It's playing with clever ideas, good acting and premise, and a notable twist on the book. A lot of it feels like a Roland Emmerich premise though, and while it's better than his movies, it still feels like they kept his hallmarks; people acting dumb in an apocalypse, people needing to help in odd ways, following multiple characters in multiple locations, etc. It manages a slow tension-filled pace at times, creepy visuals and music, and some good drama. That being said, characters do act annoying, and it can get on your nerves. Things they do or say are often baffling or irritating, feeling more like a caricature of a 50s sci-fi channel movie. As a science fiction show, it feels reminiscent of a Ray Bradbury take on War of the Worlds, with odd, yet interesting take on aliens, but ultimately leading to a conclusion that is just more confusing, raising many more questions than answers, and they won't even be answered until season 2. It kinda leaves you stewing on possible theories and interpretations, which I guess makes it noteworthy, but weird. It feels like the movie Arrival at times, doing a cerebral, dark, moody take on an alien invasion, but also like a cheap sci-fi B movie at the same time with some cheesy character bits, dialogue and actions. That's a quirky blend, but it actually makes me want answers, as annoying or dumb as they might be. That goes into the leaving your audience wanting more territory. It's worth checking out, and gets credit for doing things differently, but this spaceship better be going somewhere interesting.
Review of War of the Worlds
