Prime Video’s War of the Worlds is 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 novel The War of the Worlds, which was previously adapted by Steven Spielberg in 2005, with Tom 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’s War of the Worlds takes a new approach to the story, with the action happening exclusively on screens over video conferencing software.

After its release on Prime Video on July 30, many subscribers have now gotten a chance to watch the new War of the Worlds, and some are taking to X, formerly Twitter, to share their feelings on the movie. The sentiment is overwhelmingly negative, with criticism levied at the presentation, performances, and just about everything else. Check out select reactions below:

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Graham Mansfield writes that “This new [War of the Worlds] movie might be the worst movie [I] have seen in years.”

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@Quiet737 points out how unintentionally “funny” the new adaptation is, writing that they “can’t believe this is real.”

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“This is how ice cube reacts to every single tragedy in war of the worlds,” writes @ballstinky2 alongside a funny GIF.

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@highhfred calls 2025’s War of the Worlds “hilariously awful.”

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“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.”

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@frelance_queen calls the film “generationally bad.”

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@sp_2233 echoes the sentiment about War of the Worlds being 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 sh*t ever made but also the best f**king thing I’ve seen holy sh*t what the f**k.”

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“War of the Worlds (2025) is the worst adaptation of the source material to date,” writes Rolo 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. On Rotten 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’s War of the Worlds would 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 many viewers. Spielberg’s War of the Worlds earned 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 a War of the Worlds miniseries 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 that it’s a challenging tale to get right.

Our Take On The Social Media Reactions To War Of The Worlds

The new adaptation of the H.G. Wells story got 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 of War of the Worlds will just have to keep waiting.

Source: Various (see above)