Ice Cube Named Worst Actor of the Year While His Film 'War Of The Worlds' Takes Worst Picture at Razzie Awards

Ice Cube endured a difficult night at the 46th Razzie Awards, with his science-fiction film War of the Worlds (2025) named Worst Picture, while he was personally singled out as Worst Actor.

The Razzie Awards, which highlight the worst-reviewed movies of the year, gave several 'wins' to War of the Worlds and its team. While the Razzies are meant to be humorous, the number of awards for Ice Cube and director Rich Lee shows just how poorly critics felt about this version of H.G. Wells' story.

Many viewers and reviewers said the film struggled to mix exciting action with a clear story.

Ice Cube, who played the lead, was criticised for his acting, with some saying the action scenes and plot didn't meet expectations.

War of the Worlds Sweeps Worst Picture Categories

War of the Worlds did not simply stumble—it fell hard in multiple Razzie categories.

According to Entertainment Weekly, alongside Worst Picture and Worst Actor, the film also received Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel, and Worst Director for Rich Lee. Writers Kenny Golde and Marc Hyman were named Worst Screenplay, pointing to a general sense that the story failed to resonate.

Critics had already pointed out that the movie's story moved unevenly and its characters weren't fully developed. The Razzies' awards reflect those same concerns.

Experts also note that the film faced heavy criticism when it first came out, especially after it received a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes—a very rare score—before improving slightly to 4%.

The awards act as a formal way of showing that many critics agreed: Ice Cube's latest film missed the mark on multiple fronts.

What is the War of the Worlds (2025) About

War of the Worlds (2025) is a modern take on the classic science‑fiction story by H.G. Wells, released exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. In this version, Ice Cube plays a US Department of Homeland Security computer and surveillance expert who tries to deal with a sudden alien invasion.

Much of the movie unfolds through screens, video calls, and digital interfaces instead of traditional action scenes, a style known as 'screenlife.'

Critics widely disliked the film. Many said the story was hard to follow, the characters were underdeveloped, and the pacing was uneven. Some reviews described it as feeling like a long advertisement for Amazon, due to frequent on‑screen product placements and scenes where corporate services play a role in the plot.

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a rare 0% critics' score, meaning none of the sampled reviews were positive, and audiences also rated it very poorly.

Commentators called the adaptation 'cheap‑looking' and struggled to balance technology‑centric storytelling with suspenseful sci‑fi action.

Notable Razzie 2026 Wins

The War of the Worlds isn't the only Razzie-certified film this year.

While Disney's live-action Snow White avoided a Worst Actress award, its digitally created 'seven dwarfs' were named Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screen Combo. Rebel Wilson was named Worst Actress for her performance in Bride Hard, a 2025 action comedy that was widely criticised by reviewers.

Similarly, Scarlet Rose Stallone won Worst Supporting Actress for her role in Gunslingers, another film deemed poorly received by critics.

It's Not the End of the World for Razzie Winners

Even though the Razzies point out the year's worst films, they do so in a playful, joking way.

While Ice Cube and director Rich Lee received multiple awards for War of the Worlds, the ceremony also shows that actors and filmmakers can bounce back.

For example, Kate Hudson, who won Worst Actress in 2022 for Music, was celebrated this year with the Razzie Redeemer Award after earning an Oscar nomination for Song Song Blue.

The Razzies make it clear that the awards are symbolic, not meant to punish. Many winners attend in good spirits, using the event as a moment to laugh at mistakes and learn from them.