It often surprises us which movies get a second life when they're added to Netflix. Movies that didn't necessarily do great with critics at the time of their release can be much more successful when given a new context and a new audience. One such movie is The 5th Wave, starring Chloë Grace Moretz - despite being a critical flop, it's quickly risen into Netflix's top 10 movie list after being added to the platform. Watch With Us breaks down why The 5th Wave is worth watching. 'The 5th Wave' Got Lost Among Too Many Teen Dystopian Movies Originally released in 2016, The 5th Wave tells the story of a teenage girl named Cassie (Moretz), who is attempting to survive an ongoing alien invasion alongside her little brother Sam (Zackary Arthur). When Sam and several other children are kidnapped by a group of military officials possessed by the aliens, Cassie makes it her mission to rescue them. Based on a series of critically acclaimed novels by Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave had the misfortune of coming out not long after The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner and Divergent. While those movies had been successful, it meant the market was oversaturated when it came to teen dystopias. The original elements in The 5th Wave were drowned out among the bits that felt familiar - the teenage protagonist, the beloved younger sibling (very Hunger Games-coded), the militaristic society and more. 15 Must-Watch Hulu Sci-Fi Movies to Stream Right Now (July 2025) In a new context, when not compared directly to those other films, The 5th Wave comes out as a much stronger movie. With the passage of a decade, your experience of watching the movie will be very different from how it was in 2016, when The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 had just come out. It's a Creative Look at Military Strategy in Sci-Fi The title of the movie, The 5th Wave, refers to one of the most interesting elements of the story - the way the invading force, known as "the Others," used multiple strategic waves to conquer Earth. It's a much more systematic invasion storyline than what we've often seen in sci-fi, where aliens usually come in blasting and kill tons of people in various terrifying ways, usually featuring explosions. 13 Must-Watch Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix Right Now (July 2025) By contrast, the waves used by the Others are targeted and intelligent - first, they use an electromagnetic pulse to take out power and communication, then they target the planet's fault lines to cause natural disasters. We won't elaborate on the other waves of the plan so as not to spoil the whole movie - but it's interesting to see such a strategic concept in a teen sci-fi film. The concept of the attack waves is what makes The 5th Wave stand out. The Cast - Especially Chloë Grace Moretz - Stands Out The supporting cast of The 5th Wave features several talented performers, including Ron Livingston, who's usually confined to comedy but gets to flex his drama muscles as Cassie's dad, and Liev Schreiber as an Army colonel with nefarious motives. But it's Moretz who really shines in the film. Chloë Grace Moretz was meant to play a sci-fi hero. In The 5th Wave, she carries herself with the same grit and determination she brought to her role as Hit Girl in Kick-Ass, but with an added vulnerability that makes the character feel more real and more relatable. 25 Must-Watch Movies on HBO Max to Stream Right Now (July 2025) If you're looking for a character to root for in a sci-fi movie that you may have missed the first time around, The 5th Wave is available to stream on Netflix.