I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four is currently streaming on major platforms, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for Alex Pettyfer — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, I Am Number Four earns its spot. What makes I Am Number Four work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. A teenage fugitive with an incredible secret races to stay one step ahead of the mysterious forces seeking destroy him in this sci-fi action thriller. With three dead and one on the run, the race to find the elusive Number Four begins. Outwardly normal teen John Smith never gets too comfortable in the same identity, and along with his guardian, Henri, he is constantly moving from town to town. Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2011. The rules of I Am Number Four's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

I Am Number Four is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Watch for Alex Pettyfer in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.