Amazon Prime Video released the adaptation of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds on their platform on July 30, 2025. Directed by Rich Lee, the film is a ‘screenlife thriller’ which features a far cry from the panic-inducing 1939 radio broadcast by Orson Welles. The film stars rapper and actor, Ice Cube, in the lead role of ‘Will Radford’, exploring his response to the alleged alien invasion.
War of the Worlds is a misguided attempt at a Sci-Fi Classic
‘Will Radford’ is a Homeland Security analyst who tracks everything from hackers to his own children. How? With an array of surveillance tools. However, despite the modern-day framing, the film delivers no suspense or depth. What was described as an extraterrestrial dread in the book only gets reflected as a ‘clumsy family drama’, which is more like an extended commercial for Prime Video. Talking about the film’s lead, Ice Cube, known for his tough-guy persona, he seems like a misfit in the national security clearance by a mile.
Despite being a strict and controlling single father with two children, his daughter, ‘Faith’, gets pregnant. ‘Will’ also has a son, ‘Dave’, who is a gamer. What’s further disappointing is that ‘Will’ spends most of his time spying on his own kids rather than dealing with actual threats. While his job involves coordinating federal arrests, including that of a hacker, ‘Disruptor’, he is mostly seen shuffling video call windows and scowling into his webcam. The entire film offers no concrete reason as to why the government has trusted him with such power.
The ‘webcam’ alien invasion
The alien invasion begins 20 minutes into the film, when fireballs streak through the sky and crash into major cities. Or, at least that is what the audience is led to believe with the footage of ‘low resolution’ video feeds. What could have been a chilling scene turns into a moment of disconnection through grainy livestreams and pixelated phone videos. ‘Will’s’ involvement as a protagonist can further be questioned as the man seems more busy with supervising his kids than listening to NASA expert, ‘Sandra Salas’s’ warning about the attack.
However, it soon brings the audience to one of the few interesting moments in the film, that is, the emergence of the infamous alien tripods from an asteroid. For Sci-Fi fans, this is a massive missed opportunity, as an impeccable novel was turned into a half-hearted film that focuses more on a man frantically trying to keep tabs on his children.
The family drama and Amazon’s branding overpower the actual plot of the film
The film might have been an actual delight, even if not as an alien invasion classic, maybe as an emotional parenting saga. However, the audience found themselves disconnected from most of the intense scenes in the film. As ‘Will’ focuses on reuniting with his children, ignoring the broader crisis, the alien invasion is set on the back burner. At the same time, the audience is not given a single reason to get invested in the ‘Radford’ family, making scenes like ‘Faith’s’ labour also seem flat and cold.
Additionally, Amazon’s attempts to include their brand into the plot further took away from any tension that could exist in the film. Scenes like the climax, where a Prime delivery driver saved the day by using an Amazon-branded drone or ‘Will’ placing an Amazon order to defeat the aliens, blurred the lines between satire and brand pandering. Making what was supposed to be the terrifying fall of humanity seem insignificant.
What are your thoughts on War of the Worlds? Let us know.
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