What To Know
- Most of the movie unfolds on his cluttered computer screen in what’s known as the “screenlife” format, a filmmaking trend where all action is experienced through digital windows and pop-ups.
- In theory, this could create urgency or a sense of authenticity—but in execution, it feels cheap, visually monotonous, and incredibly insular given the global scale of the crisis.
- The film swings for topical relevance with its themes of surveillance and family boundaries, but ultimately undermines both the spectacle expected from a sci-fi classic and the emotional stakes needed for a grounded drama.
The legacy of H.G. Wells’ *War of the Worlds* is one of grand alien apocalypse, mass panic, and human resilience. But this latest retelling, fronted by Ice Cube, shrinks that epic canvas down to a single desktop and loses nearly all of the awe, terror, and social commentary that made the original tale resonate for generations.
A Digital Age Take—With Glitches
Set in a surveillance-saturated, plausibly near-future America, Ice Cube stars as Will Radford, a Department of Homeland Security analyst whose job seems to involve toggling between security feeds, parenting apps, and video calls more than actually responding to any existential threats. Most of the movie unfolds on his cluttered computer screen in what’s known as the “screenlife” format, a filmmaking trend where all action is experienced through digital windows and pop-ups. In theory, this could create urgency or a sense of authenticity—but in execution, it feels cheap, visually monotonous, and incredibly insular given the global scale of the crisis.
A One-Man Show—For Worse
Radford’s biggest concern, before extraterrestrial tripods show up, is micro-managing his two grown kids. He barks at his pregnant daughter Faith about nutrition, nags his gamer son Dave for wasting time, and freely invades their digital privacy, painting him as a helicopter parent armed with state secrets rather than a heroic figure. Ice Cube, known for his tough, straight-shooting persona, never seems comfortable in this buttoned-up, tech-heavy role—switching between a perpetual scowl and bursts of over-the-top exasperation that feel out of sync with the supposed gravitas of his position.
Missed Opportunities and Underwhelming Action
For a film inspired by one of science fiction’s most iconic invasions, the sense of catastrophe is sorely lacking. Alien attacks are glimpsed only in choppy, low-res clips from bystander smartphones or snippets of news footage—a far cry from the immersive chaos and terror depicted in previous adaptations. When the first alien war machine finally appears, it’s the only spark of visual excitement in an otherwise drab sequence of digital screens, phone calls, and recycled combat footage.
Real Stakes Replaced by Family Drama
Beneath the surface, the movie seems less interested in aliens or societal panic than in Will’s obsessive parenting style. The central tension is about a father learning to let his adult children make their own decisions—an intimate family conflict that feels mismatched with the supposed scale of an alien apocalypse. Any attempts at social commentary, whether about digital privacy or government overreach, are mostly swallowed up by clunky dialogue and a relentless pace of window-shuffling.
Obvious Brand Placement and a Flat Tone
Adding to the odd tone, the movie can’t resist nods to Amazon (the production company and streaming platform), from delivery truck cameos to the ever-present specter of online surveillance. These placements, along with forced lines and stilted tech jargon, distract from what little tension the film tries to build.
Final Thoughts
In a story where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, it’s telling that the viewer’s main concern is whether Will’s kids will ever get any personal space. The film swings for topical relevance with its themes of surveillance and family boundaries, but ultimately undermines both the spectacle expected from a sci-fi classic and the emotional stakes needed for a grounded drama. *War of the Worlds* in 2025 emerges as a missed opportunity: a jittery, surface-level thriller that fails to capture the terror, scope, or spirit of Wells’ timeless warning.
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source from variety.com
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