The 1984 film Threads has long been considered one of the most disturbing movies ever made and even inspired the Netflix hit Black Mirror – and now it’s available to watch for free
A movie that has left a legion of viewers traumatized and even inspired the hit Netflix series Black Mirror is now available to stream for free on its 40th anniversary.
Threads, which was released in September 1984, follows two families residing in Sheffield, England, as war erupts between the US and the Soviet Union. A subsequent nuclear attack alters their lives forever, with the film detailing the aftermath of the attack over the next decade in agonizing detail.
The sci-fi film was aired on BBC Four on Wednesday night (October 9) for the first time in more than a decade, marking only the fourth time it has been broadcasted on network television.
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For those brave souls who missed the airing and are in search of a distressing watch, it can now be streamed for free on BBC iPlayer, 40 years after its initial broadcast. Despite being produced by the BBC on a shoestring budget of £400,000 ($522,000), the film has received widespread acclaim for its harsh and unflinching portrayal of nuclear war.
Threads features some scary scenes (Image:BBC)
It boasts a rare perfect score of 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and has numerous accolades to its name. The film was nominated for seven BAFTA awards in 1985, winning four: Best Single Drama; Best Design; Best Film Cameraman and Best Film Editor. TikTok is awash with videos labeling it the most terrifying and unsettling film ever made, with pages of written reviews supporting this claim.
“This is probably the most effective horror movie I’ve ever seen. I can’t think of another movie that is so brutally honest about it’s subject matter that it refuses to allow the viewer to do anything other than take this deadly seriously,” one viewer shared. Another warned: “This film is incredibly well made, especially considering it was made quite some time ago. Although I have to say it’s a really impressive film, I’m not sure I’d recommend it unless you want to be depressed for days.”
“It graphically takes you step by step and from start to finish through the most harrowing horror film of what could be real if it ever happened. It’s guaranteed to shock and scare you to your wits end. Not a film to show your kids,” a third viewer penned. Meanwhile, a fourth chimed in: “A brave and realistic portrayal of a limited nuclear strike on Britain, as a drama documentary, also probably the scariest film ever made.”
Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, who watched Threads when he was young, reflected on how it raised questions for him about societal resilience – themes he explores in his Netflix series. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs a few years back, he admitted: “I remember watching Threads and not being able to process what it meant; not understanding how society kept going.”
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