The most shocking moment in the Dynamite House continues a tragic trend for Jared Harris

Warning: This article contains Major spoilers About “House of Dynamite”.

there Films about the threat of nuclear annihilationThen there’s “House of Dynamite.” The Netflix original, which chronicles the US government’s response to the end of the world (basically), is different from most other films. Told from several different perspectives after the discovery of an intercontinental missile bound for North America, the film brings director Kathryn Bigelow’s distinct grasp of realism to events that already seem horrifyingly real—particularly to anyone who lived through the height of Cold War tensions, let alone modern history. So it should come as no surprise that this bleak thriller deals with some very heavy themes. Soldiers struggle to outflank the most existential dangers, politicians rush to save as many lives as possible, all while ordinary citizens have no idea what is headed towards them.

However, the most tragic subplots throughout “House of Dynamite” may revolve around the actions of Secretary of Defense Reed Baker. Portrayed with heartbreaking grace by actor Jared Harris, the government official finds himself on the front lines of a ridiculous show from top to bottom. After realizing that a nuclear missile launch of unknown origin is headed towards Chicago, Red Baker finds himself in charge of the country’s military might and tasked with advising the President (Idris Elba) on potential defense strategies. Oh, and all with the knowledge that his estranged daughter Carolyn (Kaitlyn Devers) is currently in Chicago, unaware of where she’s headed.

This story adds more personal stakes to a scenario that spans the globe, thanks to Harris’s patience in the face of unimaginable horror. But it’s his ultimate fate — which elicited audible gasps from the audience during my screening — that adds to the unusual trend regarding the multiple characters played by the actor. That’s why casting him in “A House of Dynamite” was a stroke of genius.

If you need someone to play a volatile, intelligent but ultimately doomed character with a sense of gravitas and quiet dignity, you get Jared Harris. “A House of Dynamite” takes full advantage of the performer’s talents, transforming what could have been a government figure into a fully-fledged individual who represents the humanity at the heart of this story. While most of the other people in the film benefit from being away (either geographically or emotionally) from the events unfolding on telescreens and conference calls, Secretary of Defense Reid Baker has the most to lose because his young daughter is still in danger. When all efforts to knock the missile out of the sky fail, and it becomes clear that Chicago is only moments away from being wiped off the map, Baker numbly follows his security agents to the roof of a building in Washington, D.C. to be evacuated to safety… just to step back from the edge and put a permanent end to his suffering.

As brutal and shocking as this was, fans of HBO’s “Chernobyl” and AMC’s “Mad Men” probably should have seen this coming. In each of these popular shows, Harris is depicted as similarly tragic characters who end up committing suicide in a fit of despair. In the case of the former, Radical actions of Soviet chemist Valery Legasov It comes as a result of gross government negligence over a catastrophic nuclear meltdown – and the work of the resistance to force the truth out. Finally, Harris’ accounting expert, Len Price, hanged himself after being caught embezzling money and forced to resign in disgrace. The characters may not be directly similar to Baker’s character in “A House of Dynamite,” but the common threads that connect each of them cannot be mistaken. (Meanwhile, his role was mostly dramatic.) Mathematician and doomsday prophet Harry Seldon in “The Foundation” stands in stark contrast.)

Although it’s a stretch to say that “A House of Dynamite” is indebted to Harris’ previous roles, Harris’ performance certainly takes on deeper layers with the performer’s larger body of work in mind. The film is currently showing in limited theaters, before debuting on Netflix on October 24, 2025.