Post-nuclear-wardramascenteringonasmallgroupofsurvivorsnowconstituteanentiregenreinscience-fictionfilms.Allofthem,insomewayoranother,canbetracedbacktothisseminalfilmfrom1951inwhichfivepeopledealwiththepossibilitytheyaretheonlyhumanbeingsleftaliveontheplanet.
WhilemostofthelatermoviesexploitedthispossibilityforB-moviethrills,"Five"adoptsaquiet,contemplativetonewhichsomemayfinddullbutwhichthoughtfulviewersaremorelikelytofind,forwantofabetterword,haunting.Thereissomethingaboutthismoviewhichgetsundertheskinandwhichlurksinthecornersofthemindlongafterit'sover.
