From ‘Deep Impact’ to ‘Oppenheimer’: The 10 best bombs in cinema history
With the recent release of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, audiences were treated not just to a meticulously re-crafted, entirely practical-effects-driven depiction of a nuclear explosion but an in-depth and poignant look into the life of the man dubbed “father of the atomic bomb”. And it got us thinking – what makes a good explosion on screen?
Explosions have always ignited the imagination of filmgoers, adding kinetic energy to scenes and injecting adrenaline straight into the veins of an audience. Since the early days of cinema, directors have sought to translate the raw, primal power of a detonation into visual spectacles that leave audiences both awestruck and, occasionally, introspective about the repercussions of such force.
The language of explosions goes beyond mere spectacle, though. In many instances, they’re symbolic, representing chaos, change, or even catharsis. They can manifest as the climax of long-building tension or the spark that ignites a new chapter in a story. They’re not just about the physical magnitude but about emotional resonance, about how these fiery moments make us feel when the dust settles and the echoes fade.
While cinema is packed with a myriad of pyrotechnic marvels, there are some that, through a mix of craft, narrative, and sheer audacity, rise above the rest. Let’s dive deep into the incendiary world of cinematic detonations and celebrate…
The 10 best bombs in cinema history:
10. The nuke in Deep Impact (1998)
Unfortunately released the exact same year as the more popular Armageddon, which more or less follows the same plot, astronomers and scientists nevertheless lauded Deep Impact as the more accurate of the two. It’s also got Robert Duvall and a much better explosion. In it, astronauts embark on a perilous mission to detonate an incoming comet that threatens the entire human race.
After an unsuccessful first explosion, which sees a huge chunk of the comet decimate some of the American coast, our heroes realise they have no other choice – they must fly deep into the comet themselves and destroy it from within. The resulting explosion, portrayed with vivid 1990s special effects, is the defining moment of spectacle and sacrifice in a simpler, more wholesome time of disaster movies.
9. The seismic charge in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
The Star Wars saga is obviously known for its epic space battles and groundbreaking effects, but true fans will never forget this particular explosion in Attack of the Clones. When bounty hunter Jango Fett dropped the fan-favourite ‘seismic charge’, unleashed in an asteroid field while evading Obi-Wan Kenobi, it offered an unparalleled sensory experience.
What starts as a moment of eerie silence soon transitions into a powerful, resonating shockwave, accompanied by a specific piece of sound design that is truly exquisite. Thankfully, we got to see it once more – albeit in Disney+’s disappointing The Book of Boba Fett.
8. The final blow in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
In The Bridge on the River Kwai, British POWs under Japanese captivity during WW-II are tasked with building a crucial bridge. Over the course of months, years even, the prisoners eventually grow to love the bridge – not for what it represents, but as a pure product of their combined hard work. However, as Japanese and British forces finally clash, the bridge is destroyed.
Beyond the thrilling spectacle of a real explosion, presented in breath-taking wide-screen courtesy of iconic director David Lean, the moments leading up to the detonation are even more exciting. Realising that he’s responsible for the ensuing carnage, Alec Guiness’ character utters, “What have I done…” before collapsing onto the detonator and razing the whole bridge.
7. Hospital demolition in The Dark Knight (2008)
Christopher Nolan’s second entry in his Batman trilogy will be remembered for the staggering Joker performance, played by the late, great Heath Ledger. He steals every scene he’s in, proving to be an even more engaging and compelling character than Batman himself. This one set piece, however, saw the director marry Ledger’s performance with an incredible and explosive spectacle.
Walking away nonchalantly, disguised as a hospital Nurse, the Joker pulls out his remote detonator and confidently pushes it. Nothing happens. He pushes it again, and the hospital immediately erupts in debris and flames behind him as if a delayed response from the first attempt. In a brilliantly nuanced addition to his weird mannerisms, the Joker, startled, fumbles with the remote before continuing to walk on.
