Anna Camp and Justin Bartha on Love, Laughter, and the End of the World in Their Movie Nuked

In the indie comedy Nuked, actors Anna Camp and Justin Bartha deliver a hilarious yet poignant look at modern relationships set against the surreal backdrop of a nuclear missile warning—and a cannabis-infused dinner party. The two stars and collaborators opened up about the film’s pandemic origins, the emotional heart behind the humor, and how the chaos of 2020 shaped their characters and performances.

The film, written and directed by Deena Kashper, first came to life during the early days of the pandemic. Bartha, who also serves as executive producer, recalled how receiving the script during lockdown sparked nightly therapy-like sessions with Kashper.

"Because we were locked down, our industry was shut down—everything was shut down—we used that time to talk every night," he said. "It became like these therapy sessions where we were just riffing on what we were going through personally."

Camp plays Gil, a newly successful podcast host who presents one version of herself to the public while navigating more private truths behind closed doors. She reveled in portraying the duality of her character, who starts the film buttoned-up and controlled but eventually unravels in an emotional breakthrough.

“One of my favorite things about playing this character is that she is almost two different people,” Camp shared. “It’s always fun as an actor to play a secret and then finally reveal it.”

Camp and the filmmakers even tweaked Jill’s arc to better reflect a woman choosing her career first—a reversal of what was originally scripted. “I thought, wouldn’t it be more interesting if she didn’t want to have children right now, if she felt empowered by her podcast success instead.” she said.

Nuked balances absurdist comedy with honest introspection. Its characters are high when they receive an apocalyptic alert—adding a surreal, yet oddly relatable, lens to the deeper emotional work happening beneath the laughs.

“People are so afraid to be honest with each other, especially in relationships,” Bartha said. “This movie just accelerates that—throw in a nuclear bomb and the end of the world and see what comes out.”

For Camp, the high-to-panic transition was especially exciting to play. “Gil starts off having the best night of her life and then ends up having the worst,” she said, describing the performance as a dance between freedom and anxiety.

Despite the chaos, Nuked is, at its heart, about love—messy, evolving, honest love. Camp and Bartha’s characters have been together for 20 years, and the film explores how people grow at different rates, sometimes in conflicting directions.

“They love each other,” said Bartha. “But Jack wants to keep things the way they were, and Gil is evolving. That fear of being left behind is very real.”

Even amidst drug-fueled revelations and doomsday drama, the actors found emotional honesty in every scene. Their chemistry and vulnerability make the audience root for this flawed, funny, and very real couple.

The film’s tone—oscillating between heartfelt and ridiculous—allowed the actors to take bold risks. “Why play it safe?” Camp said. “This is a wild ensemble comedy, and Deena always encouraged us to swing big.”

One of those big swings? Camp’s improvised dance scene near the film’s conclusion, where Gil, newly liberated, dances like the world isn’t ending.

“It’s such a perfect metaphor,” Bartha reflected. “After everything we’ve been through—pandemic, secrets, uncertainty—all you can really do is dance.”

Watch the full conversation below:

Q&A on the film Nuked with actor & executive producer Justin Barth and actor Anna Camp. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company.

A group of friends gets together for a cannabis-infused, technology free, dinner party only to learn a bomb is headed right for them.