NOW IN THEATERS! It’s only a matter of time before someone tries to turn the Cold War’s tensest 36 hours into a movie, and writer-director Michael Russell Gunn, along with Angel Studios, got us there with The Brink of War. Imagine sitting in a meeting where both briefcases holding the nuclear launch codes sit there, patiently waiting to end it all.
It’s 1986, during the height of the Cold War. In the remote city of Reykjavík, Iceland, President Ronald Reagan (Jeff Daniels) travels for a 36-hour meeting with Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev (Jared Harris) — the first time the two men (or any US or Russian leader) have ever sat down face-to-face. The US and Russia have roughly 70,000 nuclear missiles pointed at each other, and Reagan has just announced plans to develop the Strategic Defense Initiative, the missile defense shield nicknamed “Star Wars.” That single move is enough to bring Gorbachev to the peace table. Alongside Reagan is Secretary of State George Shultz (J.K. Simmons), Reagan’s advisor and point man, who oversees the team of CIA agents and State Department negotiators on the American side.
What starts as a few greetings reveals that both Reagan and Shultz realize Gorbachev may be more than willing to reduce the nuclear stockpile—an unexpected surprise. Reagan floats a 25 percent cut in nuclear missiles. Gorbachev counters with 50 percent. Reagan pushes further and suggests reducing the number of nuclear weapons to zero. Gorbachev tells him he thinks they can do that too. Suddenly, two men from opposite ends of the political spectrum, each fiercely representing his own country, find themselves drafting a treaty aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons entirely.
Ronald Reagan (Jeff Daniels) and George Shultz (J.K. Simmons) meet outside the Reykjavik house in The Brink of War.
“The one sticking point that stands between zero nukes and global annihilation is SDI.”
The one sticking point that stands between zero nukes and global annihilation is SDI. After an intense conversation, Reagan can see his deal of total disarmament slip right out of his hands, and he would forever be labeled as a warmonger.
The Brink of War blew my mind with its stellar cast list. Jeff Daniels as Ronald Reagan, Jared Harris as Mikhail Gorbachev, and J.K. Simmons as George Shultz—this is a story I lived through in my teens, when global nuclear war was a constant threat. Watching it play out in a modest house in Reykjavík, Iceland (where they actually filmed, by the way) hit different than I expected. Given the politics of this cast, making Reagan the hero of this movie is amazing to me.
What makes this one work is that it’s basically a thriller staged entirely at a table. Daniels is incredible here, but Harris is even better. He gives Gorbachev real weight, even though we never see the confrontation from his perspective. Simmons is also great as the guy who had to implement every single one of Reagan’s wishes.
The movie stays full of tension, optimism, and hope even though (spoiler alert) we know how this ends. But that’s not really the point. What this movie captures is two people from extreme opposite ends of the political spectrum, each fiercely fighting for his own country, sitting down and vehemently disagreeing without trying to kill each other or the world over it. As a fan of historical films, I found this encounter thrilling to watch unfold. Let’s be honest. There are lessons to be learned, considering the political discourse going on right now, which isn’t doing anyone any favors. High recommendation. The Brink of War is a must-see film for anyone interested in Cold War history.
"…a thriller staged entirely at a table."
