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