Ice Cube’s Pandemic-Made ‘War of the Worlds’ Goes from 0% to Cult Curiosity

Critics Declare It a Disaster

Film critics have spoken, and their verdict on Prime Video’s new War of the Worlds is brutal. The reimagining of H.G. Wells’s classic — starring Ice Cube as a government surveillance agent forced to save humanity from an alien invasion without leaving his desk — was slammed as “the worst possible adaptation” and even “one of the worst movies ever made.”

Upon release, it scored a rare 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, a feat usually reserved for cinematic disasters. Social media pounced on the rating, with many users delighting in the spectacle.

The ‘So Bad It’s Good’ Effect

For some viewers, the terrible reviews only heightened the appeal. Actor Patrick Schwarzenegger joked online that he now “had to watch it,” joining a wave of curiosity seekers drawn to films universally deemed awful.

Lon Harris, executive producer of This Week in Startups, said a rock-bottom rating was irresistible. “A very low score indicates universal agreement — this movie is bad. Now I want to know why.”

After watching it, Harris found the film as silly as promised. “Ice Cube’s solo performance just reacting to things on his laptop screen verges on parody,” he said, adding that the on-the-nose Amazon drone subplot “is almost unbelievable.”

Pandemic Production, Shelf Delay

The film’s premise — Ice Cube battling aliens remotely while protecting his family — is rooted in its pandemic-era production. Completed years ago, it languished unreleased until now, its limitations evident in its minimal cast, heavy reliance on computer screens, and budget workarounds.

Harris noted that these constraints gave the movie a certain rough charm. “It’s not slick and polished… you can see the artists’ hands at work trying their best to cover for budget issues.”

From 0% to 4%

While the initial critical consensus was savage, one reviewer has broken ranks. Jordan Hoffman of Entertainment Weekly called it “a mess, but an uproarious one” — enough for Rotten Tomatoes to count it as positive, nudging the score up to 4%.

Whether War of the Worlds will join the pantheon of “so bad it’s good” cult classics remains to be seen, but for now, its notoriety is fueling exactly the kind of attention most mid-budget sci-fi can only dream of.

FAQs

Q: What’s different about this War of the Worlds?
A: Instead of large-scale battles, the film focuses on Ice Cube’s character monitoring the alien invasion entirely from his desk, reflecting pandemic filming limitations.

Q: Why are people watching if reviews are terrible?
A: Some viewers are drawn to the novelty of universally panned films, hoping they’ll be entertaining in an unintentional way.

Q: Was the film delayed?
A: Yes, it was filmed during the pandemic but remained unreleased until 2025.

Q: How low was its score?
A: It debuted at 0% on Rotten Tomatoes and later crept up to 4% after one positive review.

Q: Is it intentionally funny?
A: While not designed as a comedy, critics say parts of it “verge on parody,” with awkward moments and odd plot choices adding to its unintended humor.

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