Threads (1984)

[RimTimTagiDim]

I'd heard of it, mostly on lists of "Most Disturbing Films Ever," but I finally watched it at the weekend and I cannot get it out of my head. I've been thinking a lot about why it was so disturbing.

I think one part was the slow realisation that nobody was coming to help - it wasn't like most disaster movies, where it's a case of hanging on for a few days until rescue arrives. This was hanging on for years on end with no light at the end of the tunnel, everybody getting weaker and less human. Even the next generation offered no hope, being worse off than the last.

It felt like watching actual footage from a real event, not watching actors. I think having no score was an excellent decision.

I don't think it helped that I saw 28 Years Later a fewy days before. Two very different depictions of what civilisaiton looks like a decade-plus after a cataclysm, and there's no doubt Threads was a lot more realistic.

I can't even imagine how it would have felt to watch it during the Cold War years.

I feel the need to watch a LOT of funny cat/dog videos this week.

It’s very much of it’s time, OP - a very disturbing watch at the height of the Cold War!

Netflix are planning a series based on the original film.

When it was first aired, it when then called the night Britain didn't sleep

It was shown in schools. It was meant to teach those who would be running the country one day that nobody wins a nuclear war.

I’d forgotten that @gamerchick - that it was spoken about in that way….

It definitely had a profound effect at the time.

Yes, I watched it a few years ago. It was awful, very upsetting. Thought provoking though and I guess it achieved what it set out to do - nobody wins a nuclear war.

It's a life changing movie, or not one you forgot anyway. Atomic Kitten has a podcast about it and other nuclear themes.

You mean Atomic Hobo? 🤣

Is it the same as the book?

It was horrifying. One of the child actors in it said he'd had to have counselling for years.

Yes it's very disturbing. I also recently watched The Day After (an American film about the aftermath of a nuclear strike, made in 1983) and that is pretty bad as well, although I think Threads just edges it as the worst. Sobering viewing for sure.

I was made to watch it at the age of 9 by my babysitter. I would never watch it again, it really damaged me.

I watched it a couple of years ago and felt unsettled for days!

It doesn't seem to have worked, but it should have!

I can't believe anybody would show that to a nine-year-old. I've never seen an 18-rated movie anywhere near as frightening as Threads.

You'd be surprised by the number of people who were shown Threads at junior school.
What the teachers were thinking is anyone's guess.

It’s crazy isn’t it? I had nightmares for years. I still get really panicky if I hear a siren.

I watched this when I was 12. It scared the crap out of me. Cold War stuff was always disturbing. At least we had Two Tribes by Frankie goes to Hollywood to cheer us up!

I re-watched this film a few weeks ago. It's one of my all-time favourites. It's absolutely terrifying and so mundanely realistic.

I also watched the 1970s series "Survivors" which is about life in Britain after a catastrophic pandemic. Notwithstanding some clunkiness and gaping plot holes, the early episodes of that series were also quite thought-provoking. It got absolutely dire but the first few episodes were good.

I just noticed there is a remake of Survivors (mid 2000’s). Might be worth a watch.

Some time before we were told at school to hide under a desk in the event of an attack 😳

Threads was recently shown on Tv but the ending had been doctored to make it less shocking

Really 🤔. In what way?

I tried to watch it as it gets such a strong response on here but didn't think it aged well at all & got bored & turned it off!

Oh shit!! Didn't notice that. Pants.

Made me chuckle!

I was looking forward to watching this but found it boring. I didn’t find anything scary about it. What are people seeing that I didn’t?