Five

Five

Year: 1951

Runtime: 93 mins

Language: English

Director: Arch Oboler

Drama

Four men and a woman are the last survivors after an atomic bomb wipes out humanity. They gather in an isolated hillside house, trying to understand the disaster and figure out how to stay alive together amid scarcity and the psychological strain of being the only people left.

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Timeline & Setting – Five (1951)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Five (1951). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Set in a post-apocalyptic era after a catastrophic atomic event, the film follows survivors living in makeshift shelters and remote areas. Society has collapsed into isolated pockets, where radiation threats and scarcity shape daily life. The era emphasizes the struggle to maintain humanity and forge a new community amid ruin.

Location

Aunt's hillside house, Ocean beach, Mount Everest Base Camp, Empire State Building elevator, Oak Ridge city, bank vault, hospital

The story centers on an isolated hillside house owned by Roseanne’s aunt, which becomes the survivors’ refuge. The surrounding landscape shifts from rugged hillside to a desolate coastline, emphasizing the harsh environment after the catastrophe. Key locations—high in the hills, a perilous coast, and distant cities—serve as testing grounds for the group’s endurance and trust.

🏔️ Isolated hillside 🧭 Post-apocalyptic setting 🏝️ Coastal frontier

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:21

Main Characters – Five (1951)

Meet the key characters of Five (1951), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Roseanne Rogers (Susan Douglas)

Roseanne moves from numbness to active agency, navigating trauma and bearing the burden of hope for the group. She balances vulnerability with determination, tending to the newborn and sustaining the group’s morale amid danger.

💗 Resilient 🤝 Caring 🧭 Resourceful

Michael (William Phipps)

A practical builder who becomes the group’s steady anchor. He protects Roseanne, stays pragmatic about survival, and tries to manage the farm and resources while contending with distrust from outsiders.

🛠️ Practical 🛡️ Protective 🧱 Pragmatic

Eric (James Anderson)

A volatile newcomer whose racism and craving for control threaten the group’s harmony. He provokes conflict, tests loyalties, and embodies the danger of leadership pursued through intimidation.

⚔️ Aggressive 🧭 Distrustful 🧯 Self-serving

Charles (Charles Lampkin)

A thoughtful and affable caretaker who stands for kindness and communal unity. He resists Eric’s aggression, supports Barnstaple, and ultimately becomes a casualty of the group’s internal strife.

🤝 Compassionate 🧭 Principled 🧡 Loyal

Mr. Barnstaple (Earl Lee)

An elderly bank clerk who initially clings to denial but gradually accepts the new reality. His presence highlights denial’s toll and the human tendency toward fatalism in catastrophe.

🧓 Elderly 🪶 Dignified 🫂 Dependable

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:21

Major Themes – Five (1951)

Explore the central themes of Five (1951), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌅 Survival

Survival drives every decision, from securing food and shelter to protecting the group from external threats. The survivors must adapt to radiation, scarcity, and mistrust, making hard moral choices. Small acts of care and collaboration amid hardship highlight the persistence of humanity.

🤝 Conflict & Racism

Eric’s arrival exposes deep-seated prejudice and fractures the fragile cohesion of the group. Charles’s principled demeanor clashes with Eric’s bigotry, fueling tension and violence. The story uses these dynamics to explore how fear can erode trust and cooperation.

👶 Motherhood & Hope

Roseanne’s pregnancy and the birth of her son anchor a fragile thread of hope in a world of ruin. The baby’s subsequent death marks a devastating turn, yet the couple continues to cultivate the land, symbolizing resilience and the stubborn pull of life forward.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:21

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Post-apocalyptic character studies like Five

Stories where the end of the world becomes a backdrop for intense human drama.Discover movies like Five that prioritize human drama over action in a post-apocalyptic setting. If you liked the focus on psychological strain and interpersonal conflict among the last survivors, these similar slow-burn stories explore grief, morality, and the fragile bonds formed after the end.

post-apocalypticcontemplativesombergriefisolatedtensegrimhuman drama

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow a small group of survivors grappling with the immediate aftermath of a global catastrophe. The central conflict is often internal and interpersonal, driven by scarcity, trauma, and the challenge of forging new rules for living. The plot serves the character development.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the human element within a ruined world. They prioritize emotional weight, moral dilemmas, and the slow, arduous process of survival over fast-paced action or monster threats, creating a contemplative and somber experience.

Bittersweet survival stories like Five

Journeys where survival is achieved, but at a profound and lasting cost.Find films with endings similar to Five, where survival comes with a deep sense of loss. These movies like Five feature heavy emotional journeys where characters endure immense tragedy, and their continued existence is a fragile hope tempered by grief and sacrifice.

bittersweetsombergriefresignedhopeful but sadheavysurvivalloss

Narrative Summary

The narrative arc involves characters overcoming extreme adversity, but the resolution is not purely triumphant. Survival is paired with irrevocable loss—of companions, innocence, or a past way of life. The ending acknowledges the strength to continue while honoring the pain of what was left behind.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups movies based on their emotionally complex conclusions. They share a specific narrative and tonal pattern where the climax delivers on the survival goal but leaves the characters and audience with a lingering, poignant sadness, creating a deeply resonant and realistic feeling.

Unlock the Full Story of Five

Don't stop at just watching — explore Five in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Five is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Five Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Five, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Five Summary

Five Timeline

Track the full timeline of Five with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Five Timeline

Five Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Five that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Five Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Five

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Five: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Five

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