Nuclear war horror movie “so bleak” it scared Ronald Reagan is free on Tubi now

Strictly speaking, Threads isn’t a horror movie. However, it may be the most horrifying film you’ll ever experience – and it’s free to stream on Tubi now.

Picture the scene: you’re walking down the street on a Saturday morning, a carton of milk in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other. Everything seems unnoticeably normal; a natural state of indifference.

Suddenly, an air raid siren rattles your eardrums, and the town center descends into panic; screaming, crying, running, people peeing themselves out of sheer fear. What would you do; flee, duck for cover, or accept the wave of fire as it barged through the clouds?

This is just one nightmarish scenario brought to life in Threads, a 1984 anti-war drama that depicts a realistic vision of what could happen if nuclear war broke out in Europe. It’s one of the best horror movies of all time, and you can watch it for free on Tubi right now. It’s also available via Shudder and Mubi.

If you want a taste of what to expect… enjoy:

It’s undoubtedly one of the most distressing films ever made. While its setting may feel dated, its build-up feels timeless; warnings on the news fall on deaf ears, people start hoarding tins and toilet rolls without knowing what they’re preparing for, and anxieties about war are offset with pints down the pub.

Until it can’t be avoided, and to quote Nikita Khrushchev, the survivors are left to envy the dead.

According to Mick Jackson, the film’s director, former president Ronald Reagan watched it when it was shown in the US.

The year prior, he’d launched the Strategic Defense Initiative and regarded the Soviet Union as an “evil empire.” After Threads, Jackson “likes to imagine it may have had an influence on his subsequently less bellicose attitude towards nuclear deterrence.”

This also came after the release of The Day After, effectively America’s equivalent of Threads, which left Reagan “greatly depressed” – and it even helped change his mind on nuclear policy.

After you watch Threads, check out our list of the best war movies ever made. You can also find new movies to watch this month, as well as TV shows coming to streaming.