War of the Worlds
An estranged New Jersey father races through an unraveling America to protect his children from an overwhelming alien invasion.
Overview
An ordinary man faces extraordinary challenges as he fights to protect his family from an alien invasion.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- paranoid
- foreboding
- oppressive
- blockbuster night
- science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found Spielberg's adaptation thrilling and visually impressive, praising its paranoia and effects while noting weaknesses in the family melodrama and ending.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ray's flight across New Jersey and toward Boston forces him to become the protector and provider he failed to be in his marriage.
The alien machines emerge from beneath familiar neighborhoods while electricity, transportation, and public safety rapidly collapse.
Tripod attacks, fleeing crowds, and destroyed streets are experienced primarily through Ray and his children's limited perspective.
The film's surprise attacks, mass displacement, and anxious atmosphere evoke contemporary fears of vulnerability and asymmetric catastrophe.
Films like War of the Worlds, and why
Independence Day
Shared alien invasion premise, large-scale disaster spectacle, family survival stakes, and escalating public panic.
A Quiet Place
Shared science fiction catastrophe, ordinary civilians confronting overwhelming forces, and emphasis on survival amid social collapse.
Signs
Shared alien threat, grounded human perspective, tense evasion, and Spielberg-influenced suspenseful spectacle.
The Impossible
Shared intimate family-centered survival story within a destructive science fiction disaster, with a vulnerable child at its emotional center.
Movie Details
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Release Date
- 2005-06-28
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (9566)
Cast
- Tom Cruise
- Dakota Fanning
- Miranda Otto
- Justin Chatwin
- Tim Robbins
- Rick Gonzalez
- Yul Vazquez
- Lenny Venito
- Lisa Ann Walter
- Ann Robinson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Apple TV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Apple TV Amazon Channel
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is War of the Worlds about?
- An estranged New Jersey father races through an unraveling America to protect his children from an overwhelming alien invasion.
- What is War of the Worlds like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of War of the Worlds as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is War of the Worlds violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in War of the Worlds as moderate.
- What did critics think of War of the Worlds?
- Critics generally found Spielberg's adaptation thrilling and visually impressive, praising its paranoia and effects while noting weaknesses in the family melodrama and ending.
- Which films are like War of the Worlds?
- Films with a similar feel include Independence Day, A Quiet Place, Signs, and The Impossible.
- How long is War of the Worlds?
- War of the Worlds runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch War of the Worlds?
- In United States, War of the Worlds streams on Apple TV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Apple TV Amazon Channel.
