{"id":65743,"date":"2025-08-07T18:40:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T18:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/65743\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T18:40:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T18:40:16","slug":"this-forgotten-sci-fi-movie-that-wanted-to-be-the-next-hunger-games-is-enjoying-a-resurgence-after-crashing-the-netflix-top-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/65743\/","title":{"rendered":"This forgotten sci-fi movie that wanted to be the next ‘Hunger Games’ is enjoying a resurgence after crashing the Netflix top 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remember the 2010s, when it seemed like almost every week, a new dystopian movie based on a young-adult (or YA) novel hit theatres?<\/p>\n

The competition to be the next \u201cHunger Games\u201d was intense, and while there were a few winners like \u201cThe Maze Runner,\u201d there were also an awful lot of losers. \u201cThe 5th Wave\u201d was another attempt to cash in on the trend, but it never managed to match the popularity of Katniss and co.<\/p>\n

Released in 2016, it was a modest box office success, but didn\u2019t reach the heights the distributor, Sony, had hoped, as a sequel never followed (despite there being two more books in the series). To be blunt, it\u2019s a movie I haven\u2019t thought about in almost a decade. So, I was rather surprised to see it reenter the pop culture conversation thanks to Netflix.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

The movie arrived on the world\u2019s most popular streaming service<\/a> in its first wave of new content for August (see what I did there?), and it’s now secured a spot on the platform\u2019s top 10 most-watched list. It currently ranks at number eight, but it could rise even higher in the days ahead.<\/p>\n

However, underneath the hooky premise, there\u2019s a very generic quality to \u201cThe 5th Wave,” one that saw it struggle to stand out in an overcrowded genre. So, if you\u2019re considering adding this sci-fi movie to your Netflix watchlist, here are all the details you need to help make your decision.<\/p>\n

What is \u2018The 5th Wave\u2019 about?<\/p>\n

THE 5TH WAVE – Official Trailer (HD) – YouTube
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Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

Based on the best-selling novel by Rick Yancey, \u201cThe 5th Wave\u201d takes place on an Earth that has been left devastated by an alien invasion carried out in four waves.<\/p>\n

The first attack disabled all electricity and communication devices, the next created devastating natural disasters, the third spread a deadly strain of bird flu, and the fourth saw humans mind-controlled to kill each other.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

With fear spreading of a fifth (and final) wave on the way, Cassie Sullivan (Chlo\u00eb Grace Moretz) is a teenager trying to survive in this new world, and most importantly, be reunited with her younger brother (Zackary Arthur), who is being housed on a military base.<\/p>\n

To find her brother, she\u2019s forced to ally with a mysterious young man, Evan Walker (Alex Roe). But in a world where hostile aliens hide in plain sight, Cassie may not be able to trust anybody she encounters, and the truth of the impending fifth wave might prove to be humanity’s end.<\/p>\n

Should you stream \u2018The 5th Wave\u2019 on Netflix<\/p>\n

\"(L-R)<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing \/ Atlaspix \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot on the surface that I like about \u201cThe 5th Wave.\u201d I think the core concept of an alien invasion hitting the planet in four, increasingly deadly, waves is a fantastic setup, and the paranoia that grips the movie\u2019s cast due to the mystery fifth wave adds a sense of mystery.<\/p>\n

The movie opens particularly strongly, after a quick introduction to Cassie, and the current state of the world (spoilers: things aren\u2019t looking good for humanity), the flick jumps to an extended flashback to the invasion being carried out and the first four waves. You\u2019ll have to forgive some truly awful CGI in parts, but otherwise, it\u2019s an excellent starting point.<\/p>\n

\"(L-R)<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing \/ Atlaspix \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

The problem is that after this compelling intro, the movie doesn\u2019t seem to have any further original ideas of its own. Instead, the following two acts play out like a greatest hits collection of YA genre beats. There are all the expected tropes, from our heroine slowly morphing from frightened survivor to capable action hero, and of course, there\u2019s a snappy romance as well. Naturally, there are two love interests for Cassie to consider, with Nick Robinson’s Ben Thomas thrown into the mix alongside Alex Roe’s Evan.<\/p>\n

I suppose you could give the third act some credit for attempting some big swings, but things get increasingly messy as the finale approaches. What starts as an enjoyable mystery (what is the fifth wave?) becomes more of an exercise in nonsensical storytelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 5th Wave\u201d also feels frustratingly small-scale, considering it\u2019s about an alien force invading the planet. Most of the movie takes place in the woodlands of Ohio, and while I assume this was for budgetary reasons, it does mean that you never get the full scope of this dystopian future. We\u2019re constantly told that Earth has been devastated, but we don\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n

\"(L-R)<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing \/ Atlaspix \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

The movie also doesn\u2019t explore some of the deeper themes that helped to elevate \u201cThe Hunger Games\u201d above its YA trappings. \u201cThe 5th Wave\u201d doesn\u2019t have anything to say about society or humanity (which is a key component of dystopian fiction). It all leads to a movie-watching experience that is at best mildly entertaining, and at worst, generic.<\/p>\n

However, even calling it \u201cmildly entertaining\u201d might be a little generous, because the critics were not so kind. The movie holds a terrible 17% score on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>, with the site\u2019s \u2018Critics Consensus\u2019 criticizing the \u201cunimpressive effects\u201d and \u201cplot points seemingly pieced together from previous dystopian YA sci-fi films,\u201d a summary that I can\u2019t dispute.<\/p>\n

\"(L-R)<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing \/ PictureLux \/ The Hollywood Archive \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

Viewers didn\u2019t care for it all that much either, while its audience score is a little higher at 38% it\u2019s still far from a ringing endorsement. Frankly, this isn\u2019t a movie I\u2019ll be recommending any Netflix subscribers add to their watchlist this month. Just go rewatch \u201cThe Hunger Games\u201d instead.<\/p>\n

If you are looking for some new Netflix additions worth your attention, here\u2019s my roundup of the best new to Netflix movies for August 2025<\/a>. Or, if you\u2019re in a sci-fi mood, we have a guide covering the overlooked sci-fi movies currently on Netflix<\/a> that you probably missed.<\/p>\n

Watch “The 5th Wave” on Netflix<\/a> now<\/p>\n

Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.<\/p>\n

More from Tom’s Guide<\/p>\n

Streaming service deals not to miss<\/p>\n

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