **Why:** A gripping and realistic portrayal of a terrorist nuclear attack on American soil, adding a layer of contemporary geopolitical fear to the narrative.
These scenes not only showcase the sheer destructive power of nuclear weapons but also explore the deep emotional and moral consequences associated with their use. Which scene resonated with you the most? Let us know in the comments!
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Are we saying there's a chance that when we push that button, we destroy the world?"
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable, effective,
00:10and devastating nuclear bomb explosions in movies.
00:13Be warned, this list is full of spoilers.
00:15I don't know exactly how to put this, sir, but are you aware of what a serious breach
00:19of security that would be?
00:20I mean, you see everything!
00:23Number 30.
00:24The Crazies
00:25A virus causing people to commit acts of depraved violence spreads through a small town.
00:29Two survivors, David and Judy, escape in a truck just as the government unleashes a nuclear
00:33weapon on the town in hopes of containing the virus.
00:36The explosion's massive.
00:37Anything?
00:38No.
00:39Though the CGI effects may leave a little to be desired, the ensuing dust form and mushroom
00:53clouds are really effective.
00:54Some may want to dock some points for accuracy, since the characters seem to be unharmed by
00:59looking directly at the flash, but all in all, it's a really well done climax.
01:02No.
01:03I'm sorry, honey.
01:05Number 29.
01:06Empire of the Sun
01:07Steven Spielberg's moving film about a British boy imprisoned in an internment camp in China
01:11only briefly touches on the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
01:15As young Jim Graham watches over the dead body of his fellow prisoner, he sees the sky
01:19set alight.
01:20I saw it.
01:21I saw it.
01:22A white light.
01:23I thought it was Mrs. Victor's soul going up to heaven.
01:31A flash from the bombings of Japan some hundreds of miles away soars across the sky above him.
01:36He seems to interpret it as something otherworldly, perhaps godly.
01:39It's a beautiful and unexpectedly serene representation of the bombings.
01:43Jim doesn't know what it is until later.
01:44We only see what he sees, a beautiful wave of light shooting across the sky.
01:49Atom bomb.
01:53It was like a white light in the sky, like god taking a photograph.
02:01No. 28.
02:02Countdown to Looking Glass
02:03Told entirely through a fictionalized news broadcast, this HBO TV movie from 1984 takes
02:08place on the brink of a third world war.
02:10The broadcast covers increasingly tense global relations as alliances and communication breaks
02:15down and militaries advance on one another.
02:18We have no confirmation that nuclear weapons have been used.
02:21You're telling me that mushroom cloud out there is a conventional weapon?
02:24Who has release authority in this group?
02:26Whose death charge was that?
02:28Nick, honest to God, I just don't know.
02:30A correspondent reports live from the field when a huge flash explodes.
02:34The anchor can only listen as the reporter covers what we know will be his last story.
02:38Without the benefit of seamless special effects, the movie relies on the breakdown of technology
02:43to communicate the helplessness and horror that would come with a nuclear war.
02:47Reasonable people, once they've looked the devil in the face, aren't going to shake hands
02:50with him.
02:51What do you think?
02:52Well, without that constant hope, I guess the human race wouldn't have got this far.
02:57No. 27.
02:58The Return of the Living Dead
03:00A sequel to the grindhouse classic Night of the Living Dead, the zombies in this 80s-tastic
03:04flick are generally figures of comedy more than anything else.
03:07I thought you said if we destroyed the brain, it'd die.
03:11It worked in the movie!
03:12Well, it ain't working now, Frank.
03:13You mean the movie's live?
03:15Even a nuclear bomb detonation is played for some sick laughs.
03:18When a toxic gas causes an epidemic of reanimated brain-eating corpses, the government eventually
03:23does the sensible thing.
03:24It's weird.
03:25These people seem to say they've been waiting for this to happen.
03:27Apparently they've got some sort of contingency plan to deal with it.
03:31Well, that's great!
03:32What is this plan?
03:34They nuke the town and everyone in it.
03:36Every character we've come to know and love is annihilated almost instantly.
03:39It may be in line with the movie's irreverent anti-establishment themes, but even if you're
03:43prepared for it, it's still a real downer.
03:4526.
03:46The Peacemaker
03:47While some movies draw out the effects of the initial explosion, this George Clooney
03:51political thriller is almost shockingly efficient.
