In honor of the release of Kathryn Bigelow's nuclear war thriller A House of Dynamite, we've ranked 12 of the best nuclear apocalypse films right here.

A House of Dynamite is far from the first movie to think about the “what if” doomsday scenario. For much of the Cold War, the question wasn’t “what if,” it was “when?” and “how bad?” As WWII came to a close in 1945, American forces dropped atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, swiftly ushering in the Atomic Age.

“Within the framework of nuclear strategy” is the caveat—and the underlying topic of this movie. Sitting in his airplane, mulling over the book of laminated pages detailing the various attack options, the president moans to Gen. Brady, “This is insanity.” The general replies, “No, Mr. President, it’s reality.”

Why is 'A House of Dynamite' a nuclear exploitation film? Because the movie makes almost no sense. It pushes the alarm button all to push OUR buttons.

In real life, President Idris Elba wouldn’t get such bad advice.