Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
The hot-line suspense comedy.
After the insane General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, a war room full of politicians, generals and a Russian diplomat all frantically try to stop it.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 29 January 1964 |
| Genre | Comedy, War |
| Director | Stanley Kubrick |
| Starring | Peter Sellers, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden |
| Runtime | 95 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 9.1/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 98% · Metacritic 97/100 · IMDb 8.3/10 · TMDB users 8.1/10 |
| Budget | $2 million |
| Box office | $10 million worldwide |
Where to watch Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is streaming on Tubi in the US.
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Rent or buy
You can rent Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and Spectrum On Demand. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb in 2 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Spain | Filmin |
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What kind of watch this is
Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film runs 95 minutes of escalating panic inside a war room. The hook is the mismatch: a catastrophe that should freeze everyone in horror instead triggers bureaucratic squabbling and dry wit. Peter Sellers plays three distinct roles, while George C. Scott shouts about military superiority. The tone is detached, which makes the stakes feel more absurd than terrifying. It is a comedy that does not flinch from the apocalypse, treating nuclear annihilation as a logistical error rather than an existential end.
What the critics said
The numbers are less disputed than the war. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 98%, while Metacritic grants 97 out of 100. Roger Ebert called it "arguably the best political satire of the century." John Patterson of The Guardian noted the film sent "the Bomb, the Pentagon... into the wood-chipper." It remains Kubrick’s highest-rated film on the former site. The consensus is that the joke still lands.
How it did with audiences
The budget was $2 million. It took in $9 million in the United States and $10 million worldwide. On TMDB, users rate it 8.1 out of 10. IMDb, reporting a weighted average in March 2026, sits at 8.3/10. The numbers are modest by modern standards, but the audience clearly saw the joke before the accountants did.
Awards
Kubrick swept 6 awards from 10 nominations, including the NY Film Critics Circle Best Director and two BAFTAs. He also picked up the Bodil Award for Best Non-American Film. The Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation went to Peter George. The United Nations gave it a nod, though the facts don't say what for. AFI later ranked it #26 in their 100 Years...100 Movies list.
What came next for the cast
Peter Sellers moved from The Pink Panther to Being There. George C. Scott went from The Hustler to Patton. Sterling Hayden stepped out of The Killing into The Godfather. The credits do not map a cause. They map a shift. Some actors found gravity after the bomb.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Sources
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q105702 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Dr. Strangelove” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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