Film

The Tomorrow War

Name: The Tomorrow War
Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Adventure
Released: 2021
Cast: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson

A time-travel military sci-fi built on a single high-concept hook: civilians yanked from 2021 to fight aliens in 2051. Chris Pratt anchors it as an everyman thrust into combat, and the film rides genuine emotional stakes about fatherhood and legacy alongside large-scale action. Fun, propulsive, occasionally clumsy but never cynical.

TMDb rating

3.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy big alien-war spectacle that keeps a family's stakes at its centre, and you don't mind an ordinary teacher-dad being dragged into a planet-sized fight.

Skip it if you tire of long, sentimental blockbusters, since at 138 minutes the action grows repetitive and the time-travel logic is rarely tidy.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a long runtime, with quieter family scenes sitting between the spectacle and carrying nearly as much weight as the fights.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Edge of Tomorrow2014

Tom Cruise in a time-loop war film where each reset brings new tactical insight. Sharp, relentlessly inventive, and genuinely funny. The action is spectacular because it has to be—he's seen it before.

But Demands patience with repetition and a fairly bleak view of collateral damage. Some find the tonal shifts jarring.

Starship Troopers1997

Gleefully satirical sci-fi action about ordinary soldiers deployed against overwhelming alien forces. Verhoeven's direction is kinetic and witty; it knows exactly what it's doing with propaganda and spectacle.

But The satire is broad and the CGI has aged. Also genuinely violent in ways that might feel gratuitous if you're not on its wavelength.

Oblivion2013

Tom Cruise again, in a more meditative post-apocalyptic action film. Visually stunning, emotionally grounded, with a mystery that actually matters. The score alone justifies the runtime.

But Slower than The Tomorrow War and less focused on spectacle. Some plot twists feel inevitable if you've seen enough sci-fi.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Tomorrow War

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Arrival2016

Both explore what we'd sacrifice to save the future, but Arrival trusts language and time to do what Tomorrow War does with explosions. They're inverse approaches to the same profound question.

A linguistic sci-fi masterpiece about first contact with aliens. It thinks its way through premise instead of shooting at it. The emotional payoff is staggering and earned.

But Dialogue-heavy, slow-building, and entirely interior. If you need kinetic spectacle, this will feel like waiting for an alien that just talks.

Pacific Rim2013

Giant robots fighting giant aliens. Guillermo del Toro crafts something that's earnest without being solemn, operatic without being silly. The action is coherent and joyful.

But Dialogue is functional and plot is thin. If you're looking for character depth, look elsewhere.

Top Gun: Maverick2022

A blockbuster that earns its spectacle through character work and genuine stakes. Cruise at his best, directing as much emotional truth as aerial combat. Proves big-budget action can still surprise.

But It's a legacy sequel that depends on affection for the original. Runtime creeps toward three hours.

Avatar2009

Cameron's blue-alien-world epic redefined action cinema's visual language. The worldbuilding is immersive, the action sequences are genuinely novel, and it holds its spectacle with real craftsmanship.

But The dialogue is thin and the themes are familiar. It's been thoroughly critiqued for cultural insensitivity. Some find the pacing self-indulgent.

Elysium2013

Sharlto Copley and Matt Damon in a lean, angry sci-fi action film about class and survival. Neill Blomkamp brings real stakes and inventive action design to a near-future Earth.

But It's smaller and grittier than The Tomorrow War, which might feel like a step down. Some action beats blur together in the chaos.

All Is Lost2013

Robert Redford alone at sea against implacable nature. A survival film stripped to its essence—no dialogue, just will and ingenuity. Quietly devastating and thrilling.

But It's meditative and lonely, not a crowd-pleaser. There's no narrative arc in the traditional sense, just endurance.

Kong: Skull Island2017

A monster-action film that leans into adventure and spectacle without overthinking it. Great ensemble cast, gorgeous jungle cinematography, and a Kong that actually impresses.

But Plot is perfunctory and characters are sketches. Feels like it exists mostly to justify setpieces—which, to be fair, are fun.

Ender's Game2013

Both use family (father-son, father-daughter) as the emotional anchor to a larger war. But Ender's is about the child inheriting the fight; Tomorrow War is about the parent protecting them from it.

A boy-general sci-fi film about child soldiers fighting an alien threat. It's cerebral and genuinely dark about the cost of victory, with stellar supporting turns from Kingsley and Harrellson.

But The source material's baggage is real and the film doesn't fully escape it. Also more interested in tactics than spectacle.

The Adam Project2022

Both pair time travel with paternal stakes and use sci-fi as a backdrop for characters learning to save what matters. Tomorrow War is grounded and severe; this is lighter, messier, more openly sentimental.

Ryan Reynolds teams with his younger self to save the future. It's a time-travel action-adventure with genuine warmth about regret and second chances. Surprisingly moving under the jokes.

But Tonally it's all over the place—quippy action-comedy meets earnest father-son drama. Reynolds's persona won't work for everyone.