The Chain Reaction is a 1980 Australian sci-fi thriller directed and produced by Ian Barry. The film stars Steve Bisley as Larry Stilson, a worker at a nuclear power plant in Australia who witnesses a catastrophic spill that kills his colleague and friend Heinrich (Ross Thompson). Larry manages to escape the plant before it explodes, but the radiation exposure from the spill leaves him and his co-worker, Jane (Arna-Maria Winchester), contaminated and on the run.
As they flee from the authorities, Larry and Jane become trapped in the Australian wilderness and seek refuge in an isolated farmhouse owned by a gun-carrying farmer (Ralph Cotterill) and his teenage daughter (Judy Morris). Meanwhile, Larry tries to reach his boss (Lorna Lesley) and alert her to the danger of a nuclear disaster, but he is thwarted by corrupt officials who don't want the public to know the truth.
As Larry and Jane struggle to survive in the hostile wilderness, they must race against time to prevent a nuclear meltdown that could wipe out the entire nation. The film blends suspense, action, and social commentary, reflecting the growing concerns about nuclear power and environmental pollution in Australia during the early 1980s.
The film originally received mixed reviews but has since gained a cult following for its intense action sequences and stark cinematography, capturing the beauty and peril of the Australian outback. It also features a memorable electronic score by Australian composer Philip Brophy, which adds to the film's ominous tone.