FILM REVIEW: "The 5th Wave", A Tide Not High Enough

The 5th Wave is a 2016 American science fiction thriller film, directed by J Blakeson, with a screenplay by Susannah Grant , Akiva Goldsman, and Jeff Pinkner. The movie is an adaptation of Rick Yancey's young adult book of the same title. Before we go forth with this article, I must mention that I have not read the book at all, therefore this review will be based solely on the film elements of "The 5th Wave" and no reference to the book shall be considered.

The film follows the life of Cassie (Chloe Grace Moretz) who starts off living a "normal" life with her parents  Oliver Sullivan (Ron Livingston) and Lisa Sullivan (Maggie Siff ) and her little brother Sam (Zackary Arthur). Like a typical teenager, she goes out partying and drinking, swoons over boys (particulary one Ben Parish played by Nick Robinson) and gives grief to her younger sibling. This is until a mysterious object appears in the sky over earth. They are attacked by aliens referred to as 'The Others'. The attacks come in different stages of 'waves'. The first wave is an electromagnetic pulse that kills power across the globe and leaves earth covered in darkness. The second wave is a series of tsunamis and earthquakes that destroy the coastal areas. The third wave is a virus that kills more people. Cassie's mother is killed by the virus. The fourth wave involves snipers who stalk and kill the surviving humans still left behind. The fifth wave is unknown and Cassie is on the run, desperately trying to survive and save her little brother who was taken away to a military camp at some point.

My biggest reaction to the movie was disappointment at how non-refreshing it is, but instead, it is quite typical and seems like a weak version of something I have seen before. Although in the narrative above, it sounds like there is a lot going on in the storyline, there is not nearly enough to make the plot interesting. The whole film lacks substance and fails to draw the viewer in. Cassie runs through the woods, she is shot by a sniper, rescued by a farm boy and gets reunited with her high school crush, and yet none of the scenes will engage us emotionally. Not even when her mother dies. The entire movie is just good for a mental escape but it leaves no room for emotional play whatsoever, which I think is the biggest mistake that the writers may have committed. The cast ensemble consists of amazing actors and yet they are not given enough to sink their teeth into. For a heroine in the movie, Chloe seems to have a terrified face most of the time and I am a little bothered by her constant fresh look when she is actually on the run, in the woods for weeks on end. That is a mistake made by the make-up and continuity departments though. She, herself, makes for good actress.

The production designer, Jon Billington, did an incredible job especially with the wasteland scenes where a highway is filled with crashed cars, dead bodies and blazing fires. Cinematography was also well done, giving a dark and grim feel to the film where necessary and just enough light when needed. These are the only elements of the film that come to life really while the rest of the movie is as good as dead.

For a typical, generic story, "The 5th Wave" is a good watch, but certainly not something to write home about.