Review of The 5th Wave (2016) by Dave C — 04 Feb 2016

The film gets something of a bad rap in certain circles despite the fact that it is certainly not terrible by any means. Part of it has to do with it's place in bringing up the tail end of some growing exhaustion with the YA genre. This leads to the feeling that The 5th Wave is simply a series of cliches that we have seen before. This is partly true. It is also partly incomplete as an observation. Every genre has it's rhythms and patterns. This does not automatically mean that a particular film warrants criticism simply by nature of being a part of a genre pic.

In my experience, The 5th Wave tells a decent story infused with a particular teenage angst and flavour that, when it is not derailing the story at times with superficial romance, reminds us of the genre and audience it is intended for. The source material is actually quite smart behind the teenage attitude and romance. The film has the job of navigating some of the back and forth of the books own pacing, and navigates it with some level of success (even if some find it muddied).

At it's core, the 5th Wave is about what it is that makes us human. It is an apocalyptic teenage drama that digs underneath to explore questions of hope and motivation in the face of struggle and questions surrounding the meaning of life. The main character Cassie is a sort of lost soul that balances a hidden vulnerability with a stubborn spirit. Someone who is motivated to think outside of her own situation so as to see the plight of others. It is the selfless journey that pushes us all forward in a difficult world.