WarGames (1983): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
WarGames is a 1983 sci-fi thriller directed by John Badham, starring Dabney Coleman, Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy. It runs 1 hour 54 minutes and earned $79.6 million worldwide. It won 2 awards from 10 nominations, among them 3 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 77 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10. Stream it on AMC and AMC+, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 54m (114 min)
- Director
- John Badham
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- MGM/UA Entertainment Company
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is WarGames About?
The premise of WarGames without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A curious teenager, David Lightman, accidentally accesses a military supercomputer while trying to play a video game. He unknowingly triggers a series of events that leads the system to believe it's under attack, escalating tensions to the brink of World War III. With time running out and the world on the edge of catastrophe, David and his girlfriend must find a way to convince the computer that it’s only a simulation and avert a global conflict.
WarGames Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- hacker
- cold war
- computer
- modem
- phreaking
- computer hacker
- nuclear threat
- artificial intelligence
- telephone call
- game
- norad
- war game
+38 more Show fewer
- video arcade
- seattle washington
- computer cracker
- tic tac toe
- hacking
- nuclear attack
- thermonuclear war
- race against time
- paranoia
- hack
- unauthorized entry
- defcon
- machine learning
- computer-hacking
- computer system
- u.s. nuclear forces
- 1980s
- high school
- super computer
- social engineering
- failing in school
- cheating
- biology
- biology course
- intelligence
- fictional war
- boyfriend girlfriend relationship
- computer genius
- backdoor
- human versus computer
- telephone number
- floppy drive
- soviet union
- military
- u.s. army
- nuclear war
- general
- soldier
Where to Watch WarGames
Stream it on AMC and AMC+, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 10
AMC 
AMC Plus Apple TV channel 
AMC+ 
AMC+ Amazon Channel 
fuboTV 
MGM Plus 
MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel 
MGM+ Amazon Channel 
Philo 
YouTube TV 
Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
WarGames Cast
Dabney Coleman leads the cast, with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy. Directed by John Badham; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director John Badham
Also Starring in WarGames
· 6 moreWarGames Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave WarGames 77 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
-
IMDb 7.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 77 Metascore
User score 7.8
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 71% User score
See on TMDB
WarGames Plot Summary
What happens in WarGames from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
During a covert live-fire nuclear exercise, numerous personnel from the United States Air Force Strategic Missile Wing exhibit a reluctance to turn the required key for launching a missile attack. This hesitance leads Dr. John McKittrick (Dabney Coleman) and other engineers at NORAD to determine that commanding missile silos should be automated, eliminating human intervention. Consequently, control is handed over to WOPR (War Operation Plan Response), a NORAD supercomputer programmed to engage in continuous military simulations and learn from each scenario.
Full summary
The whole story of WarGames, scene by scene
WarGames Box Office
WarGames grossed $79.6 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$79.6M
- US & Canada
- $79.6M
WarGames Awards & Nominations
WarGames won 2 awards from 10 nominations, among them 3 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the Saturn Awards 1984, with 1 win from 4 nominations.
2 wins10 nominations3 ceremonies
-
Saturn Awards 1984 1 win · 4 nominations- Won Best Director – John Badham
- Nominated Best Actor
- Nominated Best Actress
- Nominated Best Supporting Actor
-
BAFTA 1984 1 win · 3 nominations- Won Best Sound
- Nominated Best Production Design
- Nominated Best Special Visual Effects
-
Oscars 1984 3 nominations- Nominated Cinematography
- Nominated Sound
- Nominated Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
WarGames Trailers & Videos
6 videos: 1 trailer, 2 teasers and 3 clips.
- Teaser WarGames (1983) (TV Spot)
- Teaser War Games 1983 TV trailer
- Clip Hacking The School Servers
- Clip David Discovers A List of Games
How Well Do You Know WarGames?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the supercomputer in WarGames?
Cars in WarGames
28 cars on screen, including the 1979 Derbi Variant SL and the Jeep CJ-5.
-
1979 Derbi Variant SL Important role -
Jeep CJ-5 Important role -
1981 Chevrolet Chevy Van Minor role -
1981 Ford Fairmont Futura Minor role
WarGames Also Known As
26 alternative titles, including “Військові ігри” and “Воєнні ігри”.
- Also known as
-
- Військові ігри
- Воєнні ігри
- The Genius
- WarGames - Kriegsspiele
- WarGames - Giochi di guerra
- Военные игры
- Juegos de guerra
- Jogos de Guerra
- Военни игри
- 战争游戏
- Παιχνίδια Πολέμου
- Válečné hry
+14 more Show fewer
- Háborús játékok
- Gry Wojenne
- ウォー・ゲーム
- Jocuri de război
- משחקי מלחמה
- Jeux de guerre
- Ігри у війну
- Vojnové hry
- Savaş Oyunları
- 위험한 게임
- 戰爭遊戲
- Ratne igre
- Jocs de guerra
- วอร์เกมส์ สงครามล้างโลก
Seen WarGames?
Movies Like WarGames
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including WarGames: The Dead Code, Warhead and War of the Worlds.
WarGames FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and awards of WarGames, each answered in a sentence.
How long is WarGames?
WarGames runs 1 hour 54 minutes (114 minutes).
When was WarGames released?
WarGames was released on June 3, 1983.
Who directed WarGames?
WarGames was directed by John Badham.
More films by John Badham Who is in the cast of WarGames?
WarGames stars Dabney Coleman, Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy, among 10 credited actors.
Where can I watch WarGames?
In the US, WarGames is streaming on AMC, AMC+ and fuboTV and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did WarGames make at the box office?
WarGames grossed $79.6 million worldwide.
How is WarGames rated?
WarGames has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 77 on Metacritic and 71% on TMDB.
What awards did WarGames win?
WarGames won 2 awards from 10 nominations, including Best Director at the Saturn Awards 1984.
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