WarGames
A teenage hacker mistakes a military supercomputer’s nuclear war simulation for a game and must outthink the machine before play becomes apocalypse.
Overview
A young hacker accidentally triggers a countdown to nuclear war, forcing him to outsmart a supercomputer.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- playful
- paranoid
- retro movie night
- technology themed marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an inventive, entertaining, and suspenseful early computer thriller that raises serious questions about technology and nuclear warfare, despite some convenient plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David believes he is accessing a computer game, while the military system interprets the simulated conflict as an actual nuclear exchange.
The military computer controls the U.S. nuclear arsenal and escalates a simulated Soviet conflict toward World War III.
David’s computer hobby and telephone-hacking skills collide with FBI investigators and military officials who see him as a threat.
The film combines youthful game-playing and good-natured humor with the terrifying possibility of accidental nuclear war.
Films like WarGames, and why
Fail Safe
Shares nuclear anxiety, escalating technological peril, and suspense centered on military systems.
Tron
Shares playful computer-age science fiction, youthful protagonists, and the danger of treating technology as a game.
Sneakers
Shares hacker protagonists, government surveillance, and paranoid technological-thriller tension.
The Manhattan Project
Shares Cold War-era nuclear suspense and an ordinary young person caught inside a dangerous weapons system.
Movie Details
- Director
- John Badham
- Release Date
- 1983-06-03
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (2265)
Cast
- Matthew Broderick
- Dabney Coleman
- John Wood
- Ally Sheedy
- Barry Corbin
- Juanin Clay
- Kent Williams
- Dennis Lipscomb
- Joe Dorsey
- Irving Metzman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, AMC, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is WarGames about?
- A teenage hacker mistakes a military supercomputer’s nuclear war simulation for a game and must outthink the machine before play becomes apocalypse.
- What is WarGames like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of WarGames as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is WarGames violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in WarGames.
- What did critics think of WarGames?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an inventive, entertaining, and suspenseful early computer thriller that raises serious questions about technology and nuclear warfare, despite some convenient plotting.
- Which films are like WarGames?
- Films with a similar feel include Fail Safe, Tron, Sneakers, and The Manhattan Project.
- How long is WarGames?
- WarGames runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch WarGames?
- In United States, WarGames streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, AMC, MGM Plus.
