Prime Video’sWar of the Worldsis baffling viewers on social media, and some are calling it one of the worst movies of all time. Directed by Rich Lee, the sci-fi film is based on H.G. Wells' 1898 novelThe War of the Worlds, which was previously adapted by Steven Spielberg in 2005, withTom Cruise in the starring role.
This new take on the classic source material stars Ice Cube as protagonist William Radford, with supporting cast members including Eva Longoria, Clark Gregg, and Andrea Savage, among others. Prime Video’sWar of the Worldstakes a new approach to the story, with the action happening exclusively on screens over video conferencing software.
Graham Mansfieldwrites that “This new [War of the Worlds] movie might be the worst movie [I] have seen in years.”
@Quiet737points out how unintentionally “funny” the new adaptation is, writing that they “can’t believe this is real.”
“This is how ice cube reacts to every single tragedy in war of the worlds,” writes@ballstinky2alongside a funny GIF.
@highhfredcalls 2025’sWar of the Worlds"hilariously awful."
“Holy moly, just watched one of the worst movies I have ever seen,” writes@TheGamesTester. They continue: “90 min that felt like 6 hours. Bad acting, and sh*t tons of stupidity, this movie actually pissed me off.”
@frelance_queencalls the film “generationally bad.”
@sp_2233echoes the sentiment aboutWar of the Worldsbeing bad, but is evidently still finding some enjoyment in the experience. They write: “that new war of the worlds movie is the biggest piece of sht ever made but also the best f**king thing I’ve seen holy sht what the f**k.”
“War of the Worlds (2025) is the worst adaptation of the source material to date,” writesRolo Tony. “It had no ideas beyond the found footage approach, and even then the film is struggling to find ways to present coherent scenes. Ice Cube is so lost. Maybe one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.”
What This Means For War Of The Worlds
This predominantly negative response from viewers accompanies widespread panning from critics. OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has a 0% critics' score from 17 reviews. The audience-driven Popcornmeter score sits at a dismal 17%.
The critical and audience consensus on 2025’sWar of the Worldswould suggest that the film features very few redeeming qualities.Ice Cube’s lead performance is said to lack weight or depth, and the script and screenlife presentation ultimately contribute to the movie feeling cheap and hollow.
The response means that,when it comes to adaptations of the Wells story, Lee’s version could rank relatively low for manyviewers.Spielberg’sWar of the Worldsearned a 76% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting most found it far more enjoyable, but even that film is not generally considered among the director’s best works.
BBC released aWar of the Worldsminiseries in 2019, which earned a 68% critics score. Though Wells' story evidently remains appealing all these years later, recent attempts to adapt the work prove thatit’s a challenging tale to get right.
Our Take On The Social Media Reactions To War Of The Worlds
The new adaptation of theH.G. Wells storygot off to a strong start on Prime Video’s viewership charts, and the film’s virality could actually end up propelling it to hit status. Though most seem to agree it’s not a good movie, it might fall at least partially into “so bad it’s good” territory, making it one that viewers may now tune in to laugh at and meme.
It doesn’t seem like that was Lee’s intention when making the movie, however, and it’s worth acknowledging that making any movie is incredibly hard work. Still, it seems like audiences hoping for a strong adaptation ofWar of the Worldswill just have to keep waiting.
Source: Various (see above)
