The 5th Wave was released to theaters on January 22, 2016, bringing in an enormous crowd of movie-goers. The theme of the film centered around romance, action and suspense, staying true to the novel and captivating the audience throughout the duration of the movie.

Beginning in a post-apocalyptic world, The 5th Wave follows a teenage girl named Cassie Sullivan (Chloë Grace Moretz). Cassie is one of the last survivors after waves of an alien invasion killed off most of earth’s population. The only reason she continues to fight is for her little brother Sammy (Zackary Arthur). After he is taken away by aliens called the Others, Cassie makes it her mission to rescue him. Along the way, she meets Evan Walker (Alex Roe), a mysterious boy who might be her only hope in saving her brother.

The film takes the audience on an emotional roller coaster, with a mix of action, heartbreak, romance and thrill leaving viewers on the edge of their seats. One of the most heartbreaking scenes includes Cassie’s flashbacks to her past life. At the end of the movie, the plot twists and cliffhanger leave the audience wanting more.

The movie left me with mixed emotions. On one hand, the casting choice was true to what many readers envisioned. Chloë Grace Moretz and Nick Robinson did an amazing job portraying their characters’ emotions throughout the movie. On the other hand, I don’t believe the movie gave enough information. It focused on what the 5th wave was, but not enough about why the aliens chose to invade earth. Also, the main characters did not have much confrontation with the main alien antagonist, Colonel Vosch (Liev Schreiber).

Overall, I think the movie deserves three out of five stars. Although the film had brilliant actors and terrific action scenes, the lack of alien interaction was greatly missed. In addition, the ending cliffhanger and the unresolved conflict won’t be addressed until the next film. The 5th Wave can only be judged in its entirety when the trilogy is complete.