When I say that this is unbelievable I mean that it is beyond belief how amazingly shocking this realistic and humane portrayal of the end of the earth is. This has to be one of the most powerful films ever made. Incredible emotional depiction of what could be. The only downside is that it is in America and only shows that side, it's overly patriotic and portrays America as the good guys. They were in the wrong just like everyone else. This amazing and powerful film is the most dramatic film that I have seen to date. Well worth watching but not for those looking for brain fodder. This is emotional and this is real. You will be thinking about your life and yourself when this film ends. I just hope that I never have to experience this for real.

This was so hyped in its day (1983, 34 years ago). We're still under the threat of a nuclear holocaust with more fingers on the trigger. Unfortunately a couple of those are relatively unstable figures. I remember the lead up to this film and all the talk that went on. When it ended, we were told to look around at the beauty of the world and life itself and to be grateful for this to not have actually happened. The missile silos in Kansas (and obviously other parts of America) are opened and weapons launched. Someone, probably the Soviets and employed first strike. That leads to speculation as to what would happen in the aftermath. I remember the scene in the grocery store where the teenage checkout guy is moving at triple time. The falling ash and the dropping temperatures of a nuclear winter. People trying to help the survivors when food and water are contaminated. It barely addresses the horrors of radiation sickness and dismemberment. This had quite an impact on America for a while. But we've gone back to thinking that if it's dropped on someone else, it will be OK.

This along with Testament (1983) and Threads (1984) form the trilogy of (anti-)nuclear war movies that scared a generation in the height of the Cold War that greeted the world following the election of Reagan in 1980 to the White House. Kind of you made you feel nostalgic for the era of malaise under the Carter Administration.One scene that haunted me in The Day After was the wedding scene, where at the same time of the nuclear explosion in the USA, the bride and groom kissed at the ceremony, their first and last act as newlyweds.When this was screened on ABC, it pre-empted an episode of Hardcastle and McCormick, and one of the movie's actors John "Northern Exposure" Cullum, had to give an intro warning for little kids. It was a scary movie even for adults.

I've seen this movie last year on YouTube and looking at it, it was really terrifying. A nuclear holocaust, death by radiation sickness and a really depressing storyline. The film was fantastic and the director really didn't want to make it all Hollywood glamor with big name stars and a bad over the top dramatic storyline and looking at it in 2013, the 30th anniversary of this movie, it still scares you but makes you feel sorry for the characters as well for what they have to face through. The loss of family and friends during this holocaust film, which at the time was a big threat as America and Soviet Union Russia were disputing with each other during the cold war. Well I'm glad the earth didn't face nuclear war in reality with very much power leaders of the time. This is a great movie and worth the watch.