The Day After Trinity (1981): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1981, The Day After Trinity is a documentary film directed by Jon Else, running about 88 minutes.

What it’s about. The Day After Trinity (a.k.a. The Day After Trinity: J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb) is a 1980 documentary film directed and produced by Jon H. Else in association with KTEH public television in San Jose, California. The film tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904–1967), the theoretical physicist who led the effort to build the first atomic bomb, tested in July 1945 at Trinity site in New Mexico. Featuring candid interviews with several Manhattan Project scientists, as well as newly declassified archival footage, The Day After Trinity was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature of 1980, and received a Peabody Award in 1981.

Who’s in it. The Day After Trinity stars Paul Frees as Narrator (voice), J. Robert Oppenheimer as Self (archive footage), Hans Bethe and Haakon Chevalier, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.6/10, The Day After Trinity has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Day After Trinity page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Day After Trinity tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.