03:53Kotorov, a traitorous Russian general, arranges a train collision which will detonate a stolen
03:58nuclear warhead.
03:59A couple in rural Russia, hearing the train crash, stumble out into the night.
04:03In a flash, the bomb explodes.
04:04A white light, then a wall of fire engulfs the entire surrounding area.
04:08The couple represent the thousands killed in the blast.
04:11We don't linger too long.
04:12It's as simple as here one minute, and gone the next.
04:2225.
04:23Damnation Alley
04:24In this post-apocalyptic thriller, the U.S. suffers a crippling nuclear attack by the
04:28Soviet Union.
04:29We see the action first from the confines of a military base.
04:32The bombs are just streaks on a computer display, inching their way toward American cities.
04:37Multiple warhead strike confirmed.
04:39Retaliatory strike on advisement.
04:40Contact at 265, heading 85 degrees.
04:43They're unknown.
04:44Jesus.
04:45Then we see the destruction on the ground.
04:47Explosions erupt all over the country, sending eerie fire through the sky, as if the whole
04:51world is burning.
04:52Although the rest of the movie is relatively cheesy, the juxtaposition between the sterile
04:56environment of the military base and the reality of the bombs falling is deeply unsettling.
05:00Missile strikes confirmed.
05:02Boston.
05:04Philadelphia.
05:07Trenton.
05:09Washington, D.C.
05:11Detroit.
05:13Pittsburgh.
05:1724.
05:18Failsafe
05:19The Russians are watching their boards, trying to figure out who we're up to.
05:22If we can't convince them it's an accident which we're trying to correct by any means,
05:26we're going to have something in our hands that nobody bargained for.
05:30And only a lunatic wants.
05:32The bombing in this Cold War thriller is left mostly to our imagination.
05:35That's more than enough.
05:36When a computer error accidentally sends a group of American bombers on a mission to
05:39destroy Moscow, the president offers the only solution he can think of.
05:43If their attack on Moscow succeeds, he will order American planes to bomb New York City
05:47as penance to prevent a world war.
05:49He listens in horror as the phone line to Moscow goes dead with a loud, deafening beep.
05:53I can hear the sound of explosions from the northeast.
05:57The sky is very bright.
05:59All lit up.
06:01He makes good on his promise.
06:02The flattening of New York is represented in a series of still images and fast zooms.
06:06Then, only the sounds of explosions.
06:18Watching it now is shocking, and audiences in 1964 must have been horrified.
06:2223.
06:23True Lies
06:24The stakes of James Cameron's zany spy thriller may be life and death, but the tone is a lot
06:28lighter than you might expect.
06:30Are we gonna die?
06:32Yep.
06:34I'd say it's working.
06:35Having saved her from the bad guys, secret agent Harry Tasker and his wife Helen share
06:39a celebratory embrace on the highway.
06:41In what is easily one of the most innocuous and fun nuclear detonations on this list,
06:45the nuke that goes off in True Lies serves as a romantic backdrop for their kiss.
06:49While in real life this probably wouldn't be as much of a shrug, that's what movie magic
06:53is all about.
06:54And with all the death and devastation on this list, at least it's memorable for something
06:57other than the destruction.
06:59You should be safe here.
07:10This is the wrong finger.
07:1222.
07:13Fat Man and Little Boy
07:14Before Christopher Nolan turned his attention to the discovery of the atom bomb, this underrated,
07:18historical drama about the Manhattan Project dramatized the Trinity Tests.
07:22Paul Newman stars as General Leslie Groves, the officer who oversaw the project.
07:26Whatever gives you the sweats, keeps you up at night, whatever, all of that belongs
07:35to the United States Army.
07:39Or to me, if that makes you feel more comfortable.
07:42In its climax, the bomb is tested against a classical music score that lends an air
07:46of almost satirical levity to the proceedings.
07:49J. Robert Oppenheimer's mouth is blown open by the blast in an undignified and almost
07:53comical way.
07:545, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
08:05Then the reality sets in.
08:07The bomb is a success.
08:08The world is forever changed.
08:1021.
08:11The Avengers
08:12I can close it.
08:14Can anybody copy?
08:16I can shut the portal down.
08:17Do it!
08:18No, wait.
08:19Stark, these things are still coming.
08:21I got a nuke coming in.
