(Review originally written at 16 February 2009)
A BBC, made for TV movie, surely doesn't sound like the most spectacular or groundbreaking movie ever made. But "Threads" is simply a very effective movie, that surely surpassed my expectations. The movie surely portrays the most realistic and therefore also most disturbing nuclear holocaust I have ever seen, in any movie.
Thing the movie does so well is that it keep things at all time real and close to the average persons. The story doesn't tell much about the things that are happening outside in the world and it doesn't show any battles being fought, missiles being launched, or anything of that sort. Instead it more shows the effects on average civilians, of what will happen if a nuclear war will start off. Because of this the movie has a sort of uneasy and unpleasant atmosphere and feeling, in a positively effective way. It shows the direct and indirect consequences and how people handle- and respond to a situation like this. It's a reason why "Threads" is often being credited as a documentary, while in fact it's still of course mostly a movie, with a story, characters and dialog.
Of course it's a rather cheap movie but they used this to their own advantage. Because of the limited budget the movie remains small and therefor also more close to all of the characters, which overall helps to make this movie such a realistic one.
But of course its budget also has its downsides. Not every aspect is as realistic, due to cheap look and the movie also doesn't really feature the best or most compelling actors. The movie of course also uses some archive footage from newsreels, just like they did in '50's sci-fi movies.
Nevertheless its effectiveness of it all isn't any less powerful because all of this. It's what makes "Threads" a surprisingly great movie, that is very well put together, with limited resources.
It's also sadly still a relevant movie. Just think about it, there is nothing in this movie that can't happen today or tomorrow. The crisis's and handling of them as portrayed in this movie surely also show some similarities to this present day.
Really deserves to be seen!
9/10
A BBC, made for TV movie, surely doesn't sound like the most spectacular or groundbreaking movie ever made. But "Threads" is simply a very effective movie, that surely surpassed my expectations. The movie surely portrays the most realistic and therefore also most disturbing nuclear holocaust I have ever seen, in any movie.
Thing the movie does so well is that it keep things at all time real and close to the average persons. The story doesn't tell much about the things that are happening outside in the world and it doesn't show any battles being fought, missiles being launched, or anything of that sort. Instead it more shows the effects on average civilians, of what will happen if a nuclear war will start off. Because of this the movie has a sort of uneasy and unpleasant atmosphere and feeling, in a positively effective way. It shows the direct and indirect consequences and how people handle- and respond to a situation like this. It's a reason why "Threads" is often being credited as a documentary, while in fact it's still of course mostly a movie, with a story, characters and dialog.
Of course it's a rather cheap movie but they used this to their own advantage. Because of the limited budget the movie remains small and therefor also more close to all of the characters, which overall helps to make this movie such a realistic one.
But of course its budget also has its downsides. Not every aspect is as realistic, due to cheap look and the movie also doesn't really feature the best or most compelling actors. The movie of course also uses some archive footage from newsreels, just like they did in '50's sci-fi movies.
Nevertheless its effectiveness of it all isn't any less powerful because all of this. It's what makes "Threads" a surprisingly great movie, that is very well put together, with limited resources.
It's also sadly still a relevant movie. Just think about it, there is nothing in this movie that can't happen today or tomorrow. The crisis's and handling of them as portrayed in this movie surely also show some similarities to this present day.
Really deserves to be seen!
9/10
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