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Trailer

WarGames

1983Movie1 h 54 min12

Drama
78
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.1Letterboxd3.5/5Metacritic777.6Rotten Tomatoes93%76%

A nerve-racking, intriguing drama movie about technology and history.

Good for family movie night · friends night · party vibe

Where to watch

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Not for laughs or brutality.

Movies with

Story

Is it a game, or is it real?

High school student David Lightman has a talent for hacking. But while trying to hack into a computer system to play unreleased video games, he unwittingly taps into the Department of Defense's war computer and initiates a confrontation of global proportions. Together with his friend and a wizardly computer genius, David must race against time to outwit his opponent and prevent a nuclear Armageddon.

Feels like

  • 80s Sci-Fi Thriller
  • Cold War Era
  • Hacking & AI
  • Teen Adventure
  • Suspenseful
  • Technology Cautionary Tale
  • Global Conflict
  • Intelligent Plot
  • Rewatchable

Cast

24 of 29

Crew

Directed by
John Badham
Written by
Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes
Produced by
Harold Schneider, Richard Hashimoto
Music by
Arthur B. Rubinstein

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

June 3, 1983 · 1 h 54 min · 12+

Released
June 3, 1983
Runtime
1 h 54 min
Age rating
12+
Genres
Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$12 million
Box office
$125 million
Available in
119 countries

Tropes

Soft Glass, The End of the World as We Know It, Defcon 5 +9

  • Soft Glass
  • The End of the World as We Know It
  • Defcon 5
  • Cannot Tell Fiction from Reality
  • The Watson
  • Madden Into Misanthropy
  • Schmuck Bait
  • Hey, Wait!
  • Blatant Lies
  • Mutually Assured Destruction
  • Calling the Old Man Out
  • Too Dumb to Live

12 of 197 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream WarGames?"

Questions about WarGames

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream WarGames?

In Poland, you can rent or buy WarGames from Apple TV Store, YouTube, Player, and CHILI. It streams in 15 other countries, but not in Poland.

Is WarGames worth watching?

78
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 78 (IMDb 7.1, Letterboxd 3.5 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 93%, and Metacritic 77). Critics rate it higher (85 out of 100) than audiences (73).

Is there a sequel to WarGames?

  1. WarGames (1983)
  2. WarGames: The Dead Code (2008)

Yes: it's movie 1 of 2 in its series, followed by WarGames: The Dead Code (2008).

Is WarGames okay for kids?

12

Yes: it's rated 12 in Poland, and the viewing guide lists it for family nights.

Will I feel good after watching WarGames?

BleakHopeful

Yes, it's an uplifting movie: the title analysis rates it 7 of 10 for hopefulness and 6 for wholesome.

Was WarGames a box office hit?

Budget$12 million
Box office$125 million

Yes, a big one: it cost about $12 million to make and earned $125 million worldwide, 10.4 times its budget.

What tropes does WarGames use?

Soft GlassThe End of the World as We Know ItDefcon 5Cannot Tell Fiction from RealityThe WatsonMadden Into MisanthropySchmuck BaitHey, Wait!Blatant LiesMutually Assured DestructionCalling the Old Man OutToo Dumb to Liveand 185 more

TV Tropes lists 197 tropes for it, including Soft Glass, The End of the World as We Know It, and Defcon 5.