War of the Worlds 2025: The Latest H.G. Wells Adaptation That's Stirring Controversy

Liputan6.com, Jakarta War of the Worlds 2025 returns with a new adaptation, released on July 30, 2025.

Directed by Rich Lee, the film attempts to present H.G. Wells' classic alien invasion tale with a modern twist relevant to the digital age.

This production marks a new attempt at reinterpreting this iconic narrative.

Unlike previous adaptations, War of the Worlds 2025 chose Amazon Prime Video as its global release platform, after previously being planned by Universal Pictures.

The film features stars such as Ice Cube and Eva Longoria in key roles.

This unique approach aims to reach a wider audience through the streaming service.

The story of War of the Worlds 2025 centers on William Radford, a cybersecurity analyst who accidentally witnesses an alien invasion through digital data and footage.

The film uses an innovative "screenlife" format, where the entire story is presented through computer screens, cell phones, and surveillance footage.

This visual approach is its distinguishing characteristic.

War of the Worlds 2025, directed by Rich Lee, was officially released on July 30, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video.

Originally slated to distribute, Universal Pictures transferred distribution rights to the streaming service.

This decision reflects a shift in major film distribution trends in the digital age.

The screenplay was written by Kenneth Golde and Marc Hyman, who successfully adapted H.G. Wells' original 1898 novel "The War of the Worlds."

Production was handled by Patrick Aiello and Timur Bekmambetov, known for their innovative work.

War of the Worlds 2025's unique approach is the use of the "screenlife" or "desktop recording" format.

The entire narrative is presented through footage from computer screens, cell phones, security cameras, and news reports.

This format aims to provide an immersive experience that is relevant to how modern society interacts with information.

The film stars a number of well-known actors, including Ice Cube as William Radford, a high-ranking official at the Department of Homeland Security.

Eva Longoria plays Sandra Salas, a NASA scientist, while Iman Benson and Henry Hunter Hall appear as Radford's children.

The presence of these actors is expected to attract audiences.

The main plot of War of the Worlds 2025 follows William Radford, a leading cybersecurity analyst monitoring threats through a mass surveillance program.

He initially focuses on "Disruptor," an anonymous hacker spreading conspiracy theories about the secret government program "Goliath."

However, his focus shifts dramatically when an alien invasion begins with a meteor storm.

The story is largely told from the perspective of Will Radford, trapped inside a Department of Homeland Security building.

He witnesses the invasion through security camera footage and video clips uploaded by the public.

This approach allows the audience to experience the tension of the invasion from a limited yet intense perspective.

The film, War of the Worlds 2025, explores themes of government surveillance, data privacy, and how society will experience an alien invasion in the digital age.

This adaptation highlights the role of personal devices like cell phones in spreading information and panic during a global crisis. These themes attempt to reflect contemporary concerns.

Reviews for War of the Worlds 2025 were largely negative.

Many critics described it as an unintentionally ridiculous "reimagining" of H.G. Wells' alien invasion.

Some even called the film "worse than you think" and a "disaster," reflecting widespread disappointment with the adaptation.

The film's innovative use of the "screenlife" format was the primary target of criticism.

Many reviews stated that this format made the action feel distant and ineffective, unlike other films that successfully used a similar medium, such as "Searching" or "Missing."

The visual limitations often hindered the immersive viewing experience.

Ice Cube's performance in War of the Worlds 2025 as a domestic security analyst was often highlighted as one of the film's weaknesses.

Critics deemed it "miscast" and "bland," with dialogue that sometimes sounded like jokes.

This diminished the credibility of the character and the tense atmosphere it was intended to build.

Despite attempting to address relevant themes like data surveillance, many reviews found these themes "muddled" and poorly executed.

Some critics even called the aliens unnecessary to convey the story of government data collection.

The plot of War of the Worlds 2025 was considered less compelling than previous adaptations, and there was criticism of the abrupt change in the main character.

While the alien tripod design was considered "cool," the overall visual quality, particularly that presented through cell phone footage and security cameras, often appeared "blurry and unconvincing."

War of the Worlds 2025 was also compared to Orson Welles's 1938 radio broadcast, which successfully created panic, while this adaptation was "unlikely to alarm anyone."