Ice Cube’s ‘War of the Worlds’ Hits Historic 0% Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score originally appeared on Parade.
Prime Video’s latest sci-fi offering has achieved something no streaming service wants — a perfect 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The new War of the Worlds adaptation, starring rapper Ice Cube and Desperate Housewives alum Eva Longoria, has become a bit of a Hollywood disaster.
The latest modern adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic 1898 novel follows Homeland Security expert Will Radford (Ice Cube) and Dr. Sandra Salas (Longoria) as they lead a group of survivors against an alien invasion.
The supporting cast includes Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Clark Gregg, I’m Sorry actress Andrea Savage, and rising stars Henry Hunter Hall, Iman Benson, Devon Bostick and Michael O’Neill.
As of writing this, War of the Worlds holds an unprecedented 0% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences showing only slightly more enthusiasm at 14%. This rare outcome places the film among a small group of movies that critics found little to praise.
The harsh reviews have been particularly tough to read. One critic didn’t mince words, writing, “Rotten score. I really don’t like how a lot of modern reviewers say outlandish statements like ‘This is the worst movie ever made.’ Mainly because it devalues films like War of the Worlds, who had to work really hard to actually be one of the worst movies ever made.”
Another review was equally brutal, “Poorly written and awkwardly paced, War of the Worlds [is] in contention for one of the worst movies of the decade so far. It’s rough to watch.”
Producer Patrick Aiello seemingly had ambitious goals for the project, describing it earlier this year as a “visceral, first-person experience designed for big screens in a language and format that is now natural within our daily lives.”
Co-producer Timur Bekmambetov told Deadline in July that the film aimed to explore how modern audiences would experience an alien invasion. “It will be exciting for audiences to watch the movie and ask themselves: if aliens invaded today, how would we experience it? Most likely, we’d be watching it on our phones.”
H.G. Wells’ original novel has been adapted numerous times throughout entertainment history, with varying degrees of success. In 2005, acclaimed director Steven Spielberg’s take on the story starred Tom Cruise and became one of his most controversial films.
War of the Worlds is currently streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. While critical reception has been universally negative, viewers can still form their own opinions about this modern take here.
Ice Cube’s ‘War of the Worlds’ Hits Historic 0% Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score first appeared on Parade on Aug 5, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
