New Reagan Movie Hits Theaters, Earns Big Thumbs Up from Audiences

Angel Studios has another hit with audiences on its hands, earning an A rating.

Coming off the successful release of “Young Washington” earlier this summer, “The Brink of War” tells the story of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev’s meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, in October 1986 to decide the future of the world with regard to the nuclear arms race.

Jeff Daniels portrays Reagan, while Jared Harris is Gorbachev, and J.K. Simmons is Secretary of State George Shultz.

Audiences gave “The Brink of War” a CinemaScore A rating during its debut last weekend. Meanwhile, 86 percent of moviegoers gave it a thumbs up on Rotten Tomatoes, and even 72 percent of film critics, who tend to be notoriously liberal, liked the film.

Audiences have spoken. CinemaScore is in. The grade: A.#TheBrinkOfWar, in theaters now. pic.twitter.com/NTqdubXI9E

— Angel (@AngelStudiosInc) August 15, 2026

John Logan Pierson, co-producer for “The Brink of War,” said in an emailed statement to The Western Journal, “Opening a dialogue-driven diplomatic thriller nationwide is never something we take for granted, and we’re enormously grateful to everyone who came out during opening weekend.”

“The A CinemaScore and 87% verified audience score are especially meaningful because they tell us that audiences are connecting with the film’s central idea: that strength and dialogue are not opposites,” he continued.

“With the film continuing in more than 1,300 theaters nationwide this weekend, we hope that response and its celebration of a catalytic moment in American history will keep building through word of mouth,” Pierson said.

The trailer for “The Brink of War” has garnered over 17 million views on YouTube.

Michael Russell Gunn, director and co-producer of the film, is known for his work as a producer for the first season of “Designated Survivor” starring Kiefer Sutherland.

When Reagan and Gorbachev met in October 1986 during the height of the Cold War, they sought a way to reduce the nearly 70,000 combined nuclear weapons the two sides possessed between them.

Gunn said in a news release, “What immediately drew me to the idea [of a film about the Reykjavik summit] was that this wasn’t just a right or left domestic issue, but an even farther extreme: a complete systematic divide between Democracy and Communism.”

“I loved the challenge of trying to get into the heads of two people so far apart on every issue and of telling a story that’s personal and engaging, yet set against such a wide canvas of war and peace,” Gunn said.

“The Brink of War” comes two years to the month after the release of the film “Reagan” starring Dennis Quaid in the title role. The independent film enjoyed a solid box office run and strong audience reviews.

“Reagan” dealt with the 40th president’s record as a Cold Warrior, while “The Brink of War” focuses on a specific moment in the rivalry. One of the key issues of the Reykjavik summit was whether President Reagan was willing to give up his “Star Wars” anti-ballistic missile defense program to win concessions from the Soviet Union to reduce the total number of nuclear weapons.

Reykjavik laid the groundwork for the nuclear arms reduction treaty Reagan and Gorbachev would eventually sign.

Find the theaters and showtimes for “The Brink of War” here.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.