08:22It's gonna blow in less than a minute.
08:23This team really has their hands full.
08:25If they're not saving New York from an invasion of Chitauri, they're attempting to defuse
08:29a potential nuclear attack.
08:31Fearing the Chitauri invasion, the World Security Council launches a nuke at Manhattan.
08:36Director Fury, the council has made a decision.
08:40I recognize the council has made a decision, but given that it's a stupid-ass decision,
08:45I've elected to ignore it.
08:46What results is pure action cinema.
08:48Iron Man intercepts the nuke and uses it to destroy the Chitauri mothership.
08:53The spectacle is fantastic, but what works best here is the emotion.
09:07Tony is fully aware of the danger and calls Pepper to say goodbye, but to no avail.
09:11Robert Downey Jr. is superb, conveying fear, anxiety, and eventual heartbreak with nothing
09:16but his facial expressions.
09:1920.
09:20American Assassin
09:21There have been a ton of nuclear detonations on screen, but few that have occurred underwater.
09:25American Assassin tried doing something a little different, and it worked out wonderfully.
09:29If we take out his boat, it'll detonate.
09:32If it goes off above the waterline?
09:34It's ice.
09:35We fall out all over the mainland.
09:37After killing Ghost, Rapp drops the nuclear bomb into the water, and it goes off in a
09:41spectacular display.
09:42The nuke creates a massive hole in the ocean, causing nearby ships to break apart, and even
09:47generates an enormous tidal wave that engulfs everything in its path.
09:50This is great entertainment, and the idea of doing it in the water was fresh and ingenious.
09:54If we don't engage, that guarantees detonation.
09:57I understand there's a risk, but this is the best chance we've got.
10:0019.
10:01The Divide
10:02Most movies work their way up to a devastating nuclear attack.
10:05The Divide opens with one.
10:07As the film begins, New York City is slammed by numerous nuclear explosions.
10:11The image is a startling one.
10:13A large mushroom cloud rises from the impact zone.
10:16Dust billows through the streets, and the apocalyptic yellow sky sparkles with lightning.
10:27As this is a low-budget movie, we don't see much of the attack itself.
10:30Rather, the movie switches focus to the immediate aftermath and panic.
10:34However, this is a welcome shift, as it horrifyingly depicts the fright and hysteria that accompanies
10:39a disaster.
10:40It's a haunting opening to a haunting movie.
10:47It's sucked up into the atmosphere and rains back down to Earth.
10:5418.
10:55When the Wind Blows
10:56A heartbreaking piece of animation, When the Wind Blows follows a loving elderly couple
11:01who attempt to survive in a nuclear-ravaged England.
11:04The story takes place during the Soviet-Afghan War and presents an alternate reality in which
11:09England was hit by a nuclear bomb.
11:11An enemy missile attack has been launched against this country.
11:15It is estimated that the missiles will arrive in approximately three minutes.
11:19Jim and Hilda hide in their makeshift shelter while the world-ending destruction occurs outside.
11:24Said destruction is both gorgeously animated and tragically evocative, depicting images
11:29straight out of a Cold War nightmare.
11:31The movie portrays a real-life fear through the magic of animation, and it does so in
11:36strikingly vivid fashion.
11:4617.
11:47Testament
11:48Nuclear movies were very popular back in the 80s as Cold War fears plagued the collective
11:52mind of America.
11:54Testament is one of those movies, depicting a small suburb in the midst of a nuclear event.
11:59The bombing scene is ingeniously filmed, favoring realism over cinematics.
12:04This is San Francisco.
12:06We have lost our New York signal.
12:08Radar sources confirm the explosion of nuclear devices there in New York and up and down
12:15the East Coast.
12:16The Weatherly family experiences the bombing through the likes of distressed news anchors.
12:20The emergency broadcast system cut electricity and air raid sirens.
12:24This is a petrifying scene that scares the viewers through authenticity.
12:28This is how a good number of Americans would experience a nuclear strike, not through a
12:32massive mushroom cloud, but through sheer panic and a frightening disruption of everyday
12:36routine.
12:39Hello?
12:40Mom!
12:41Mom!
12:42Get away from the window!
12:43No!
12:44Mommy!
12:4716.
12:48Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines
12:49We thought that Terminator 2 gave the story a happy ending.
