Is it a game, or is it real?
High school student David Lightman has a talent for hacking. But while trying to hack into a computer system to play unreleased video games, he unwittingly taps into the Department of Defense's war computer and initiates a confrontation of global proportions. Together with his friend and a wizardly computer genius, David must race against time to outwit his opponent and prevent a nuclear Armageddon.
WarGames (1983) is a drama, science fiction and thriller film directed by John Badham, released on June 3, 1983 with a runtime of 1h 54m. It stars Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood and Ally Sheedy. Viewers rate it 7.1 out of 10 across 2,246 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for WarGames before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for WarGames.
Trailer
Teaser
Teaser
Clip
Clip
Clip
Matthew Broderick
as David Lightman
Dabney Coleman
as McKittrick
John Wood
as Stephen Falken
Ally Sheedy
as Jennifer
Barry Corbin
as General Beringer
Juanin Clay
as Pat Healy
Kent Williams
as Cabot
Dennis Lipscomb
as Watson
Joe Dorsey
as Conley
Irving Metzman
as Richter
Michael Ensign
as Beringer's Aide
William Bogert
as Mr. Lightman
Directed by John Badham, written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, produced by Harold Schneider and Richard Hashimoto.
Average viewer score of 7.1/10 from 2,246 ratings.
Wanna play Global Thermonuclear War? It was with much interest to me to revisit this early 80s hacker piece armed with the knowledge of just how the advent of change in the computer world had evolved. With that in mind the film could quite easily be classed as a bit clunky due to the now almost Neanderthal toys, games and computers used in the movie, but casting aside the nostalgia feelings I had with it, it still…
Reviewed on April 26, 2020
Ally Sheedy, whatever happened to her. When I was a little kid, I mean REALLY little she was one of the few stars I could name...and then she disappeared save for a couple memorable appearances in Psych. It's a shame. Anyway, my fiance is a Millennial and I've been trying to introduce her and her friends to some classic films. This one was a fail. They sat through it, but really only to mock the technology. Mocking…
Reviewed on January 13, 2023
When the young computer whizz-kid “David” (Matthew Broderick) is showing off to his girlfriend “Jennifer” (Ally Sheedy) about how he can improve her grades and book them on a first class trip to Paris, he inadvertently dials a telephone number that wants to play a game. A game of thermonuclear war! Next day, the news is full of stories about the mobilisation of American defence capabilities and his phone rings…
Reviewed on June 20, 2025
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WarGames (1983) is available to stream on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, AMC and MGM Plus, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home and Plex. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of WarGames (1983) includes Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, Ally Sheedy and Barry Corbin. The film was directed by John Badham. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
WarGames was released on June 3, 1983 and runs for 1h 54m.
WarGames (1983) holds an average rating of 7.1 out of 10 from 2,246 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama, science fiction and thriller films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official WarGames trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
