David Bridges
The domino effect of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds entering the public domain has made a striking impact on Prime Video, as the streaming platform has launched a new adaptation of this iconic alien invasion narrative featuring Ice Cube. Just a week ahead of its release, the buzz surrounding the film has reached a level of hysteria reminiscent of Orson Welles</b’ infamous 1938 radio broadcast. This time, however, audiences are flocking to Prime Video to witness what has quickly become the quintessential hate-watch film of the year.
Set to captivate viewers on July 30, War of the Worlds showcases Ice Cube portraying the character of Will Radford, a domestic terror analyst working with the Department of Homeland Security. The film uniquely presents Radford’s workday through the lens of his computer’s webcam, utilizing platforms like Zoom and WhatsApp. While he juggles his high-level clearance responsibilities and the challenges of parenting, he witnesses a strange meteor shower that turns out to be an alien invasion. This leads him to confront the impending crisis using the power of invasive surveillance technology and Amazon drones to save the world from chaos.
Three undeniable truths stand out about Prime Video’s latest iteration of War of the Worlds. Firstly, it has received an astonishingly low zero percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Secondly, viewers are humorously critiquing its awkward and wooden acting across various social media platforms. Lastly, it has ascended to become one of the top ten recently released films on Prime Video, meeting all the criteria for the ultimate hate-watch experience.
Ice Cube throughout the entire War of the Worlds movie pic.twitter.com/6kESlcyqiI
— Skyler Higley (@skyler_higley) August 6, 2025
Whether they are comedians, YouTubers, TikTokers, or just casual meme enthusiasts, it seems everyone is participating in a feedback loop phenomenon with this film. This peculiar situation allows a film that is spectacularly poor to inadvertently succeed in its own right. At the time of this writing, War of the Worlds has impressively climbed to number five in Prime Video’s Top 10 in the US. For context, the current top two spots are held by the third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty and Eddie Murphy’s</b new comedy film, The Pickup, with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes positioned at number six.
The last occurrence of this phenomenon happened with Marvel’s Morbius, yet it appears that Prime Video is refraining from leaning into the humor of the situation by promoting the film on social media to attract attention to its ironically bad reputation.
#WarOfTheWorlds is Rotten at 0% on the Tomatometer, with 21 reviews: https://t.co/Jo5zHqPicT pic.twitter.com/pCECmU9Yob
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) August 7, 2025
Recently, io9 undertook the task of reviewing Ice Cube’s film, providing an honest assessment of its quality, complete with spoilers. While it’s clear that much of the criticism leaning towards the film is justified, we did acknowledge that it presents a “reasonably fresh way to tackle Wells’ classic tale.” Despite its many flaws, it remains a spectacle that draws viewers in, making it hard to look away.
If you find yourself intrigued by the bizarre allure of how War of the Worlds fits into the realm of hate-watching, you can stream it now on Prime Video.
Want more io9 news? Stay updated on when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, as well as what’s next for the DC Universe in film and television, along with all the vital information about the future of Doctor Who.
Ethan Carter
Daniel Mercer
