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Harry Beety, David Brierly, Reece Dinsdale, Rita May, Karen Meagher ... see more see more... , Nicholas Lane , Victor O'Keefe

Originally produced by the BBC, Threads is a shattering speculative tale the onset of World War III, and the horrors of the post-apocalyptic society that struggles for survival. The film takes place i... read more read more...n the ruins of Sheffield, a British working class town. Despite the fact that the world seems to be falling apart all around them, a young couple (Karen Meagher, Reece Meagher) intend to go ahead with their upcoming wedding. As the date draws near, however, simmering international tensions soon erupt into global thermonuclear war. In the devestation that follows, the apocalyptic erosion of society sends mankind hurtling back hundreds of years into an age where famine, strife, pestilence, and death wash over the land like an unrelenting flood of venomous bile. The central theme of the film seems to be that the adage "Life Goes On" just isn't good enough in a world doomed to a slow death by radiation. Without resorting to shock or sensationalism, this one makes The Day After and Testament look like kids' stuff. Though not picked up by any of the major American networks, Threads was widely distributed in the US through the auspices of cable mogul Ted Turner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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93% liked it

2,301 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Mick Jackson

Release Date: September 23, 1984

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Flixster Reviews (326)

  • Lemure
    March 30, 2010
    Lemure
    In this VERY graphic dramatisation of a city during the lead up to nuclear war and the following fall-out, we're shown that things would be completely horrible.
    Got to ask...did anyone think it would be sunshine, peaches and ice-cream all round?
  • alanjayh
    June 13, 2008
    alanjayh
    brutal stuff!!! very realistic, this is graphic and morbid..ultimately depressing..but movie production values are high and not much is held back...not exactly entertaining but is gripping drama if apocalypse genre is your thing...
  • halorocker44
    December 26, 2010
    halorocker44
    not as good as "the day after" but still very well done but what the fuck kind of ending was that? a little girl (i think) giving birth to a still born baby?
  • skekcol
    May 16, 2010
    skekcol
    A very in depth look at nuclear winter. Threads felt more like a what if documentary than a story, but I found it fascinating.
  • mpghoul1973
    May 6, 2009
    mpghoul1973
    This is seriously one of the scariest films ive ever seen in my life. It will punch you in your gut then ass rape you while your down!
    Very well made account of what would happen in the event of a global holocaust. This film goes beyond what one could imagine. And ends with no ... read morehope what so ever. I imagine the way this movie plays out is what really would happen. This IS the best and most realistic nuclear survival film ever made. Itll stick with you and depress the hell out of you!
  • cmrnlewis
    June 14, 2008
    cmrnlewis
    I remember seeing this when I was ten years old and it scarred me for life. It covers three months before and ten years after a nuclear war and shows how the human race descends to being little more than rats. This one will give you nightmares.
  • willerror1
    April 14, 2008
    willerror1
    If you like realistic, harrowing, gut-wrenching movies of despair and destruction, this is for you. A 1984 BBC production about nuclear holocaust. Ugh. You will be clinically depressed after watching it, but it's worth it.
  • tkhula
    July 27, 2007
    tkhula
    This one was positively chilling. BBC production aired in the US on Turner. Very controversial at the time.

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Critic Reviews

Stefan Birgir Stefansson
July 5, 2008
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is

scary

MaryAnn Johanson
August 6, 2005
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher

[S]eared a black furrow across my soul as a teen that has never healed... it still plagues the dim recesses of my imagination. Full Review

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Threads : Watch Free on TV

Threads Trivia

  • Who says this in LOTR:ROTK? "How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on... when in your heart... you begin to understand... there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold".   Answer »
  • What film did the BBC make that showed a nuclear holocaust in the 1980s  Answer »
  • The nuclear apocalypse film, "Threads", is set in which British city.  Answer »
  • 'The Birds' (1963)- The scene where Tippy Hedren is ravaged by birds near the end of the movie took a week to shoot. The birds were attached to her clothes by long nylon threads so they could not get away.  Answer »
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