FAIL-SAFE (1964) Technology 1, Mankind 0

A series of human and computer errors sends a squadron of American B-58 bombers past their fail-safe point and onto a direct course to nuke Moscow. The stalwart President (Henry Fonda), seeking to convince the Soviets it’s a horrible mistake, not a preemptive strike, orders the Strategic Air Command to help the Soviets shoot them down. But one jet manages to evade the Soviet missiles, which dooms the Russian capital. The President is then forced to make a trust-building decision that still makes me squirm. Directed by Sydney Lumet, FAIL-SAFE is a brilliantly crafted and suspenseful essay on the heavy price we risk paying by putting too much faith in technology – and if you think this 46-year old film has lost any of its relevancy, you haven’t been reading the headlines.