Acclaimed filmmaker James Cameron has stepped forward to defend the most hotly debated cinematic conclusion of 2025. The 71-year-old director of Titanic and Avatar has publicly supported the ambiguous ending of the Netflix political thriller A House of Dynamite, which was directed by his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow.
The Film and Its Divisive Finale
Released on Netflix, A House of Dynamite is an apocalyptic thriller featuring an all-star cast. Sir Idris Elba portrays the President of the United States, while Rebecca Ferguson plays a White House Situation Room official. The plot unfolds in real-time, depicting the chaotic minutes after an unidentified nuclear missile is launched towards Chicago, seen from various government viewpoints.
While critics praised the film as one of the year's most gripping, with Metro's film expert Tori Brazier labelling it 'the best and most thought-provoking movie of 2025', its conclusion sparked significant backlash. The film ends without revealing the ultimate fate of Chicago or the President's final decision, leaving many viewers frustrated by the lack of a definitive resolution.
Cameron's Forceful Defence
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, James Cameron left no doubt about his stance. 'I said to her, "I utterly defend that ending." It's really the only possible ending,' he stated, drawing a parallel to the classic short story 'The Lady or the Tiger?'.
Cameron elaborated that the ambiguity was precisely the point. He argued that from the moment the missile was detected, there was never going to be a positive outcome. 'The movie spent two hours showing you there is no good outcome. We cannot countenance these weapons existing at all,' he asserted.
He connected the film's tension directly to contemporary geopolitics, highlighting the immense power vested in a single individual. 'The lives of every person on the planet revolve around that one person. That's the world we live in, and we need to remember that when we vote next time.' Cameron concluded by referencing the 1983 film WarGames, summarising the film's message: 'the only way to win is not to play.'
How Does 'A House of Dynamite' Actually End?
The film's narrative is presented from three distinct perspectives, but each storyline cuts away at the critical moment—just as the missile is about to hit Chicago and before the President confirms any retaliatory strike.
The final scenes show a stampede of government officials, including National Security advisers, fleeing to a secure bunker in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, aboard the Marine One helicopter, President Elba is trapped in an impossible dilemma: allow the missile to destroy Chicago or authorise a counterattack that could trigger full-scale nuclear war. He reads the verification code required to launch, but the audience never learns if he completes the sequence. The origin of the threat is confirmed only as the Pacific Ocean, with no specific nation or actor identified.
James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow were married from 1989 to 1991 and collaborated on films like Point Break and Strange Days. Bigelow later directed acclaimed works such as The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty. The interview also touched upon Cameron's reaction to a 2013 Golden Globes joke by comedian Amy Poehler about their marriage, which he described as 'an ignorant dig' that 'went too far'.
