Two officers disagree in a nuclear bunker.
MINUTEMEN is used with permission from Jason Nolte. Learn more at imdb.com/name/nm5762997.
Lewis and Wil are two career officers who man the controls of a nuclear ballistic missile in a remote bunker. They enjoy a cordial if surface-level working relationship in a thankless job marked by self-described "decades of monotony."
But one evening, the alarm sounds to arm and fire the missile, though it's not followed by any confirmation. Locked in a silo without any communication with the surface, Lewis and Wil face a choice: complete their mission, even if it means ending society as they know it, or disregard the alarm as a malfunction. They must act fast and in unison. But as the seconds count down, hidden agendas rise to the surface and tensions reach a boiling point, as the fate of the world rests on their shoulders.
Directed by Jason Nolte from a script by Travis Milloy, this charged dramatic short begins with two officers settling into another day at work. From the personal effects on the desk to the air of everyday wariness to the pleasantly mundane chitchat, it seems like another day on the job. But this is no ordinary job. It's in the bunker of a nuclear missile, and Lewis and Wil are the ones in charge of discharging it if called for.
The well-crafted storytelling takes pain to set up the ordinariness of the work environment, along with Lewis and Wil's relationship. Lewis is the older, more experienced officer, and Wil is younger, quieter and more deferential. But that dynamic is challenged and tested when an alarm goes off -- and Lewis and Wil must work together in synchronized action to discharge the missile. The procedure is challenged, however, when the alarm isn't followed up with confirmation and communication is cut off with the surface.
Lewis is convinced that they need to act, but Wil isn't, leading to a pressure cooker situation and a battle of wills. Actors Terry Serpico and DeJuan Johnson embody their characters with understated yet pitch-perfect performances. As the pressure mounts and the tension ratchets up, their facades of civility crack to reveal the adversarial tensions bubbling underneath. They battle over what to do, as their decision could determine the fate of humanity.
Building up to a taut, pulse-pounding climax, MINUTEMEN has the compelling suspense of a thriller, but it also resonates because the crux of the conflict comes from deep within the characters and their values and commitments. They may wear the same uniform, but they have very different ideas of what it means to serve. The film ends with something of a detente, but Lewis and Wil's working relationship will have changed forever, along with other ideas and values they took for granted.