Starring Ice Cube, Eva Longoria, Iman Benson
Directed by Rich Lee
Rated PG-13
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
“War of the Worlds,” a straightto-streaming release from Amazon Prime Video based on the classic H.G. Wells novel, has somehow achieved the impossible: it may be the worst movie of the last 20 years. Not since Tommy Wiseau’s disaster “The Room” or Ed Wood’s famously inept “Plan 9 From Outer Space” has there been a film so stunningly awful it leaves you speechless—reduced to audible grunts in disbelief. This movie deserves a spot on the Mount Rushmore of cinematic failures. Everyone has sat through a bad movie at some point. Usually, you buy the ticket, realize within 15 minutes you’re in for a rough ride, and move on with your life. But every so often, a film comes along so embarrassingly bad, so unintentionally hilarious, that it becomes a cultural touchstone. That’s exactly what “War of the Worlds” offers: a tech-heavy, awkward mess that serves as a sad excuse for adapting Wells’ classic novel.
One can only imagine Wells rolling in his grave at the thought of it. Unlike “Plan 9” and “The Room,” which were made by independent filmmakers whose stories of scraping together financing and distribution have since become almost inspirational, this film has no such defense. Those films even spawned their own acclaimed movies—Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood” (1994), starring Johnny Depp, and James Franco’s “The Disaster Artist” (2017), with Franco and Seth Rogen. Their failures, in a strange way, reflected perseverance. “War of the Worlds,” by contrast, comes from Amazon Studios—yes, Amazon, which shamelessly inserts itself into the movie as a savior of humanity.
The involvement of actual stars like Eva Longoria and Ice Cube only makes the failure more striking. Previous infamous flops at least leaned on unknown actors. If Wells’ legacy wasn’t insult enough, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ fingerprints are all over this production. Whether or not he notices is another matter. He’s likely too busy with his yacht, his lifestyle and his tax accountants. The bottom line: don’t take my word for it. Watch it yourself on Amazon Prime Video. Only by witnessing this spectacle firsthand can you truly grasp how bad it is.
