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WarGames

Play trailer Poster for WarGames PG 1983 1h 53m Mystery & Thriller Action Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 46 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
High school student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) unwittingly hacks into a military supercomputer while searching for new video games. After starting a game of Global Thermonuclear War, Lightman leads the supercomputer to activate the nation's nuclear arsenal in response to his simulated threat as the Soviet Union. Once the clueless hacker comes to his senses, Lightman, with help from his girlfriend (Ally Sheedy), must find a way to alert the authorities to stop the onset of World War III.
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WarGames

WarGames

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Critics Consensus

Part delightfully tense techno-thriller, part refreshingly unpatronizing teen drama, WarGames is one of the more inventive -- and genuinely suspenseful -- Cold War movies of the 1980s.

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Critics Reviews

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David Denby New York Magazine/Vulture 01/01/2020
Like a man drawn to the edge of a cliff by the lure of the abyss below, we're secretly obsessed by the apocalypse. Moralists may claim that WarGames is more exploitation than warning, but it's still an exciting, giddily entertaining movie. Go to Full Review
Martin Chilton Daily Telegraph (UK) 07/31/2015
4/5
The chase sequences with government agents are tame but the film builds to a tense (and witty) conclusion at the Cheyenne Mountain nuclear bunker in Colorado Springs. Go to Full Review
Dave Kehr Chicago Reader 07/30/2013
Classic humanist-didactic filmmaking, effectively presented as a thriller. Go to Full Review
James Croot The Post NZ 06/07/2023
4/5
[WarGames] is a standard ‘80s teens-in-peril and up-against-the-authorities tale, but one which, despite a strange side-trip to an Oregon island, really does a great job of building up the tension towards a thrilling finale. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 01/14/2023
3/4
A clever if occasionally far-fetched adventure-thriller. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 05/10/2020
3/4
WarGames kicks off with an exciting sequence... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Robert V 2d This movie definitely passes the test of time. Wargames explores AI presciently 40 years ago. I enjoyed that there are multiple characters that have autistic characteristics portrayed in a positive light. It kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting more. It had enough comedy mixed with high stakes situations and a plausible premise. See more Alejandro E @Alex970 4d As weekend escapism, it passes the test, thanks to its dose of suspense. To say that it is a warning about the risks of computer abuse and the danger of arms build-up would be an exaggeration. See more Frans B @FransB Nov 26 At the time of production, this must have been awesome. Great idea and relatively high tech at the time, but sadly, not so memorable, somehow. Novel nonetheless. Great cast convincing in character and some suspense and drama. Good cinematography and visually advanced in the 80's. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Nov 11 Success in 1 hour, 52 minutes, and 45 seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring Matthew Broderick as a computer gamer/hacker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Kim P Nov 1 Some of the ratings posted must not be taking into account when this movie was filmed. The tech was cutting age back then and looks like a Coleco handheld game today in the 2020s. See more Shizue Leigh H Sep 14 An absolute pleasure to watch — all 5,955 times! See more Read all reviews
WarGames

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WarGames

WarGames: Official Clip - David & Jennifer Kiss WarGames: Official Clip - David & Jennifer Kiss 2:10 WarGames: Official Clip - Joshua Searches for Launch Codes WarGames: Official Clip - Joshua Searches for Launch Codes 1:48 WarGames: Official Clip - Tic Tac Toe With Joshua WarGames: Official Clip - Tic Tac Toe With Joshua 1:42 WarGames: Official Clip - It's a Bluff WarGames: Official Clip - It's a Bluff 2:11 WarGames: Official Clip - DEFCON 1 WarGames: Official Clip - DEFCON 1 2:14 WarGames: Official Clip - Shall We Play a Game? WarGames: Official Clip - Shall We Play a Game? 2:08 WarGames: Official Clip - Asexual Reproduction WarGames: Official Clip - Asexual Reproduction 2:06 WarGames: Official Clip - The Only Winning Move WarGames: Official Clip - The Only Winning Move 2:30 WarGames: Official Clip - He's Gonna Start a War! WarGames: Official Clip - He's Gonna Start a War! 2:00 WarGames: Official Clip - A Lesson in Futility WarGames: Official Clip - A Lesson in Futility 2:15 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis High school student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) unwittingly hacks into a military supercomputer while searching for new video games. After starting a game of Global Thermonuclear War, Lightman leads the supercomputer to activate the nation's nuclear arsenal in response to his simulated threat as the Soviet Union. Once the clueless hacker comes to his senses, Lightman, with help from his girlfriend (Ally Sheedy), must find a way to alert the authorities to stop the onset of World War III.
Director
John Badham
Producer
Harold Schneider
Screenwriter
Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating
PG
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 3, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 29, 2016
Runtime
1h 53m
Sound Mix
Surround
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