A Forgotten Sci-Fi Drama is Now Free to Stream on Tubi (And It Has a Surprising Marvel Connection)

The 2010s were a great time to be a fan of movies based on YA novels, especially those in the sci-fi or dystopian genres. Films like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Maze Runner all came out during that time, taking viewers into often bleak worlds in which the environment, governments, or both had collapsed to create strange new worlds that the characters had to learn to survive within. However, while the decade was an excellent time for these sorts of films and there were many to choose from, not all of them made a huge impact, including one with a surprising Marvel connection.

The 5th Wave was released in 2016, an adaptation of Rick Yancey’s novel of the same name. Starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Nick Robnson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Alex Roe, Maria Bello, Maika Monroe, and Liev Schreiber, the film follows teenager Cassie Sullivan (Moretz) as she tries to survive in a world where alien invasions have decimated earth’s population. The film didn’t go over well with critics, but was a box office success and now, fans can decide for themselves about the intriguing film now that it’s available to stream for free on Tubi.

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The 5th Wave Has a Surprising Marvel Connection (But Still Failed to Launch a Franchise)

The 5th Wave was a movie that was, like The Hunger Games, intended to launch a franchise. With Yancey’s book having two sequels, there was plenty of material to continue Cassie’s story before culminating in a final stand between humanity and the alien invaders. However, the film’s poor performance overall despite its moderate box office success led to the story ending after just the first film. it was a disappointing turn, especially considering some of the talent involved, both in front of and off of the camera.

The film had a strong start with a screenplay written by Akiva Godsman, who had previously won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay with A Beautiful Mind and was no stranger to sci-fi, writing screenplays for I, Robot, I Am Legend, and multiple episodes of television’s Fringe. The film also had a superhero in its corner. Spider-Man actor Tobey Maguire was one of the film’s producers. Unfortunately, having Spider-Man and an Oscar winner on its team wasn’t enough, but that doesn’t mean The 5th Wave is a bad movie, just one perhaps hampered by timing.

The film checks off all of the major boxes one looks for in YA dystopian thrillers, including a capable and resourceful young female protagonist leading the charge to survive. If anything, The 5th Wave suffered from being one YA sci-fi dystopia released among many. Now, a decade on with there being fewer films in the genre, The 5th Wave has a chance to shine on its own now that it’s available to stream for free on Tubi. In fact, the timing just might be perfect for this thriller now with fans eagerly awaiting the next Hunger Games franchise film and interest in the overall genre on the rise once again.

The 5th Wave is now streaming for free on Tubi.

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