12:52We were wrong.
12:53One of the most surprising aspects of Terminator 3 is the incredibly gutsy and dour ending.
12:58John and Kate are sent to Crystal Peak, which is believed to be connected to Skynet.
13:02However, they quickly realize that it's a military fallout shelter and that they were
13:06sent there for protection.
13:07Why did he lead us down here?
13:16To live.
13:17As they make this realization, the world is bombarded with Skynet's nuclear strikes
13:21and Judgment Day officially begins.
13:23It's a stellar twist that contains some shocking visuals and nicely places John on
13:27his predetermined path as a military leader.
13:30What the hell is happening?
13:32Who's in charge there?
13:38I am.
13:4215.
13:43By Dawn's Early Light
13:44This movie was released in May of 1990 and as such is one of the last of the aforementioned
13:49Cold War movies.
13:50It's based on William Prochnow's novel Trinity's Child, which accurately depicts
13:54the consequences of a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
13:58We have a preliminary missile trajectory moving north-northeast from Turkey to the Soviet
14:03border, sir.
14:04The movie features a number of nuclear blasts, including one that hits the White House and
14:08blows out its windows.
14:09Another forces down the President's helicopter, which causes many to presume that he's dead.
14:14The limited TV budget does what it can with the visuals, but our imaginations are more
14:18than capable of filling in the nauseating details.
14:24They're dead.
14:27Everybody, you got that?
14:28They're dead!
14:2914.
14:30Independence Day
14:32This over-the-top classic is fondly remembered for the alien attack sequence in which the
14:36UFO beams decimate numerous American landmarks.
14:39But it also contains some killer nuclear bomb sequences.
14:42In the first, a nuke is dropped on an alien spaceship above Houston.
14:46We are on station and awaiting instruction.
14:48Roger.
14:49Break formation.
14:50Head to target.
14:52The explosion is magnificent, but it fails to destroy the ship.
14:55In the second, a nuke is deployed in the alien's mothership and the entire thing erupts in
14:59a brilliant flash of blue lights.
15:01This is pure summer blockbuster escapism, featuring a nuclear bomb, some hilarious banter,
15:06and a masterfully filmed escape sequence that leaves viewers white-knuckled and smiling.
15:11It's a legendary ending to a legendary movie.
15:14Left.
15:15Left.
15:16Tunnel.
15:17Tunnel.
15:18Exit.
15:19Exit.
15:20Left.
15:21Why the hell do you think I'm going?
15:2213.
15:23Armageddon
15:24This is perhaps the Michael Bay-est of all the Michael Bay movies.
15:25A humongous asteroid is headed straight to Earth.
15:26So NASA trains a group of oil drillers to become astronauts, sends them into space,
15:30and has them drill a nuclear weapon into the core of the asteroid.
15:33It's ridiculous, and it's tons of fun.
15:35Yeah, one more thing.
15:38None of them want to pay taxes again.
15:43Ever.
15:47Harry stays behind to activate the nuke, saving the world just in the nick of time.
15:51The resulting explosion is awe-inspiring, and it elicits loud cheers from both the audience
15:55and the characters in the movie.
15:57But we are also wiping away tears as Harry's goodbye to his daughter Grace is enough to
16:01make even the toughest among us weep.
16:03It all combines to create a majestic and unforgettable climax.
16:06Colonel Willie Sharp, United States Air Force, ma'am.
16:10Requesting permission to shake the hand of the daughter of the bravest man I've ever met.
16:1712.
16:18The Sum of All Fears
16:19For this Jack Ryan reboot, Ben Affleck took over the role from Harrison Ford and is tasked
16:24with stopping a fascist from starting a nuclear war.
16:27He has a bomb built in secrecy and drops it on Baltimore in an attempt to frame the Russians.
16:31Look, I'm losing you.
16:32I'll call you back from the ball some more.
16:38Sir!
16:42The entire sequence is filled with great tension, and the resulting destruction is nothing short
16:46of harrowing.
16:47Thanks to the movie's high budget, we are given various spine-chilling sights.
16:51A hospital blows up and sends all the employees flying, cars are violently knocked off roads,
16:56and Jack's helicopter is thrown out of the air.
17:03It's a very impressive sequence, and it's arguably one of the best moments in the Jack
17:07Ryan franchise.
17:0911.
