A Cold War drama that only recently arrived in theaters is already making the jump to home viewing. The Brink of War reaches digital platforms today, giving audiences another chance to watch its tense recreation of one of the most dangerous moments in U.S.-Soviet relations.
The Brink of War begins streaming on digital today
Rather than build its story around battlefield spectacle, director Michael Russell Gunn puts two world leaders at the center of The Brink of War. Jeff Daniels portrays President Ronald Reagan, while Jared Harris plays Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. J.K. Simmons also stars as Secretary of State George Shultz, with Hope Davis as Nancy Reagan and Branka Katić as Raisa Gorbachev.
Set against the tense backdrop of the 1986 Reykjavík Summit, the film revisits a moment when Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev came surprisingly close to major nuclear arms agreements. What began as an attempt to reduce the threat of atomic war soon turned into a difficult negotiation over missile defenses, nuclear stockpiles, and the vastly different priorities of the United States and Soviet Union.
Gunn takes on more than just the directing duties. He also wrote the screenplay and produced the project, working with John Logan Pierson. By focusing on the people and pressure behind one of the Cold War’s most consequential meetings, the movie has plenty of political tension to mine.
The PG-rated drama opened August 14 and has earned around $5 million so far. Audience reaction, however, has been noticeably more upbeat than the critical conversation. Rotten Tomatoes currently records a 72% critics score and an 86% verified audience score, while IMDb has the movie at 6.6/10.
Many moviegoers who saw it in theaters generally walked away satisfied. Critics have been less unanimous, with some praising the cast and Cold War tension while others felt the political storyline did not always hit the mark.
