War Game, a 2024 American documentary thriller film directed by Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber, will show at the Gettysburg Majestic Theater on Tuesday Oct. 15 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm.
The film concerns American officials simulating a coup after a disputed election. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was released in New York on August 2, 2024.[1]
War Game sweeps audiences into an elaborate future-set simulation that dramatically escalates the threat posed by the January 6, 2021 insurrection. The film follows a bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence, and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations as they participate in an unscripted role-play exercise. Portraying a fictional President of the United States and his advisors, they confront a political coup backed by rogue members of the US military in the wake of a contested 2024 presidential election.
Like actors in a thriller, but with profound real-world stakes, the players have only six hours to save American democracy. The simulation’s outcome hinges on several inflection points, from the government’s capacity to counter the disinformation that’s effectively spread by the insurgent side to the potential invocation of the Insurrection Act (i.e., the “nuclear option”). While the exercise served to stress test our institutions, the film is a critical wake-up call, underscoring the urgent need for bipartisanship in safeguarding American democracy.
This event is free but tickets are required. Visit the Box Office at 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg or call (717) 337-8200 to reserve tickets.