The War of the Worlds
2019
Original language: English
- sci-fi & fantasy
- drama
The story
In Edwardian England, George and his partner Amy attempt to defy society and start a life together as they face the escalating terror of an alien invasion, fighting for their lives against an enemy beyond their comprehension.
What it’s like
Muted, rain-washed Edwardian interiors give way to scorched, ash-grey countryside in this BBC adaptation of Wells's novel. The palette runs to cold blues, sepia-brown drawing rooms and sickly green light once the Martian machines appear, with handheld-steady camerawork that lingers on faces during quiet domestic scenes and cuts hard when the menace arrives. The score is restrained, mostly strings and low drones that swell to a metallic hum, and long stretches of near silence let wind and distant crowd noise carry the unease. Its vibe is bleak, tense and intimate, with a slow-burning romance threaded through the apocalypse. Pacing is deliberate in the first half and tightens into a relentless chase in the second. Violence is present and sometimes sharp, including deaths and frightening disintegration effects, though it is more dread than gore, with some sexual content and adult themes. It suits a grey weekend or a late-night watch for viewers who want period atmosphere, a love story under pressure, and creeping sci-fi horror rather than action spectacle.
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