Giant creatures invading Earth have been a cinematic staple since the 1950s, when films like Them! and It Came from Outer Space tapped into Cold War anxieties with rubber suits and ray guns. The formula has evolved considerably since then, trading atomic age paranoia for modern existential dread, and Worldbreaker arrives carrying some of that legacy DNA while borrowing heavily from more recent apocalyptic tales. Much like the creatures that have invaded its fictional Earth, the film itself appeared from out of nowhere, soft-launching in the Philippines in late 2025 before arriving on U.S. shores this January.

As relayed by teenage teenage Willa (Billie Boullet), the premise is intriguing: A rupture in reality called “the Stitch” has unleashed monstrous creatures known as Breakers that infect and mutate humans into killers. Men prove especially vulnerable, leaving women to lead humanity’s fight for survival. Willa’s mother (Milla Jovovich, Paradise Hills) is one of the war’s fiercest warriors. Her father, a battle-scarred veteran played by Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast), has retreated with his daughter to a remote island where he trains her daily for the inevitable moment the monsters find them.

That moment comes when a mysterious girl named Rosie (Mila Harris, Coyotes) washes ashore from a burning boat. Willa, desperate for connection in her isolated existence, hides the stranger in a sea cave. But the truth about Rosie proves darker than expected, and soon the island’s fragile peace shatters entirely.

Joshua Rollins’ (Infinite Storm) script takes its time with the setup, tossing audiences headfirst into its worldbuilding through exposition that relies heavily on Evans’ storytelling abilities and young Boullet’s reactions to sell it. There’s a ton of information delivered without visuals to back it up, and while that’s a risky choice, the father-daughter dynamic largely carries it through. The film is more introspective than similar survival tales, dedicating much of its midsection to the relationship between parent and child rather than constant action.

Evans has often been compared to a lower-rung Gerard Butler, but Worldbreaker showcases what a dependable actor he really is. His connection with Boullet feels genuine, and he’s convincing as a father willing to take drastic measures to protect his child. Boullet holds her own against both Evans and Jovovich, playing a tween who has grown up hearing tales of greener fields and wildlife long extinct. In something of a bait-and-switch, Jovovich dominates the marketing but appears in maybe ten minutes of the 95-minute runtime. What she does bring, though, reminds you she’s capable of far more than endless Resident Evil sequels.

Director Brad Anderson has built an intriguing career bouncing between tones. He started with the delightfully nimble Sundance comedy Next Stop Wonderland and the charming rom-com/sci-fi hybrid Happy Accidents, then pivoted to darker material like the underrated Session 9, The Machinist (the one where Christian Bale got terrifyingly thin), and the effective thriller The Call. He brings that same focus here, elevating Worldbreaker from standard survival gunk to something with actual character.

Much of Daniel Aranyó‘s cinematography is darkly lit and hard to discern, which conveniently hides some iffy CGI. But once we reach the calmer middle section, the Northern Ireland locations get their moment, and his camera captures the expansive beauty of the landscape. Matthew Rogers‘ score is serviceable if expected, while Brian Philip Davis‘ editing shapes the action sequences with an urgency the film often needs to maintain momentum. Susan Scott‘s costume work deserves mention too. These apocalyptic films can make worn, layered clothing seem like an easy pull, but it’s harder than it looks, and Scott dresses the cast appropriately while giving them distinct visual identities.

The film lounges in shadows created by The Last of Us and other superior apocalyptic tales involving a man and young adult learning to survive together. It’s not terrible by any stretch, and some of it is rather engaging. The performances stack up, and Anderson’s steady hand keeps things from falling apart. Whether the ending constitutes a cliffhanger or satisfying conclusion depends on how you choose to interpret it. If this is meant as the first chapter of a continuing saga, more power to them. For now, if you take it for the nugget of entertainment it is, it’s not a complete bust. Yes, it feels like an off-brand copy of what we’ve seen before, but there’s been effort put in to make it feel important.