A new film titled “The Brink of War” revisits the historic 1986 summit between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail S. Gorbachev, casting light on a pivotal but often overlooked moment in Cold War history. The two-day meeting, held on October 11-12 at Hofdi House in Reykjavik, Iceland, focused on nuclear arms control and is now recognized as a turning point that contributed to the eventual winding down of Cold War tensions.

The movie, released last weekend, stars Jeff Daniels as Reagan, Jared Harris as Gorbachev, and J.K. Simmons as Secretary of State George P. Shultz. It aims to dramatize the informal, high-stakes negotiations that unfolded between the two leaders without a formal agenda or prearranged outcomes. The film highlights the intensity of the discussions, portraying Reagan and Gorbachev as complex individuals grappling with ideological differences while trying to forge common ground in the face of potential global catastrophe.

During the summit, the United States and Soviet Union, holders of tens of thousands of nuclear weapons, explored for the first time actual reductions in their arsenals rather than merely slowing their growth. At one point, the leaders even entertained the idea of eliminating all nuclear weapons. However, the talks ultimately collapsed following disagreements over Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative—a missile defense system Gorbachev wanted the U.S. to abandon. Despite the breakdown, the meeting set the stage for future arms control agreements.

Less than a year after Reykjavik, the two nations signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons. This agreement paved the way for subsequent treaties through the administrations of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama that progressively reduced global nuclear stockpiles. In 1986, the Soviet Union reportedly possessed over 40,000 warheads and the United States more than 23,000; today, those numbers have diminished significantly, with approximately 4,400 warheads in Russia and 3,700 in the United States.

Experts involved in arms control negotiations at the time commend the film for capturing the atmosphere and dynamics of the summit. Ken Adelman, who served as director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and was present at Reykjavik, recalled the leaders’ willingness to engage in frank discussions without a scripted approach as unprecedented. He also noted Reagan’s unexpected anti-nuclear stance during the talks.

However, recent years have seen setbacks in nuclear arms control. The United States withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019 amid accusations of Russian violations, and the New START treaty—formerly the last binding agreement limiting nuclear warheads between the two powers—expired in February 2021 without renewal. While proposals for new trilateral agreements involving China have been floated, progress remains limited.

The filmmakers behind “The Brink of War” suggest the Reykjavik summit offers lessons for today’s increasingly polarized geopolitical environment. Writer and director Michael Russell Gunn emphasized the courage shown by Reagan and Gorbachev in engaging directly, encouraging dialogue as a necessary tool to reduce global threats. The film acts as both a historical recounting and a timely reminder of the importance of diplomacy in averting nuclear disaster.