When a malfunction disrupts the US Air Force's warning system, an automatic response plan is activated, in which planes armed with nuclear bombs are sent deep into the USSR. The response was designed so it could not be canceled. Now, the American president has to try to convince the Soviets that it was a malfunction and to prevent World War III. Lumet adopts a precise and realistic film style and focuses the work on the human factor. Stylistically, this is a fast-paced thriller, but at its center is a degree of desperation and melancholy in the face of political reality.