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WarGames
1983 114 min United States of America PG 16+
★7.8
Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
Director: John Badham
Trailers
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Teaser
Teaser
EN
EN
EN
Description
High school student David Lightman has a talent for hacking. But while trying to hack into a computer system to play unreleased video games, he unwittingly taps into the Department of Defense's war computer and initiates a confrontation of global proportions. Together with his friend and a wizardly computer genius, David must race against time to outwit his opponent and prevent a nuclear Armageddon.
Budget:
$12M
US Gross:
$79.57M
Worldwide:
$124.6M
Starring
Matthew Broderick
Actor
Ally Sheedy
Actor
John Wood
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 1984
— Best Director
BAFTA 1984
— Best Sound
Academy Awards 1984
— Best Screenplay
Saturn Awards 1984
— Best Science Fiction Film
Academy Awards 1984
— Best Cinematography
BAFTA 1984
— Best Visual Effects
BAFTA 1984
— Best Production Design
Saturn Awards 1984
— Best Actor
Saturn Awards 1984
— Best Screenplay
Saturn Awards 1984
— Best Actress
Saturn Awards 1984
— Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA 1984
— Best Sound
Key opinion
WarGames is widely regarded as a culturally significant Cold War thriller that effectively captures 1980s anxieties regarding AI and nuclear security. While many praise its intellectual premise and nostalgic appeal, opinions are divided on whether its narrative execution holds up to modern scrutiny.
| Theme | The film succeeds as a poignant warning about the dangers of delegating nuclear command to fallible automated systems. | |
| Ending | The climax involving Tic-Tac-Toe provides a clever and satisfying resolution to the mounting global tension. | |
| Culture | The film serves as a compelling time capsule of 1980s computer culture and Cold War era atmosphere. | |
| Acting | Matthew Broderick’s performance as a teenage hacker is a subject of disagreement: some find his charisma essential to the film, while others view his portrayal as unconvincing or naive. | |
| Originality | The dated technology and 1980s aesthetics evoke a sense of nostalgia for some, while others find the film's technical premises absurd and boring by modern standards. | |
| Pacing | The pacing is viewed as inconsistent, with an intriguing setup that struggles to maintain momentum through later dialogue-heavy sequences. |