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War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds

Adventure · Thriller · Science Fiction · 2005

Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.

Movie details

War of the Worlds

“They're already here.”

2005 Adventure · Thriller · Science Fiction 1h 57m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over War of the Worlds?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Journey to the Center of the Earth

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Steven Spielberg

Written by

David Koepp · Josh Friedman

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Ray

Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning

Rachel

Miranda Otto

Miranda Otto

Mary Ann

Justin Chatwin

Justin Chatwin

Robbie

Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins

Harlan Ogilvy

Rick Gonzalez

Rick Gonzalez

Vincent

Yul Vazquez

Yul Vazquez

Julio

Court is in session

Put War of the Worlds on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.