Ice Cube’s 2025 film War of the Worlds: Revival, a screenlife-style reboot streamed on Amazon Prime Video, has emerged as one of the most spectacular flops in recent memory: critically derided, stylistically misguided, and thematically bankrupt.
Director Rich Lee’s choice to reimagine the epic alien invasion entirely through computer and device screens may, in theory, mirror how modern threats unfold online. But as critics note, despite its premise, the execution collapses under its own gimmickry.
The film unfolds almost entirely via Ice Cube’s Homeland Security agent monitoring screens, FaceTimes, and browser vans—a stagnant and dull viewing experience. One reviewer quips that “That is the movie”.
Another critic dismisses the film as “a witless, straight-to-streaming adaptation” that deflates any sense of urgency.
Unlike well-crafted screenlife examples such as Searching or Host, which built suspense and emotional weight, War of the Worlds feels claustrophobic and creatively bankrupt.
In this bizarre retelling, the aliens have invaded to consume government data, a premise so absurd it defies logic. As one reviewer dryly notes, they simply like the taste of data.
The plot flounders further with lazy conveniences. The climactic USB thumb drive delivered by an Amazon Prime drone strains credulity, complete with a gag offering someone with a $1,000 gift card to flip the drone in midair.
Continuity errors and laughable CGI plague the production: a character driving in a car but surrounded by static scenery, shaky “earthquake” footage where no objects move, and recognizable buildings mislabeled as global cities (e.g., an Icelandic concert hall portrayed as London).
The result? A plot so flimsy and illogical, it undermines any attempt to be taken seriously.
Ice Cube’s performance, which anchors the entire film, is another glaring issue. Forced to carry nearly 90 minutes of screen-staring, he delivers a stream of clunky one-liners—“Hell yeah!”, “These things eat data?”, and other such banalities.
Critics found his near-sole presence on-screen unnerving rather than compelling. The Telegraph described it as “silly, shoddy, and features far too much of rapper-turned-leading man Ice Cube staring at a computer screen”.
The film also suffers from Product Placement overplay. Perhaps the film’s most jarring flaw is its shameless product placement—effectively turning the narrative into a commercial for Amazon. Peter Debruge termed it “a full-length feature commercial for all things Amazon”
The Times criticized the crass insertion of Prime delivery gadgets resolving global crisis tropes as particularly distasteful.
Forbes noted it amounts to a “feature-length commercial,” with characters relying on Amazon drones, Alexa-style solutions, and other platform conveniences to save the world.
This transparent commercialism undermines any dramatic or thematic stakes.
The critical reception of the movie has delivered an embarrassing low. Critics didn’t merely pan the film—they obliterated it.
The film opened with a rare 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes—now sitting back at around 3%—based on critic consensus.
On Metacritic, it earned a crushing 8 out of 100, signifying “overwhelming dislike”.
Reviewers labeled it among the worst films of 2025 and even the decade. One outlet observed it is “becoming one of Prime Video’s most notable flops”, while another declared it “one of the worst films of the decade”
This version fails to channel the thematic power of prior incarnations:
The 1953 film conveyed Cold War-era existential dread.
Steven Spielberg’s 2005 blockbuster showcased humanity’s fragility amid cinematic spectacle.
H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel threatened consumerist complacency and imperial hubris.
War of the Worlds (2025) offers none of that. It delivers hollow camp, cringe-worthy execution, and a confused identity that neither honors the novel nor reinvents it.
Will it have cult appeal? Perhaps “So Bad It’s Good”. Despite—or because of—its failings, some argue the film may attain cult status for being hilariously, epically terrible. CinemaBlend’s Philip Sledge admitted it’s “schlocky, flat, filled with more plot holes than Amazon references,” yet still oddly entertaining.
Others liken its chaotic, over-the-top nature to The Room: “campy escapism” rather than cinematic art.
Yet even that’s a faint flicker in a sea of cinematic misfires.
Ice Cube’s War of the Worlds (2025) misfires on virtually every front:
It is conceptually flawed: An alien invasion reduced to screen peeks and data-eating cliché.
It is narratively hollow: Weak story foundation, implausible plot devices, and continuity embarrassments.
It is a performance misfire: Ice Cube’s solo, unvaried on-screen presence lacks depth and charisma.
It has tone-deaf commercialism: Amazon product integration transforms the narrative into advertising.
Critically, it gets a rare 0% Rotten Tomatoes score, abysmally rated across platforms.
The movie appears to have no legacy or innovation: Unable to stand with prior adaptations as art, homage, or reinvention.
In comparison:
Spielberg’s 2005 version remains a landmark for emotional gravitas and blockbuster storytelling.
H.G. Wells’ novel endures as a cautionary tale of unchecked power and imperial anxiety.
Even niche screenlife films like Searching and Host achieve emotional and narrative resonance, War of the Worlds fails to even stride into that territory.
