The 5th Wave
A determined teenager crosses an alien-ravaged America to rescue her brother before humanity's final invasion wave begins.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- bleak
- melodramatic
- teen movie night
- science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the adaptation derivative and predictable, with unimpressive effects and a story assembled from familiar young adult dystopian formulas.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cassie's central objective is saving her younger brother amid the alien invasion and social breakdown.
The successive waves create fear, suspicion, and uncertainty about who remains human or trustworthy.
Cassie moves from fleeing through a ruined world toward confronting militarized forces and the fifth wave.
Four increasingly deadly waves have already devastated Earth, while the anticipated fifth wave drives the conflict.
Films like The 5th Wave, and why
The Hunger Games
shared young adult dystopian survival, alien threat, female-led resistance, and romantic tension
Divergent
shared teen dystopia, identity under institutional control, action adventure, and rebellion themes
The Host
shared alien invasion, young protagonists, post-apocalyptic survival, and trust under pressure
The Maze Runner
shared young adult ensemble, ruined-world survival, and militarized human resistance
Movie Details
- Director
- J Blakeson
- Release Date
- 2016-01-14
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (6170)
Cast
- Chloë Grace Moretz
- Nick Robinson
- Ron Livingston
- Maggie Siff
- Alex Roe
- Maria Bello
- Maika Monroe
- Zackary Arthur
- Liev Schreiber
- Tony Revolori
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The 5th Wave about?
- A determined teenager crosses an alien-ravaged America to rescue her brother before humanity's final invasion wave begins.
- What is The 5th Wave like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The 5th Wave as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The 5th Wave violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The 5th Wave as moderate.
- What did critics think of The 5th Wave?
- Critics broadly found the adaptation derivative and predictable, with unimpressive effects and a story assembled from familiar young adult dystopian formulas.
- Which films are like The 5th Wave?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Host, and The Maze Runner.
- How long is The 5th Wave?
- The 5th Wave runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch The 5th Wave?
- In United States, The 5th Wave streams on Netflix, Starz Apple TV channel.
