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Poster for The Brink of War

The Brink of War

Seen it?

2026 | 117 min | Drama, History

Saturday Specialearly rating

Why it’s a Saturday Special

Audiences rate it highly (8.0 out of 10) and it's still drawing plenty of interest, despite a box office loss. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for history buffs. If you loved The Longest Day, start here. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 57 min.
What might put you off
Rated PG: peril. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.

President Ronald Reagan races against time to salvage a deal with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that could dismantle nuclear arsenals—or ignite disaster. With pressure mounting on all sides, every word spoken brings the world closer to peace... or destruction.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    71% on Rotten Tomatoes, 51 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesStrong

    8.0 out of 10 from opening-week audiences

  • AwardsNot counted

    Award season hasn't happened yet, so this isn't counted.

  • Box office & staying powerWeak

    $5 million worldwide on a $21 million budget

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 377K people sought it out in the past year, and interest is climbing

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Michael Russell Gunn

  • Jeff DanielsRonald Reagan
  • Jared HarrisMikhail Gorbachev
  • J.K. SimmonsGeorge Shultz
  • Hope DavisNancy Reagan
  • Branka KatićRaisa Gorbachev
  • Aya CashCleo
  • Guy BurnetAlexander
  • Adrian RawlinsMax Rampleman
  • Tim DuttonEdward Shevardnadze
  • Stephen BrennanPaul Nitze