Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War is a nine-part Netflix documentary series directed by Brian Knappenberger, expanding the Turning Point anthology he began with 2021’s Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror. This installment traces the history of the Cold War — from the development of the atomic bomb and the decades-long nuclear arms race, through the collapse of the Soviet Union, to the rise of Vladimir Putin and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The series premiered on Netflix on March 12, 2024, and its franchise has since continued with new installments covering other pivotal moments in modern history.
Official synopsis: The series chronicles the creation of the atomic bomb and the spread of nuclear arms over the following decades, continuing past the dissolution of the Soviet Union to Vladimir Putin’s ascent and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It features more than 100 interviews conducted in seven countries, revealing deeply personal stories of how the Cold War changed lives and shaped world history.
Quick Facts
| Series | Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War |
| Network | Netflix |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Director | Brian Knappenberger |
| Episodes | 9 |
| Premiere Date | March 12, 2024 |
| Composer | John Dragonetti |
| Franchise | Part of Netflix’s ‘Turning Point’ anthology (following Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror, 2021) |
| Current Status (Aug 2026) | Franchise continued with Turning Point: The Vietnam War (April 2025); Turning Point: Generation 9/11 and a WWII installment are in the pipeline for 2026 |
| Where to Stream | Netflix |
Who Composed the Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War Soundtrack?
John Dragonetti composed the original score for Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War. Dragonetti previously scored the first season of the franchise, Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (2021), as well as documentaries including The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz, All About Nina, and We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists. Netflix Music released the soundtrack album digitally on March 12, 2024, the same day the series premiered.
Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War Score Track List
This is an instrumental documentary score — the tracks below are John Dragonetti’s original score cues from the official Netflix Music soundtrack album, not licensed songs.
| # | Track |
|---|---|
| 1 | Only the Beginning (Main Title Version) |
| 2 | Tokyo Rivers of Fire |
| 3 | Potsdam |
| 4 | Tell Stalin |
| 5 | An Amazing Place |
| 6 | The Spring and the Summer |
| 7 | Detente |
| 8 | The Sun Came Up Tremendous |
| 9 | Hiroshima Morning |
| 10 | Bloody Slaughter |
| 11 | Fear Can Ravage You |
| 12 | Shaken |
| 13 | Steak Every Night |
| 14 | Beyond the Sphere |
| 15 | The Super |
| 16 | World Ending II |
| 17 | Truman’s Headaches |
| 18 | The Demagogue |
| 19 | The Great Terror |
| 20 | Everything Turned to White |
| 21 | Okinawa II |
| 22 | Glasnost Jetzt |
| 23 | The Church |
| 24 | Every Hour on the Hour (Berlin Version) |
| 25 | The Moment World History Turns |
Where to Stream Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War
The series is available to watch exclusively on Netflix. John Dragonetti’s score is available to stream and download on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Who Appears in Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War?
As a documentary, the series doesn’t have a traditional acting cast — it’s built from more than 100 interviews filmed in seven countries. Interviewees include seven current or former world leaders, among them Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, former CIA Director Robert Gates, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The series also interviews the son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg — the American couple executed in 1953 for passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union — and, separately, prominent German protest leaders who helped bring down the Berlin Wall, along with one of the last long-form interviews with nuclear whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. (Note: an earlier version of this page incorrectly described the Rosenbergs themselves as “German protest leaders who helped tear down the Berlin Wall” — that description actually applies to a separate group of interviewees; it has been corrected here.) The series is produced by Lowell Bergman, Sara Huisenga, Jennifer Jo Janisch, Brian Knappenberger, Mohammed Ali Naqvi, and Clare Tucker for Luminant Media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War score?
John Dragonetti composed the original score. He also scored the franchise’s previous installment, Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (2021).
Is Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War a scripted show or a documentary?
It’s a nine-part documentary series built from more than 100 real interviews conducted in seven countries, not a scripted drama.
Were Julius and Ethel Rosenberg interviewed for the series?
No — the Rosenbergs were executed in 1953 and could not have been interviewed for a 2024 documentary. The series does interview their son, alongside separate interviews with German protest leaders who helped topple the Berlin Wall; both appear in the same section of Netflix’s official synopsis, which led to a mix-up in an earlier version of this article that we’ve since corrected.
Has the Turning Point franchise continued past this season?
Yes. Netflix followed this installment with Turning Point: The Vietnam War (April 2025), and has additional installments, including Turning Point: Generation 9/11 and a World War II-focused entry, in the works for 2026.
Where can I watch Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War?
It streams exclusively on Netflix.
Explore more documentary scores on the TV Soundtrack hub, browse other Netflix soundtracks, or check the full streaming soundtrack hub.