17:10Broken Arrow
17:11John Woo certainly knows how to direct an action sequence.
17:13Christian Slater plays Riley Hale, an Air Force pilot who must contend with John Travolta's
17:18Vic Deakins.
17:19Deakins is extorting the American government with two nuclear weapons.
17:22Hale recovers one of the bombs and stows it down an abandoned copper mine, where it proceeds
17:27to detonate.
17:35The plan mostly works, as the explosion causes the ground to shake and ripple, and a vast
17:39sinkhole is created near the mine shaft.
17:41An approaching helicopter is also disabled, and it explodes in a gigantic fireball.
17:46The scene contains some accomplished filmmaking and stunt work, and Travolta chews the scenery
17:51as the bad guy.
17:52What's not to love?
18:0110.
18:02Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
18:04Whatever your thoughts on this scene are, this could very well be one of the defining
18:08moments of 2000s cinema.
18:10Indiana Jones is kidnapped by KGB agents, but eventually escapes and makes his way to a
18:14model town.
18:15This town is being used for atomic testing, and Indy is right on time.
18:25Fearing the imminent blast, Indy hides inside a lead-lined fridge and is sent hurtling through
18:30the air as the nuclear bomb strikes.
18:32The scene is filled with some terrific visual effects as the shockwave obliterates houses
18:36and sets nearby mannequins on fire.
18:39It looks suitably apocalyptic, especially when Indy climbs out of the fridge and gazes
18:43upon the towering mushroom cloud.
18:45Steven Spielberg knows how to bring the spectacle.
18:589.
18:59The Dark Knight Rises
19:00There's nothing like a good heroic sacrifice to make us tear up.
19:03Realizing that there's no stopping Bane's bomb, Batman decides to sacrifice himself
19:07for the good of Gotham.
19:08He attaches the bomb to the Batplane, touchingly reveals his identity to Gordon, and flies
19:12over the water to his presumed doom.
19:24Of course, the Bat isn't really gone, but that doesn't quell the power of the scene.
19:28Like all of Christopher Nolan's best work, this sequence combines breathtaking filmmaking
19:33with an undercurrent of rich emotion, and it makes for an amazing conclusion to his
19:37historic Dark Knight trilogy.
19:42That's detonation.
19:51It's out over the bay.
19:52It's clear of the city.
19:548.
19:55The Wolverine
19:56This movie begins with a bang, quite literally.
19:58It opens in August of 1945, shortly before Nagasaki is decimated by the atom bomb.
20:04Logan is being held as a prisoner of war when Fatman is dropped on the city.
20:13The event is shown in explicit detail.
20:17We see Fatman quickly falling towards the ground, and we see the colossal explosion
20:22and mushroom cloud that results from it.
20:24The scene also contains some pulse-pounding tension, as the dust cloud quickly travels
20:28toward Logan and Ichiro, and forces Logan to take some drastic measures that leave him
20:33literally scarred.
20:43The visuals are sensational, as is the cacophonous sound design.
20:46Now, this is how you open a movie.
20:497.
20:50Barefoot Gen
20:51While we're on the subject of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, let's discuss Barefoot Gen.
20:54This is an anime from 1983 that follows Gen Nakaoka during the bombing of Hiroshima.
20:59The city is destroyed while Gen is at school, and what results is one of the most imaginative
21:13sequences ever seen in an anime.
21:15Animation can do wondrous and lushly imaginative things, and this sequence gets incredibly
21:20stylish.
21:21The visuals are boundless in their creativity, and they also pack a devastating emotional
21:25punch.
21:26The scene is unbelievably graphic and disturbing, conveying a sense of nightmarish surrealism
21:30that live action simply can't capture.
21:32You're going to need some eye bleach after seeing this one.
21:426.
21:43Godzilla King of the Monsters
21:44Godzilla has a long history with nuclear weapons and radiation, but we've never seen anything
21:49quite like this.
21:50Godzilla King of the Monsters ramps up the action to enjoyably absurd heights and features
21:55a highly memorable sequence involving a nuclear warhead.
21:58To bring Godzilla back to full HP, Serizawa sacrifices himself and quite literally detonates
22:04a nuke right next to the resting behemoth.
22:14The scene features some amazing sights and is suitably epic in scale, with Godzilla City
22:18and the underwater explosion being genuinely stunning.
