Rich Lee’s War of the Worlds (2025) is more than just another adaptation of H.G. Wells’ timeless novel—it’s a love letter to all movie enthusiasts. The setting, the acting and the creativity in this movie will remain unrivaled for a millenia. The setting of the film is not just creative—it’s bold, beautiful, unique and ambitious. The movie being told from the perspective of a Zoom call is nothing short of genius. This movie spares no detail, and every frame of this movie should be enjoyed like an art exhibit. I sat, I paused and I admired every single frame. The cinematography of this film is beautiful; the locations and sets were like paintings. Iconic scenes from the corporate Amazon warehouse, and the daughter fleeing from the midst of a battle– left me shook.
Aliens invading earth to eat our data is a revolutionary idea. Rich Lee takes the stale alien invasion trope and transforms it into something terrifying. Watching the aliens invade Earth through stock footage made the scenes indistinguishable from real life. There is weight to the alien invasion; it is heart throbbing to watch the savagery enfold.
Ice Cube’s portrayal of Will Radford was not acting; Ice Cube did not play Will Radford, he became Will Radford. Subtle behaviors like Ice Cube’s facial expressions are beyond acting. Ice Cube casually switches from fear to innate power. These displays of human emotion connect perfectly to the movie’s themes of humanity, family and resilience. It’s incredible how Rich Lee passionately weaves timeless tropes into his movies’ action; unlike other movies, War of the Worlds does not downplay its audience’s intelligence.
Furthermore, the world being saved by Amazon™ is inspiring. William Bradford buys a data hard drive through Amazon Prime™, which is delivered by a brave Amazon Prime™ delivery driver. When do we get to see such iconic feats in movies? William Bradford literally saves the world through a hard drive.
Ultimately, Rich Lee encapsulates what cinema is. Through these countless examples, it should be clear that this is the greatest movie of all– it’s undeniable.
