The Sum of All Fears

In Ron Howard's taut political thriller, the sudden ascension of an enigmatic Russian president sets the stage for a tense standoff with the United States. CIA director Bill Cabot (James Cromwell) turns to rookie analyst Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck) for counsel amid growing suspicion and hostility. When a nuclear explosion rocks a U.S. city, fingers point towards Moscow, plunging the world into a crisis where diplomacy and intelligence are the thin threads holding back nuclear catastrophe.