Movie Background

Threads

A documentary-style exploration of a nuclear holocaust and its impact on the working-class city of Sheffield, England, tracing the immediate devastation and the enduring, civilization-spanning consequences of nuclear war.

Director(s)

Mick Jackson

Cast & Crew

Ed Bishop

Ed Bishop

US President (voice) (uncredited)

Rita May

Rita May

Mrs. Kemp

Steve Halliwell

Steve Halliwell

Information Officer

Karen Meagher

Karen Meagher

Ruth Beckett

Michael O'Hagan

Michael O'Hagan

Chief Supt. Hirst

Nicholas Lane

Nicholas Lane

Michael Kemp

David Brierly

David Brierly

Mr. Kemp

Mick Jackson

Mick Jackson

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Jane Hazlegrove

Jane Hazlegrove

Alison Kemp

Lesley Judd

Lesley Judd

Newscaster

Patrick Allen

Patrick Allen

Public Information Film Announcer (voice) (uncredited)

Brian Grellis

Brian Grellis

Accommodation Officer

Reece Dinsdale

Reece Dinsdale

Jimmy Kemp

Henry Moxon

Henry Moxon

Mr Beckett

June Broughton

June Broughton

Mrs Beckett

Sylvia Stoker

Sylvia Stoker

Granny Beckett

Harry Beety

Harry Beety

Clive Sutton

Ruth Holden

Ruth Holden

Marjorie Sutton

Ashley Barker

Ashley Barker

Bob

Phil Rose

Phil Rose

Medical Officer

Peter Faulkner

Peter Faulkner

Transport Officer

Anthony Collin

Anthony Collin

Food Officer

Michael Ely

Michael Ely

Scientific Officer

Sharon Baylis

Sharon Baylis

Manpower Officer

David Stutt

David Stutt

Works Officer

Phil Askham

Phil Askham

Mr Stothard

Anna Seymour

Anna Seymour

Mrs Stothard

Fiona Rook

Fiona Rook

Carol Stothard

Christine Buckley

Christine Buckley

Woman in Supermarket

Joe Belcher

Joe Belcher

Shopkeeper

David Major

David Major

Boy in Supermarket

Maggie Ford

Maggie Ford

Peace Speaker

Mike Kay

Mike Kay

Trade Unionist

Richard Albrecht

Richard Albrecht

Officer at Food Depot

Ted Beyer

Ted Beyer

Policeman

Dean Williamson

Dean Williamson

Policeman

Joe Holmes

Joe Holmes

Mr Langley

Andy Fenn-Rodgers

Andy Fenn-Rodgers

Patrol Officer

Graham Hill

Graham Hill

Soldier

Nigel Collins

Nigel Collins

Soldier

Jerry Ready

Jerry Ready

Looter

Dennis Conlon

Dennis Conlon

Looter

Greta Dunn

Greta Dunn

Woman at Hospital

Nat Jackley

Nat Jackley

Old Man at Graveyard

John Livesey

John Livesey

Street Trader

Victoria O'Keefe

Victoria O'Keefe

Jane

Lee Daley

Lee Daley

Spike

Marcus Lund

Marcus Lund

Gaz

Colin Ward-Lewis

Colin Ward-Lewis

Newscaster

Paul Vaughan

Paul Vaughan

Narrator (voice)

Ingrid P. Frehley

Ingrid P. Frehley

Woman with dead baby (uncredited)

Michael Shale

Michael Shale

Man who has leg amputated (uncredited)

Anne Sellors

Anne Sellors

Woman who urinates herself (uncredited)

Lee Cambell

Lee Cambell

Dead Boy Under Gate (uncredited)

Jonathan Harston

Jonathan Harston

Survivor on the Moors (uncredited)

Details

GenresWar, Drama, Science Fiction
Runtime1h 57 mins
Released on06 Aug 1985
Languageen
Produced InAustralia

Reviews

znapper

10/10

This film was, for many, a turning-point regarding nuclear weapons, the cold war and nuclear-politics. Set in a 1984 UK industrial-suburbia, as the cold war gets hot, we follow regular people in their daily lives and how they prepare for the coming apocalypse. Barry Hines and Mick Jackson explains and shows us how the world is interconnected and woven together, each strand in this web is dependent on the others and when the threads start to break, the webbing that hold society together, unravel and we are quickly left with hardship and irreparable loss. There is no help from the outside, as most places are left in the same sorry state. With the lingering pollution from the war, there is only one way human kind can go from there. This film has no high-notes and there are no cheesy Hollywood-lines to comfort you during the viewing, just cold-hard facts and statistic. When the inevitable starts, we follow Ruth in particular, the main character, on her journey, 13 years into the future. We see how she tries to cope, as the remnants of the industrial world and human kind slowly crumble and whither around her. The film use simple effects and has a natural gritty style. This prevents the film from looking too dated. In addition, most of the film work with limited sets and scenes, so the time-period it is shot in, is somewhat removed from the story and experience. The acting is real and very good, they are real people, playing real people, 'no time for plastic Hollywood-figures here'. What we are left with, is most likely one of the bleakest, grimmest and most depressing film, that everyone needs to see at least once. It will remain a testament to the cold war, but as long as there are nuclear weapons, it will continue to be an ever-relevant warning. It will stick with you indefinitely.

Rodney Wollam

9/10

Once again, I struggled to understand the British English. At least this time, I didn't really need to. Not a word needed to be spoken to convey the very real horror we might all be subjected to. Now, closer to that armageddon than ever before in our history. I just hope I die in the initial blast. The after is actually worse than the blast itself. God help us all.

All Trailers

Trailer
Remastered Blu-Ray Release Trailer