6. The New York explosion in Watchmen (2009)
What is it about Alan Moore adaptations giving us great explosions? In Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Watchmen, one of the most climactic and shocking moments is when a vast nuclear explosion obliterates New York, masterminded by Ozymandias. Designed to forge global unity by crafting a common enemy, this instant vapourisation of millions of New Yorkers embodies the novel’s bleak themes of morality, sacrifice, and the very, very grey lines of heroism.
Beyond the intellectual weight behind it, the visuals are superb: we see gravity distorting, temporary weightlessness, atomic static crackling through the air – and then a blinding ball of white light that sends a shattering shockwave across the buildings before everything crumbles. A fantastic scene in an excellent adaptation.
5. The revolution begins in V for Vendetta (2005)
It’s hard to overstate just how satisfying this explosion is. Based on the graphic novel by legendary writer Alan Moore of Watchmen fame and directed by the Wachowski sisters, V for Vendetta presents us with an alternate-history Britain plagued by a 1984-style totalitarian government.
Donning the mask and ethos of Guy Fawkes, the real-life conspirator involved in the infamous Gunpowder Plot, our main character V systematically takes out regime members while lacing the London Underground with hundreds of explosives. In the end, after all his hard work, he succeeds, and the result is a glorious symphony of fire and chaos at the Old Bailey, scored by Tchaikovsky’s famous overture.
4. The car bomb in The Godfather (1972)
With its dense tapestry of mob politics, betrayal, and family, Francis Ford Coppola‘s mafia masterpiece is certainly not short of people dying. But among the many pivotal scenes, the moment the car bomb unexpectedly kills Michael Corleone’s wife, Apollonia, stands out for its pure emotional weight alone.
The tension rises as Corleone realises Fabrisio, his former friend, has done something suspicious to the car. We see the reality dawning on him, but much too late, and his screams for Apollonia to get out of the vehicle are in vain. Initially intended for him, the assassination underscores the treacherous realm he’s entered – and reinforces the unavoidable costs of his choices.
3. The theatre explosion in Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Quentin Tarantino‘s revisionist WW-II tale offers the director’s unique blend of historical narrative and raw, visceral, bloody action. One of its most powerful scenes is the fiery climax in a theatre – the culmination of months of planning and the combined efforts of various resistance fighters.
Shosanna, a Jewish theatre owner, hosts the biggest Nazi gathering of the year in her Parisian venue for a showing of a propaganda movie. Little do the attendees know (including Hitler himself), but this will be their tomb. In a wonderfully unique touch, she uses the flammable silver nitrate in film reels to ignite an inferno, causing a shocking explosion that burns up the Nazi elite. And then, just for good measure, at least three separate time bombs also go off, one attached to the ankle of Nazi killer Eli Roth. That’ll get ’em.
2. A nuclear finale in Dr Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Stanley Kubrick‘s masterful satirical take on the Cold War ends, very simply, with a montage of nuclear explosions. Set to the ironic tune of ‘We’ll Meet Again’, this glorious finale captures the absurdity of global politics and the potential for self-destruction.
Technically, it’s not just one bomb but multiple nuclear warheads, but given the pure harmony of spectacle, music, atmosphere and sheer genius of Kubrick, we’ve made an exception. Simultaneously hilarious, tragic and terrifying, the final moments show Dr Strangelove standing up from his wheelchair, declaring his Nazi loyalties and shouting, “Mein Fuhrer! I can walk –” before mushroom clouds consume the entire world. An utterly sublime ending to a masterpiece.
1. The Trinity test in Oppenheimer (2023)
It is the most definitive, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping explosion to ever grace our screens – and if it ever gets topped, chances are that Christopher Nolan will be behind it again. In a pivotal moment of both the film and our real-life history, Robert J Oppenheimer initiates the ‘Trinity Test’ – the first-ever trial of an atomic explosion.
From the stellar performances showing the tension and anxiety, the pulsating music that can cause hairs to stand on end to the stunning 70mm and IMAX photography of Los Alamos, every second that ticks closer to detonation is agonizingly suspenseful. And then the explosion comes – a marvel of real practical effects and sound design that audiences will remember long after the credits roll.
