This film is often termed as one of the most harrowing movies ever made and it shows the bleak reality of nuclear warfare. Threads was first aired on BBC Two on 23 September 1984 at the height of the Cold War, when nuclear tensions were as prevalent a talking point as they are today.
The film is a drama telling the story of a nuclear strike on Britain through the eyes of two families, tracing the events leading up to the war and the decade of devastation that follows. With global tensions rising, many viewers have been left horrified by the film which one viewer termed as the “scariest movie” they had ever seen.
One viewer on Letterboxed said: “I know for a fact that I will never watch this again, as it’s probably the single most harrowing film I’ve ever seen.”
Another, who gave the film a high rating of four and a half stars, penned: “What a harrowing descent into a pure nightmare scenario. Bleak is an understatement… this intensely grim bad vibes nose dive into no hopesville goes all the way.”
Although the film revolves around the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, after the latter invades Iran, it predominantly focuses on the lives of a couple in Sheffield, England and how the war impacts their lives.
The South Yorkshire city, which is today one of Englands greenest cities, was chosen due to the belief that the Soviets would opt to strike an industrial city in the UK and that the local council, at the time, had a “nuclear-free zone” policy.
On Letterboxed, the film has been generously reviewed for its accurate, upsetting and thought-provoking nature.
The film depicts the struggles of ordinary people and this is a point many who have watched the film feel they can relate to.
Threads was made for BBC TV by The Bodyguard director Mick Jackson and Kes writer Barry Hines, with Jackson wanting to focus on the scientific ramifications of a nuclear attack and its fallout.
It is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.