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The War Game (1966)

8.0/10 IMDb 93% RT
IMDb Trailer

A docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain. After backing the film's development, the BBC refused to air it, publicly stating "the effect of the film has been judged by the BBC to be too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting." It debuted in theaters in 1966 and went on to great acclaim, but remained unseen on British television until 1985.

Best Release

Severin Films · Limited Edition

Director

Peter Watkins

Genre

War

Sub-Genre

Anti-War, Docudrama

Cast

Michael Aspel, Kathy Staff, Peter Watkins, Peter Graham

Runtime

48 minutes (48 minutes)

More movies under 90 minutes

Upcoming Release July 28, 2026

Label

Severin Films

Edition

Limited Edition

Street Date

July 28, 2026

What's confirmed

Packaging
Slipcase · Limited edition slipcase
In the box
Limited edition slipcase
Authorized reprint of the 1967 The War Game book by Peter Watkins, designed by Paul Watkins
Reprint of UK government-issued evacuation card
Limited edition postcards including a Ray Lowry reprint and a new Rob Carmichael / Seen Studio postcard
HDR
HDR10

Restoration

Newly scanned in 4K from the original 16mm A/B rolls. Worldwide UHD premiere.

Special features

Audio commentary with film critic Kim Newman and director Sean Hogan
Trailer
Introduction by filmmaker Alex Cox (Blu-ray only)
Conflict by Design, interview with production designer Anne Davey Orr (Blu-ray only)
Who Banned The War Game?, interview with Peter Watkins historian John Cook (Blu-ray only)
Games of Fact and Fiction, video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Stephen Broomer (Blu-ray only)
The War Game at Cine City, featurette by journalist Eric Veillette (Blu-ray only)
Nuclear Britain, interview with Julie McDowall (Blu-ray only)
Archival interview with editor Michael Bradsell (Blu-ray only)
Peter Watkins reflects on The War Game and the media, 1983 AFTRS interview (Blu-ray only)
Introduction to The War Game in Sheffield by Visions producer John Ellis (Blu-ray only)
The War Game in Sheffield, unused footage from UK TV show Visions (Blu-ray only)
The Diary of an Unknown Soldier (Peter Watkins short film) (Blu-ray only)
The Forgotten Faces (Peter Watkins short film) (Blu-ray only)

Editor's Notes

Note

Severin's July 28 4K is the worldwide UHD premiere of Peter Watkins's 1965 banned BBC docudrama, scanned from the 16mm A/B rolls. The film won the 1967 Best Documentary Feature Oscar but the BBC refused to broadcast it for 23 years. The Limited Edition includes an authorized reprint of Watkins's 1967 book, a replica UK evacuation card, and two of his early short films on the Blu-ray.

noted May 2, 2026

Releases of The War Game

Mentions

Severin UHD Releases: The War Game and Threads 3

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