The Venn diagram of people who are excited for Instagram’s new Twitter lookalike, Threads, and people who have seen the apocalyptic drama movie, Threads, probably has very little overlap.
One is a new social media app launched by one of the biggest tech companies in the world, and the other is a 1984 British BBC war movie about the survivors of a nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union. The only thing they have in common (other than that I never want to think about either of them again) is their name.
But since the launch of Threads (the app) this week, I haven’t been able to get Threads (the movie) off my mind.
Normally that wouldn’t be an issue. I like movies! But Threads (the movie) is one of – if not the most – horrifying, terrifying, haunting movies ever made. It’s certainly the one that gets stuck in my mind the most, and when it does, I just want it to go away.
Threads (the movie) follows a couple on the brink of marriage whose plans are interrupted by an escalating global conflict which erupts into a nuclear war. The portrayal of the ensuing impact on the lives of ordinary citizens is brutal in its realism, as it shows the descent into chaos, desperation, and squalor.
It’s grim, and unflinching, and served as one of several ’80s movies (Barefoot Gen being another) warning of the potential horror of nuclear conflict in an era when it looked like it could be likely.
So thanks, Mark Zuckerberg. Instead of fighting Elon Musk in a bare knuckle cage fight as you promised, you’ve instead implanted an altogether more horrifying image in my mind.
My only advice to you is, unless you are a sadist, is this: don’t watch Threads (the movie). It’s haunting, and will stay with you forever. The app doesn’t really appeal to me either, but at least it won’t give me nightmares.
That was gloomy. Need a pick-me-up? Check out our picks for the best comedy movies and best comedy series. Or, distract yourself by seeing what’s new on Netflix at the moment. If you want to stick with the lowered mood, see what’s going on with the Oppenheimer release date.