The 5th Wave

If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, The 5th Wave is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Netflix and Starz Apple TV Channel right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. With 6,066 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Chloë Grace Moretz leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Available now on Amazon Prime Video — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The 5th Wave is worth clearing space for. The 5th Wave uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. 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. Chloë Grace Moretz and Nick Robinson lead a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. The 5th Wave came out in 2016. The 5th Wave resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give The 5th Wave a chance. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Chloë Grace Moretz's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.