Filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow has addressed the Pentagon’s recent criticisms following the release of her movie, “A House of Dynamite.” The film has stirred controversy by suggesting that the nation’s nuclear weapon detection capabilities are only effective 50 percent of the time.

Reacting to the film’s contentious claims, the Pentagon issued an internal memo questioning the film’s factual accuracy.

While defense officials acknowledged the film as “compelling” and crafted for entertainment, they refuted its portrayal of the current state of nuclear defense systems. Official statements claim that actual testing results reveal “a vastly different story,” according to a Bloomberg report.

Bigelow, along with screenwriter Noah Oppenheim, defended their work in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, asserting that their research supports the film’s narrative. They expressed satisfaction that the film is sparking conversations among influential leaders.

“It’s fascinating. Ideally, cultural works can influence policy. If our film is prompting discussions about nuclear weapon proliferation, that is certainly music to my ears,” Bigelow commented in an article released on Tuesday.

Oppenheim agreed and said any information perceived as questionable can be disputed by the community of defense officials. 

“As we see it, it’s not a debate between us as filmmakers and the Pentagon. It’s between the Pentagon and the wider community of experts in the space,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Reporting from The Atlantic and statements from Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) claim that the nuclear missile defense system does, in fact, have a 50 percent chance of accuracy if given 30 minutes to detect an incoming attack.

“Director Kathryn Bigelow’s new thriller, ‘A House of Dynamite,’ is not simply a gripping film — it is a wake-up call. The movie dramatizes, in real time, the terrifying 30-minute window between the launch of a nuclear missile bound for the U.S. and its impact,” Markey wrote in a Monday op-ed for MSNBC.

“In doing so, the film exposes a brutal truth that too many decision-makers and policy experts in Washington refuse to admit: Long-range missile defense will not protect us. Our only real path to escape nuclear catastrophe lies in reducing global arsenals,” he added.

Bigelow said defense experts were their “North Star” while directing the film. 

“I just state the truth. In this piece, it’s all about realism and authenticity. Same with ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ and same with ‘Hurt Locker’ — even though ‘Hurt Locker’ was obviously a work of fiction, and this is a work of fiction. For me, these are pieces that lean in hard on realism,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. 

“You’re inviting an audience into, say, the battle deck of [U.S. Strategic Command]. That’s a place that’s not easily accessible, and so you want it to be authentic and honest. That’s my goal, and I think we achieved it,” she added.