Just so...so bad

Good concept, poorly executed.

The first must-see film of the year.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Short and Simple Review by WubsTheFadgerThreads depicts a world were nuclear war has really happened. It handles the subject with extreme care and realism. The story is brutal, gory, and horrifying. The last hour is very scary and intense. The ending scene is terrifying.The acting is okay. The acting is very dated but most of the actors hold their own.The pacing is very slow until the bombs are dropped (about an hour into the film). The runtime is overlong.The brutality shown in this film is very realistic and might frighten some people.Pros: Brutal, gory, and horrific story, the ending scene, and the realistic depiction of nuclear falloutCons: Outdated acting, slow pacing in the beginning, and an overlong runtimeOverall Rating: 7.8

I watched Threads again yesterday, my 3rd time, firstly at school in the mid-80s, then again a few years ago, then most recently yesterday evening.Without doubt this is the most horrific film I have ever seen, even with multiple viewings and knowing the ending, its shock value does not decrease at all.I've watched a lot of post-apocalyptic type films (incl. The Day After) and Threads is the *only* one that truly gives me nightmares with scenes that will never ever go away from me.Kudos to the writer, director, production staff, actors and the BBC for making this film. As others have mentioned, this film should be required viewing for everyone, and especially those who have their finger on the button.Yes it seems a little dated now (33+ years on) in terms of production values, special effects etc, but actually it's all the better for this.In my mind Threads is one for the best films ever made and should certainly be near the top (or at the top) of everyone's must-see list. Just have a box of tissues and some emotional support nearby when you do watch it.

There's not really a lot of insight you can offer into this infamous TV movie that depicts the aftermath of a nuclear attack on a British city. It's a superficial film, made without subtext, purely designed to present a 'what if?' scenario and then play it out to its ultimate, nihilistic climax. I found it to be utterly grim and depressing, a warning shout against the ultimate in evil: the nuclear bomb.The film is low budget and cast with unfamiliar actors who play normal people, without any kind of fancy acting. It's just as if they're playing themselves. The first half sets up the inevitable and the second half shows what happens to the various survivors. The special effects are absolutely EXCELLENT; this must have been made on a relatively low budget, and yet the nuclear attack is utterly convincing. I really appreciate the way the barren, devastated landscape is brought to life, full of ruined buildings and mutilated corpses.Events that play out are realistic in the extreme; be warned there's no happy ending in sight here, just a ruthless devotion to showing 'what is'. I found it completely upsetting and affecting, full of images (melting bodies and milk bottles) that will stay in my mind for a long time to come. Imagine the nuclear bomb nightmare in TERMINATOR 2 increased to filmic length: that's THREADS in a nutshell.

Possibly a contender for bleakest film ever made, Threads follows a young expectant couple and their families in the suburbs of northern UK city Sheffield, in the days leading up to and aftermath of a nuclear strike on the city.With a screenplay written by Barry Hines (best known for his novel and award-winning film adaptation "Kes") Threads is a made-for-TV film, shot with mostly unknown actors, and which forgoes flashy effects for a low-budget, gritty documentary style interspersed with stock footage.All of this however merely adds to the overwhelming sense of realism depicted in the unfolding events, and has the added bonus of allowing the film to perhaps age better than some of its apocalyptic contemporaries. As has been pointed out by a number of other reviewers, more than one scene in this film still have the impact to stay with you for a very long time after watching.Despite tailing off a little towards the end, Threads is both utterly depressing and thoroughly compelling in equal measure, and is probably one of the strongest indictments of the folly of nuclear war ever committed to celluloid and absolutely worth a watch.Although probably only once.