22:20It looks cool, it sounds cool, and it's a definite high point of the Godzilla franchise.
22:255.
22:30Oppenheimer
22:31Christopher Nolan's bracing and cerebral biopic about the father of the atomic bomb culminates
22:36in the truly mesmerizing and utterly terrifying real-life Trinity Test.
22:40What sets it apart is how Nolan and company choose to capture the moment.
22:43The magnitude of this bomb can't be conveyed in just a simple light, flash, and a boom.
22:48This isn't just a bomb.
22:49They've opened Pandora's box.
22:51It's a monster, a destructive force unleashed on an unsuspecting world.
22:55We get the light, but we don't get the catharsis of the boom.
22:58We barely get any sound at all.
23:00Instead, the mushroom of fire and ash seems to go on forever, burning through space and
23:04time.
23:05It's a powerful, yet extraordinary bomb.
23:07It's a bomb that's designed to kill, but it's also a bomb that's designed to destroy.
23:124.
23:13The Day After
23:14This apocalyptic television film from Nicholas Meyer is historic, capturing a 62% share and
23:19over 100 million viewers.
23:21Its subject matter was topical, and it touched on collective fears that a hundred million
23:25people have about the future of humanity.
23:27It's a film that's about to become a reality.
23:29It's a film that's about to become a reality.
23:31It's a film that's about to become a reality.
23:33It's a film that's about to become a reality.
23:35It's a film that's about to become a reality.
23:38Its subject matter was topical, and it touched on collective fears that a hundred million
23:42people have about the future of humanity.
23:43A man on the radio said there might be a war.
23:45He's saying how we should unplug all our radio and TV and stuff.
23:50There's not going to be a war, is there?
23:53The attack segment is especially brutal, depicting a realistic sense of pandemonium and destruction
23:57that would occur with a nuclear strike.
23:59It is impeccably acted and shot, featuring high production values and plenty of unforgettable
24:04imagery.
24:05The visceral impact of the sequence lingers long after the credits have rolled, and it
24:09serves as a perfect representation of that distinctive Cold War paranoia.
24:22Number 3.
24:23Threads
24:24This movie aired on the BBC in September of 1984 and earned instant acclaim for its production
24:29values and harrowing realism.
24:31Threads accurately examines nuclear war and the resulting fallout, and the initial bombing
24:36scene is particularly distressing.
24:45Watching this can make viewers feel genuinely stressed.
24:48So perturbing are its visuals, chaotic editing, and sound design.
24:52Movies like this aren't designed for entertainment.
24:54This was a warning, and a superbly effective warning at that.
24:58Luckily, the horrors of this scene never came to fruition during the Cold War, but
25:02it was a very real and very unnerving possibility.
25:14Number 2.
25:15Terminator 2 – Judgment Day
25:17James Cameron is a masterful filmmaker, and this is arguably one of his greatest sequences.
25:23And that's saying a lot.
25:24Sarah suffers a nightmare in which she envisions Judgment Day.
25:27She's watching an innocent day at the park when a nuke strikes Los Angeles.
25:39The visual effects and cinematography throughout the scene are astonishing.
25:43The events are lit with an eerie and apocalyptic orange glow, and we watch in horror as buildings
25:48and vehicles are ripped apart like paper.
25:50And that's nothing compared to the unimaginable horrors back at the park.
25:54We can't imagine the terror of nuclear devastation, and hopefully this is the closest
25:58that we'll get.
25:59It's plenty close for us, thank you very much.
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26:30Okay, enough of the disturbing stuff.
26:31How about some comedy?
26:32Well, black comedy involving nuclear weapons and the end of the world, but comedy nonetheless.
26:40Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece ends in memorable fashion with Kong riding the hydrogen bomb
26:44down to its target.
26:45It's an iconic image, and also a gloriously bizarre one.
26:49Following some further hilarity in the war room, the movie ends with a montage of real
26:53nuclear bombs destroying the world while Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again plays over the footage.
26:57It's one of the most startlingly impactful endings in movie history, and its sardonic
27:01qualities could only come from the genius mind of Kubrick.
27:14Which of these scenes still stays with you?
27:16Tell us about it in the comments.
27:18This is Lawrence, Kansas.
27:19Is anybody there?
27:21Anybody at all?
27:23Did you enjoy this video?
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