# The Day After (1983)

> A stark Cold War television drama follows Kansas civilians through the terrifying human consequences of nuclear war.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/3728

## Facts

- Runtime: 127 min
- Genres: Science Fiction, Drama, TV Movie
- Director: Nicholas Meyer
- Cast: Jason Robards, JoBeth Williams, Steve Guttenberg, John Cullum, John Lithgow, Bibi Besch, Lori Lethin, Amy Madigan
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085404/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: extreme
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: graphic
- Mood: foreboding, harrowing, bleak, serious viewing, cold war history study

## Synopsis

A chilling exploration of survival in a post-apocalyptic world following nuclear devastation.

## Movies like The Day After

- [On the Beach (1959)](https://ember.film/movie/21996)
- [The Manhattan Project (1986)](https://ember.film/movie/18721)
- [The Crazies (1973)](https://ember.film/movie/18124)
- [When the Wind Blows (1986)](https://ember.film/movie/5905)
- [Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)](https://ember.film/movie/8802)
- [The Brink of War (2026)](https://ember.film/movie/112704)
- [Panic in Year Zero! (1962)](https://ember.film/movie/16645)
- [Fail Safe (1964)](https://ember.film/movie/396)
- [Testament (1983)](https://ember.film/movie/12790)
- [The War Game (1966)](https://ember.film/movie/15818)

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