It is hard not to compare Fail Safe with the Stanley Kubrick film Dr. Strangelove as they both address the same topic, namely the possibility that some event might trigger a nuclear war between the United States and Russia. In Strangelove is it a conspiracy nut and it Fail Safe it is a technical malfunction. But the similarities end there and they both take greatly different paths to illustrate the outcome were such an event to happen. Although Strangelove did begin as a straightforward drama it evolved into a dark satire about the failings of humanity to see the destructive power they possessed. Fail Safe is a straight drama and oftentimes feels like a filmed play. It rests on the performances of its ensemble cast, especially Henry Fonda as the president who must make very tough decisions and trying to keep the Russian government from retaliating. It has a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere, building steadily. Fonda and the entire cast give outstanding performances, but between the two films I think Strangelove is more effective in how it presents the situation and jabs at the callous and buffoonish behaviour of the various players and feels more true to life. Fail Safe feels a little stilted at times but holds up well . Given that this was released not long after the Cuban missile crisis it must have been a chilling revisiting to a time when we didn't know if there was going to be a tomorrow.