War Game

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2:06

War Game

2024

1h 34m

Mystery & Thriller

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

War Game sweeps audiences into an elaborate future-set simulation that dramatically escalates the threat posed by the January 6, 2021 insurrection. The film follows a bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence, and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations as they participate in an unscripted role-play exercise. Portraying a fictional President of the United States and his advisors, they confront a political coup backed by rogue members of the US military in the wake of a contested 2024 presidential election. Like actors in a thriller, but with profound real-world stakes, the players have only six hours to save American democracy.

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Critics Consensus

A creative exercise of deadly serious import, War Game is an involving feat of simulation that sounds the alarm.

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Dan Einav

Financial Times

10/03/2024

4/5

While the presence of cameras and White House replica sets bring a touch of theatricality to proceedings, everyone taking part is fully committed to the exercise.

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Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

08/29/2024

2.5/4

As a simultaneously slick and provocative entertainment, “War Game” is chilling and a tad infuriating, offering a white-knuckle ride that may feel a bit too fresh in the memory for viewers who are still traumatized by the real thing.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

08/28/2024

This was fascinating, urgent and important.

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Bethan Ackerley

New Scientist

01/24/2025

I left War Game with questions about the exercise’s purpose. I didn’t learn much and I’m not sure anyone in the situation room did either. That said, for capturing the precarity of the US government in such scary circumstances, this is worth your time.

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Pat Stacey

Irish Independent

10/02/2024

The nail-biting docu-thriller War Game imagines how a sitting administration might respond to another insurrection far more serious than the previous one.

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Abbie Bernstein

Assignment X

10/01/2024

B

This provides a lot of food for thought.

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Bernard D

09/07/2024

Real people playing real people. Fascists are real too and must be defeated.

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Michael

08/26/2024

I liked the idea better than the film. For a film with a 6 hour clock War Game took leisurely digressions into back stories.

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Andrew

08/12/2024

Exceptionally timely and realistic. Very scary.

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William B

08/10/2024

This film is a bit unerving when you watch the complexity of decision making. The use of real people in place of actors lends to its credibility and impact. The danger of a repitition of Jan 6, is made plain by the issues that are raised by its participants in their roles. This is a film that every high school civics class should include.

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Andrew A.

@rt_andrew Jul 3

"Nothing ever happens" the documentary

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Angela H

@RT51957214 05/29/2025

I have no doubt this is an interesting and insightful docu-drama. Unfortunately, for me, it was rendered unwatchable thanks to the droning 'music' which added nothing other than annoyance. Shame because I'm sure some legitimate points would be included but I just couldn't listen.

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Tony Gerber

Director

Jesse Moss

Director

Chris Henry Coffey

Actor

Steve Bullock

President John Hotham

Heidi Heitkamp

Sen. Advisor to the President

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War Game: Trailer 1

2:06

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Synopsis

War Game sweeps audiences into an elaborate future-set simulation that dramatically escalates the threat posed by the January 6, 2021 insurrection. The film follows a bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence, and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations as they participate in an unscripted role-play exercise. Portraying a fictional President of the United States and his advisors, they confront a political coup backed by rogue members of the US military in the wake of a contested 2024 presidential election. Like actors in a thriller, but with profound real-world stakes, the players have only six hours to save American democracy.

Director: Tony Gerber, Jesse Moss
Producer: Todd Lubin, Jesse Moss, Jack Turner, Mark Dicristofaro, Jessica Grimshaw, Nick Shumaker
Distributor: Submarine Deluxe
Production Co: Boat Rocker Studios, Anonymous Content, Matador Content
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 2, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 27, 2024
Runtime: 1h 34m