In Rick Yancey’s “The 5th Wave” — the first entry in the eponymous YA novel series — an alien invasion nearly decimates the Earth’s population. Scattered survivors struggle to get through another day, including Cassie Sullivan, a 16-year-old who embarks on a dangerous solitary mission to search for her brother. After a very close brush with death, Cassie crosses paths with Evan Walker, her self-proclaimed savior who may or may not be harboring dubious motivations.
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Yancey’s “The 5th Wave” presents itself as a “The Hunger Games”-esque political thriller, but lacks its sharp, scathing edge. That said, Yancey spins a compelling yarn of sci-fi and post-apocalyptic tropes, which manage to intrigue despite being a tad predictable. The first book alone does not reflect the series’ merit, of course; the trilogy draws a parallel between the alien invasion and oppressive colonial forces, repackaging themes cherry-picked from classic sci-fi entries like H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds.” The results might be mixed, but Yancey’s novel series succeeds in being what most books aspire to be: a bestselling page-turner.
Yancey’s first novel in the series led to J Blakeson’s film adaptation “The 5th Wave” in 2016. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz as Cassie, the film remains faithful to Yancey’s story, but has difficulty establishing a coherent tone as the stakes start ramping up. One would think that a story about the near-annihilation of the human race would be packed with more emotional impact, but “The 5th Wave” limps towards its conclusion by leaning on predictable, derivative genre tropes. Although the film enjoyed box office success (earning $109 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $54 million), neither critics nor audiences were impressed with what it had to offer back then.
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Today, 9 years since the film’s release, “The 5th Wave” has made a comeback. It is currently sitting at #14 on Hulu’s Top 10 Movies list (via FlixPatrol), making it a popular hit on the streaming platform. While that may be the case, is this sci-fi adaptation worth your time?
The 5th Wave movie adaptation fails to examine the book’s central themes
Spoilers for “The 5th Wave” to follow.
The aliens in the film (called “The Others”) carry out their invasion strategies in waves, having already carried out 4 devastating waves that almost wipe out more than half of the human populace. These repeated acts of genocide have left a tangible mark on the handful of survivors, who are in no shape to band together and retaliate, as they have lost too much and endured too many horrors. These themes are complex enough in Yancey’s novel series, as they highlight the systemic ruthlessness of a colonial regime, where the oppressor ends up indoctrinating helpless survivors to further their hold on an Earth that will soon cease to exist. The aliens also trigger natural disasters to further destabilize humans, while also manipulating viral epidemics to weaken anyone an enemy that is very close to giving up.
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The problem with Blakeson’s adaptation is that the film glosses over this crucial context and chooses to focus on the mundane, frankly boring interpersonal relationship between Cassie (Moretz) and Evan (Alex Roe). While these events unfold just like in the book, there’s little depth in the way the repercussions are depicted, leading to listless sequences that should’ve induced pity and terror. Moretz’s Cassie is also robbed of her passionate drive for justice, as this rendition of the character is far more muted than the book counterpart. Moretz isn’t at fault here, as she does her utmost with what she is given, leading to a strong performance that is overshadowed by poor writing.
What Blakeson does excel in is crafting what an apocalyptic wasteland looks like visually, brought to life by production designer Jon Billington’s efforts to make desolate highways and alleys appear grim and devoid of hope. This sentiment, however, does not translate to the inhabitants of the wasteland, who appear untouched by the traumatic devastation of a planet that is barely livable. This also applies to Cassie, who, in the book, is perpetually haunted by her past and looks like she is always on edge. Here, not so much, as the story is handled in a way that doesn’t allow her to be the scared teenager she is supposed to be.
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“The 5th Wave” doesn’t come close to capturing the essence of standard YA sci-fi stories about human grit and perseverance. But if you’re in the mood for a one-time watch to pass some time, then this uneven adaptation makes for a serviceable pick.
