Threads (1984, Mick Jackson)

In light of the current global outbreak that is the fuckery of Covid-19, numerous pandemic and apocalyptic films are being brought back into the spotlight once again.

With an endless number of people being quarantined in their homes and/or working from home, #stayhome. People end up reading more, watching more TV shows and of course re-watching those films which are unfortunately relevant to the current nightmare.

First you've got your typical well known choices like Contagion, Outbreak, 28 Days Later..., 12 Monkeys and possibly even Carriers which are all known to stream on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Then you've got your geek section, film of more cult status like No Blade of Grass, The Crazies, The Omega Man, The Ultimate Warrior etc.

And then there's Threads, a BBC television film made on a shoe-string budget that has been forgotten by almost everyone yet has conveniently been recently restored.

The film opens with a young couple making out in their car, listening to Chuck Berry and looking down upon their town of Sheffield. They later discover she's pregnant and as they decide to keep the baby, they begin to plan out their future lives.

However it's 1984, the cold war still persists and a nuclear war is brewing in the background. We see numerous news broadcasts on the matter and protests against the nuclear threat with peace speakers yelling "You cannot win a nuclear war!"

Alas, it seems to be the general consensus here that America and Russia are too far to be Britain's problem, as goes a random debate in the pub with the news on the telly. But tensions soon begin to escalate between America and the Soviet Union in Iran leading to the media become more fearful and intense.

This of course sets the public into a frenzy, bulk buying in shops with prices doubling by the day, shelves being emptied, families attempting to leave the city and of course mass hysteria... Sound familiar?

Suddenly, the inevitable happens and the world is struck with 3,000 megatons between the East and the West, of which 210 had struck the UK alone.

Needless to say, the nation is devastated with millions perishing in the blast alone. (Ironically, amongst the blasts, we witness both Woolworths and BHS being wiped out). Casualties range from 12 to 30 million with atomic radiation following, eradicating millions more. Now the real struggle commences.

From radiation sickness, to famine, to looting, to full on despair, we slowly begin to witness people reverting back to an almost dark age approach. Money is now of no value with only food and supplies speaking currency and with over a decade passing, we even hear the language evolve into an almost *Nadsat style lingo.

Threads was originally set to star numerous cast members from Coronation Street, however in order to heighten the realization of the events, they decided on relatively unknown actors.


The overall feeling of this film is of absolute dread, it's bloody terrifying. We truly fell that grim sense of apocalypse, helped with the use of real nuclear testing footage, and a docudrama style of direction showing the full scale of the aftermath. Very unsettling.

There is no happy ending in this film (no pun intended), no sense of compassion, not even a glimmer of hope. This is not just a film, it's a warning, and it's as much a warning now as it was back in 1984. It may not be a film that requires multiple views, but it definitely requires A view.

*Nadsat is the language Anthony Burgess created for his novel A Clockwork Orange.

Rating: A