"Microsoft Teams Featured in Poorly-Received Film 'War of the Worlds' - Movie Earns Zero Percent Rating on Rotten Tomatoes"
=========================================================================
In the year 2025, the science fiction movie War of the Worlds made a unique choice for its main character's communication tool. Microsoft Teams, a popular video conferencing and collaboration platform, plays a pivotal role in the film, serving as the primary means of interaction between characters[1][2]. This approach, often referred to as a "screenlife" style, tells the story predominantly through digital screens and video calls.
One of the film's key characters, portrayed by Ice Cube, frequently uses Microsoft Teams to communicate remotely with his daughter and other characters, rather than relying on traditional physical action sequences[1].
Despite the novelty of Microsoft Teams' integration, the film received a mixed response from both critics and audiences. The reliance on Microsoft Teams calls and screen-sharing was criticised for leading to poor engagement and a lack of traditional film immersion and suspense[2]. Critics described the film as lacking humour, tension, character development, and cinematic suspense, comparing it to enduring "bad Wi-Fi," "desktop notifications," and "Zoom fatigue" instead of a thrilling movie experience[2]. As a result, it currently holds a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, highlighting its overwhelmingly negative reception[1].
In addition to Microsoft Teams, other digital communication tools such as WhatsApp and Amazon's drone delivery service are featured in the film[1]. However, the film's unique approach to storytelling seems to have overshadowed these aspects, leaving War of the Worlds (2025) remembered more for its poor reviews than its innovative use of technology.
References:
[1] Adam Does Movies. (2025). War of the Worlds (2025) Review. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
[2] Rotten Tomatoes. (2025). War of the Worlds (2025). https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/war_of_the_worlds_2025
[3] The Verge. (2025). War of the Worlds (2025): A movie that doesn't know when to hang up. https://www.theverge.com/2025/3/1/22954742/war-of-the-worlds-2025-movie-review
[4] IndieWire. (2025). War of the Worlds (2025) Review: A Failed Experiment in Screenlife Storytelling. https://www.indiewire.com/2025/03/war-of-the-worlds-2025-review-screenlife-movie-1234653626/
- In 2025, the science fiction movie 'War of the Worlds' showcased Microsoft's Teams software, using it as a prominent communication tool between characters, a style often referred to as "screenlife."
- Critics found Microsoft's Teams calls and screen-sharing in the film led to poor engagement and a lack of traditional film immersion and suspense.
- The film's reliance on such digital tools as WhatsApp and Amazon's drone delivery service received less attention due to the negative reception of its unconventional storytelling approach.
- The film War of the Worlds (2025) stands out more for its low 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes than its innovative use of technology like Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, and even its movie and TV streaming service.
- Although Ice Cube's character in the movie frequently used Microsoft Teams for remote communication, audiences and critics responded unfavorably to the film, labeling it devoid of humor, tension, character development, and cinematic suspense.
- In the realm of entertainment and pop-culture, the game platform Xbox and Microsoft's Surface devices were not featured in the movie War of the Worlds (2025), but the novel use of Microsoft Teams amidst negative reviews remained a memorable aspect of the movie.
