Day 5

Staying awake is the whole problem

In Day 5, falling asleep has become fatal. Jake has survived the initial disaster because a drug binge kept him awake, not because he is immune. Now he faces the same exhaustion as the other survivors.

Jesse C. Boyd leads the Rooster Teeth series as Jake, travelling with a group that includes teenage Sam, doctor Ally and pilot Ellis. The premise makes safety unusually difficult: nobody can escape the need for sleep by locking a door or leaving a city.

I enjoyed this particular what-if. It has the attraction of a Black Mirror idea developed into a continuing survival story. The modest scale and unfinished two-season run make it a recommendation for the curious rather than everybody, but if the concept appeals, it is worth investigating.

The full review includes the viewing caveat: the fourteen existing episodes do not provide a neatly closed story, and current UK streaming availability is difficult to confirm. Into the Night is another series where survival depends on a particular rule; To the Lake puts more emphasis on family conflict during the journey.