Movies Like War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave

If you liked War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave (2008), a action and science fiction movie directed by C. Thomas Howell, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
The 5th Wave (2016)
★ 5.9/10Also science fiction and adventure
16-year-old Cassie Sullivan tries to survive in a world devastated by the waves of an alien invasion that has already decimated the population and knocked mankind back to the Stone Age.
2
Extinction (2018)
★ 6.1/10Also action and science fiction
A chief mechanic at a factory, haunted by apocalyptic nightmares, becomes a hero when Earth is invaded by a mysterious army bent on destruction.
3
Occupation: Rainfall (2020)
★ 6.2/10Also science fiction and action
Two years into an intergalactic invasion of Earth, survivors in Sydney, Australia, fight back in a desperate ground war. As casualties mount by the day, the resistance and their unexpected allies, uncover a plot that…
4
Osiris (2025)
★ 6.1/10Also science fiction and action
Special Forces commandos on a mission are abducted mid-operation by a mysterious spacecraft. Upon waking aboard, they find themselves prey to a relentless alien race in a fight for survival.
5
Soldier (1998)
★ 6.4/10Also science fiction and action
Sergeant Todd is a veteran soldier for an elite group of the armed forces. After being defeated by a new breed of genetically engineered soldiers, he is dumped on a waste planet and left for dead. He soon interacts…
6
Riddick (2013)
★ 6.3/10Also science fiction and action
Betrayed by his own kind and left for dead on a desolate planet, Riddick fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and dangerous than ever before. Soon bounty hunters from throughout the…
7
Ick (2025)
★ 6/10Also science fiction and action
Science teacher Hank’s life changes when he reconnects with his first love and suspects that a new student may be his daughter—all while facing an alien threat in their town.
8
Timescape (1992)
★ 6.4/10Also science fiction and adventure
Before they can complete renovations on their new country inn, a widowed father and his young daughter are visited by a strange group of tourists. He soon makes a chilling discovery: they are disaster junkies from the…
9
Monster Hunters (2020)
★ 6.2/10Also science fiction and action
When an alien prison ship crash lands and unleashes creature after creature in the California desert, they make quick work of the army that tries to stop them. Now, the only hope of stopping the aliens rests with a…
10
Long Distance (2024)
★ 6.6/10Also science fiction and action
After crash-landing on an alien planet, an asteroid miner must contend with the challenges of his new surroundings, while making his way across the harsh terrain to the only other survivor – a woman who is trapped in…
11
Afterburn (2025)
★ 6.2/10Also action and science fiction
Set against the backdrop of a postapocalyptic Earth whose Eastern Hemisphere was destroyed by a massive solar flare, leaving what life remains mutated from radiation and fallout. The story revolves around a group of…
12
Starship Troopers (1997)
★ 7.1/10Also adventure and action
Set in the future, the story follows a young soldier named Johnny Rico and his exploits in the Mobile Infantry. Rico's military career progresses from recruit to non-commissioned officer and finally to officer against…
13
Attack on Titan (2022)
★ 5.9/10Also science fiction and action
As viable water is depleted on Earth, a mission is sent to Saturn's moon Titan to retrieve sustainable H2O reserves from its alien inhabitants. But just as the humans acquire the precious resource, they are attacked by…
14
Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers - To Live and Die in Starlight (2002)
★ 6/10Also science fiction and adventure
After being punished for retreat from combat, Ranger David Martel is given command of the Liandra, a haunted 20-year old Minbari fighting ship. He's escorting ambassadors to a secret archaeological site, the oldest…
15
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
★ 6/10Also adventure and science fiction
When scientists discover something near Antarctica that appears to be a buried Pyramid, they send a research team out to investigate. Little do they know that they are about to step into a hunting ground where Aliens…
16
Total Recall (1990)
★ 7.3/10Also action and adventure
Construction worker Douglas Quaid's obsession with the planet Mars leads him to visit Rekall, a virtual vacation company that manufactures memories. When something goes wrong during Quaid's memory implant procedure…
17
Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also action and science fiction
Federation trooper Johnny Rico is ordered to work with a group of new recruits on a satellite station on Mars, where giant bugs have decided to target their next attack.
18
Lifeforce (1985)
★ 6.2/10Also science fiction and action
A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, commencing an apocalyptic descent into chaos.
19
They Live (1988)
★ 7.3/10Also science fiction and action
A lone drifter stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission.
20
Mickey 17 (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also science fiction and adventure
Unlikely hero Mickey Barnes finds himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.