Title – War of the Worlds (2025)

Director – Rich Lee (feature debut)

Cast – Ice Cube, Eva Longoria, Iman Benson, Henry Hunter Hall, Clark Gregg

Plot – Government surveillance expert William Radford (Cube) is caught up in a global alien invasion that threatens the very existence of mankind.  

“I don’t have alien invasion insurance!”

Review by Eddie on 20/08/2025 

I’ve seen some things in my life on this planet, ranging from the good, the bad and the in-between but I can hand on heart honestly say I’d never seen anything quite like War of the Worlds before.

A modern day reimagining of H.G Wells classic 1898 novel of the same name, a property that has spawned a plethora of classic adaptations across the the past 100 or so years, Rich Lee’s feature debut, that was the brainchild of producer Timur Bekmambetov, has become an internet sensation over the past months as viewers have come to discover one of the most joyous bad movies since the unleashing of The Room on an unsuspecting public all the way back in 2003.

Released on Amazon, of which Worlds makes plenty of mention of during its 90 minute runtime, acting as somewhat of a long paid advertisement and showcases that even in the midst of a global alien invasion Amazon will continue to fulfil its orders and ensure prompt delivery of goods, no one in a million years could have ever predicted that the newest iteration of Wells story would end up being a ‘screenlife” feature starring Ice Cube in one of the most meme-able performances you’re likely to get some someone that’s last name isn’t Cage.

Following Cube’s government surveillance expert William Radford, who likes to spend most of the tax payer dollars spying on his son and daughter in totally non-creepy ways (such as hacking the home fridge), Worlds sees Radford and a team that includes Eva Longoria’s NASA scientist Sandra, who is literally saved in Radford’s contacts as NASA Sandra just in case he ever forgot, try and fight off an alien invasion that takes place here across a timeframe of less than 24hrs.

Oh and if that’s not an exciting enough premise in itself, Worlds takes place entirely from the POV of screen devices to make everything so much more enjoyable, especially when 25% of the film is close up shots of Cube’s stunned reactions.

In a film full of hilarious moments, ranging from performance based hilarities, Cube has never been lazier and less interested than he is here, through to odd editing choices, filming decisions and narrative movements, one outstanding and unforgettable (unforgivable?) element to Worlds is how much happens in such a short period of time and while the world burns and armies are mobilized within mere minutes to undertake pinpoint accurate operations against extra terrestrial forces, it’s good to know Cube and the American president have time for Zoom calls and Microsoft Teams meetings around the chaos that surrounds them.

While there’s so much wrong with Worlds, it’s hard to imagine that those involved didn’t sense that overtly obvious terribleness that permeates throughout the entirety of Rich’s film and if you take World’s as a comedic experience that seems to revel and bask in its awfulness, you might actually discover 2025’s most outstandingly hilarious comedic exercise.

A film that is sure to live a long and prosperous shelf-life as an all time Hollywood stinker, a future candidate for a midnight screenings hall of fame recipient, swapping The Room’s spoon screenings with USB screenings one suspects, Worlds is an experience that is best left to be lived through rather than read about so don’t waste any further precious time, you know what you have to do.

Just don’t forget that alien invasion insurance policy!

Final Say –

The film we never knew we needed and one that is sure to have H.G Wells rolling in his grave, War of the Worlds is an epically outrageous feature film turkey that sure is a joy to behold, for all the wrong reasons.

1/2 a pleasantly quiet Tesla ride out of 5