Eddie Murphy’s Critically Panned New Comedy Dethrones 1 of the Worst Films of All Time

Prime Video has produced many critically acclaimed films, some of them winning Oscars and many important awards. However, not every release turns into an immediate critical success, but they continue to be wildly popular on streaming.

Its latest comedy action, The Pickup, follows the same pattern. The film stars Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson and while it didn’t debut with the best reviews from either critics or the audience, it’s already a hit. According to FlixPatrol, shortly after its release, The Pickup dethroned the sci-fi War of the Worlds, which has been deemed one of the worst films of all time.

The Pickup premiered on Aug. 6, and it didn’t take long to find success on the streaming platform. On its first day, the action comedy debuted at No. 1 in 36 countries, including the U.S., and further rose to the top of the charts in 50 countries, becoming the ultimate title in the Top 10 Movie charts globally.

That ended War of the Worlds’ domination at the top of the charts. The sci-fi movie premiered on Jul. 30, and, despite abysmal reviews, it has immediately become a hit on streaming. Even over a week later, War of the Worlds keeps holding onto the charts and is in second place after The Pickup.

The two films finally ended Heads of State‘s claim to the throne. The action comedy starring John Cena and Idris Elba was an extremely successful release, getting positive reviews from both critics and the audience, and even scored a viewership milestone. The positive reception Heads of State wasn’t replicated by the latest releases.

War of the Worlds has entered Rotten Tomatoes’ list of worst movies of all time, as it debuted with a rare 0% score from the critics. As more opinions came through, the movie has escaped the curse of the 0% rating and holds a still-horrible 4% score out of 28 reviews. It also features only an approval of 21% from the audience on the Popcornmeter.

The Pickup‘s scores are slightly higher, but still nothing to brag about, considering that it has two extremely popular comedians as the leads. The action comedy debuted with a disappointing 38% approval score from the critics, and it has since dropped to 28% as more reviews came in. Despite its popularity, The Pickup features an approval of 42% on the Popcornmeter.

What Are the Two Streaming Hits About?

Image via Amazon MGM Studios

The official logline for the action comedy reads, “A routine cash pickup takes a wild turn when two mismatched armored truck drivers, Russell and Travis, are ambushed by ruthless criminals led by a savvy mastermind, Zoe, with plans that go way beyond the cash cargo. As chaos unfolds around them, the unlikely duo must navigate high-risk danger, clashing personalities, and one very bad day that keeps getting worse.” Aside from Murphy and Davidson, The Pickup also stars Keke Palmer, Roman Reigns, Eva Longoria, and Marshawn Lynch.

Meanwhile, War of the Worlds’ synopsis on Prime Video reads: “A gargantuan invasion is coming with this fresh take on the legendary novel of the same name,” highlighting that it’s a “thrilling out-of-this-world adventure that is filled with present-day themes of technology, surveillance, and privacy.” Eva Longoria starred in both films, and the sci-fi thriller also featured rapper and actor Ice Cube, Michael O’Neill, and Iman Benson.

The Pickup and War of the Worlds are streaming on Prime Video.

• The Pickup

  Release Date

  August 6, 2025

  Runtime

  94 Minutes

  Director

  Tim Story

  Writers

  Matt Mider, Kevin Burrows

  Producers

  Eddie Murphy, John Davis, Tim Story, John Fox

• War of the Worlds

  Release Date

  July 30, 2025

  Runtime

  91 Minutes

  Director

  Rich Lee

  Writers

  Marc Hyman, Kenny Golde, H.G. Wells

  Producers

  Timur Bekmambetov

  • Eva Longoria

    NASA Scientist Sandra Salas

  • Clark Gregg

    NSA Director Donald Briggs

  • Iman Benson

    Faith Radford

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