WarGames

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WarGames

PG

1983

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Drama

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

High school student David Lightman unwittingly hacks into a military supercomputer while searching for new video games. After starting a game of Global Thermonuclear War, Lightman leads the supercomputer to activate the nation's nuclear arsenal in response to his simulated threat as the Soviet Union. Once the clueless hacker comes to his senses, Lightman, with help from his girlfriend, must find a way to alert the authorities to stop the onset of World War III.

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Critics Consensus

Part delightfully tense techno-thriller, part refreshingly unpatronizing teen drama, WarGames is one of the more inventive -- and genuinely suspenseful -- Cold War movies of the 1980s.

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David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

Jan 1, 2020

Like a man drawn to the edge of a cliff by the lure of the abyss below, we're secretly obsessed by the apocalypse. Moralists may claim that WarGames is more exploitation than warning, but it's still an exciting, giddily entertaining movie.

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Martin Chilton

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Jul 31, 2015

4/5

The chase sequences with government agents are tame but the film builds to a tense (and witty) conclusion at the Cheyenne Mountain nuclear bunker in Colorado Springs.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Jul 30, 2013

Classic humanist-didactic filmmaking, effectively presented as a thriller.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

Jun 7, 2023

4/5

[WarGames] is a standard ‘80s teens-in-peril and up-against-the-authorities tale, but one which, despite a strange side-trip to an Oregon island, really does a great job of building up the tension towards a thrilling finale.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jan 14, 2023

3/4

A clever if occasionally far-fetched adventure-thriller.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

May 10, 2020

3/4

WarGames kicks off with an exciting sequence...

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Alyssa P

@MissaLyssa Oct 21, 2026

A bit campy, but in my opinion it's a good campy. And it's weirdly prescient considering the modern threat of automated warfare. Certainly not some amazing movie, but thouroughly enjoyable.

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Harsh .

@H_A_R_S_H Sep 29, 2026

Disappointingly silly story but interesting to re-watch after all this time

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 2, 2026

Even though this is an old movie i.e. no bad language it was great to see Matthew in top form. But the movie is dated, so I am forced to give it 3 and 1/2 stars.

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Stoner J

@Stoner Aug 29, 2026

Always loved WarGames. Perfect 80s flick meshing teen drama and techno war thriller. Such a great movie.

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Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies Jul 13, 2026

An ingenious, brilliantly written and exciting drama with great suspense and joy. Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy are perfect here and Dabney Coleman and Barry Corbin are delightful. You are kind of scared watching here what could be but it’s a very fun movie with a few laugh out loud moments strewn in.

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thiago S

@Thiagostone Apr 7, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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John Badham

Director

Matthew Broderick

David Lightman

Dabney Coleman

Dr. John McKittrick

Ally Sheedy

Jennifer Katherine Mack

John Wood

Dr. Stephen Falken

Barry Corbin

Gen. Jack Beringer

WarGames: Official Clip - David & Jennifer Kiss

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WarGames: Official Clip - Joshua Searches for Launch Codes

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WarGames: Official Clip - Tic Tac Toe With Joshua

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WarGames: Official Clip - It's a Bluff

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WarGames: Official Clip - Shall We Play a Game?

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WarGames: Official Clip - Asexual Reproduction

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WarGames: Official Clip - The Only Winning Move

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WarGames: Official Clip - He's Gonna Start a War!

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WarGames: Official Clip - A Lesson in Futility

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Synopsis

High school student David Lightman unwittingly hacks into a military supercomputer while searching for new video games. After starting a game of Global Thermonuclear War, Lightman leads the supercomputer to activate the nation's nuclear arsenal in response to his simulated threat as the Soviet Union. Once the clueless hacker comes to his senses, Lightman, with help from his girlfriend, must find a way to alert the authorities to stop the onset of World War III.

Director: John Badham
Producer: Harold Schneider
Screenwriter: Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes
Distributor: MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 3, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 29, 2016
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Surround

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