BBC makes one of the scariest films ever made free to stream on iPlayer

If you enjoy going to bed absolutely shook and petrified, watch this tonight.

Threads is the nuclear apocalypse drama-documentary that continues to haunt viewers 40 years on from its release.

The 1984 horror tells the story of a nuclear strike on the city of Sheffield through the eyes of two families, tracing the events leading up to the war and the decade of devastation that follows.

Shot on a budget of £400,000 (equivalent to £1,290,611 in 2023), the film was the first of its kind to depict a nuclear winter.

It has been called "a film which comes closest to representing the full horror of nuclear war and its aftermath, as well as the catastrophic impact that the event would have on human culture."

Despite only being shown on television four times, it has a whopping 91 per cent from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

BBC iPlayer does come with the warning of 'strong language, graphic violence and disturbing scenes', however, that still might not really prepare you for what you're in for.

The film was nominated for seven BAFTA awards in 1985. It won for Best Single Drama, Best Design, Best Film Cameraman and Best Film Editor.

The film's creator Barry Hines said it was not their intention merely to shock "like it was a horror film".

"It's just that it's such a shocking subject that there's some very harrowing scenes in it," he said. "So there's no way that we could avoid shocking the audience."

Hines said his main reason for making Threads was to get people thinking about nuclear weapons, as "a lot of people don’t know anything about it".

He added: "I think Threads might have shown those people that in fact, in even the severest worst scenario for a nuclear war that you can imagine, more people are going to survive than perish immediately, and that sort of long, drawn-out suffering is something that most people would have to go through if it happens."

On that hopeful note, enjoy Threads! Available to stream on BBC iPlayer from today.