What Post-Apocalyptic movies do you NEED to put on your binge list?
When it comes to post-apocalyptic films, moviegoers know they can expect heart-pounding suspense, unthinkable horror, and often compelling narratives.
Admittedly though, the genre is often flooded with some pretty bad movies.
Fear not! We went ahead and put together a list of the most dastardly delicious dystopian movies we could think of.
Grab a drink, relax, and prepare for doomsday as we list 13 Post-Apocalyptic Movies Worth Watching!
30. This is the End
When beams of light from the sky begin abducting people, Hollywood actors band together and try to make meaning of this apocalypse. Fearing the worst, that this truly is the end of days spoken of in the book of Revelations, the actors must survive the Rapture and the onslaught of demons roaming the Earth.
This is the End tells the story of Hollywood actors dealing with the apparent rapture
29. Stake Land
In a vampiric twist on the zombie outbreak story, Stake Land follows a small group of survivors as they journey north to a fabled “Eden” where they will be safe from the feral vampires. Along the way they need to fend off not only the vampires, but a fanatic cult who is thought to be responsible for the outbreak.
Stake Land mixes up the formula of a zombie outbreak with a vampiric virus
28. I am Legend
When a mutant strain of a cancer treatment wipes out most of the population save for a small percentage turned into bestial, feral beings called dark seekers, and an even smaller percentage immune, Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith) is left in an abandoned (save for the dark seekers) New York City to work on a possible cure. Not only does he need to survive the violent dark seekers, but also separation from his family and other humans. When he runs intotwo human survivors, all his work is put into jeopardy.
Alone, surrounded by hostile infected, Dr. Robert Neville must survive while working on a cure
27. Doomsday
A deadly virus has infected Scotland, to quarantine the outbreak the British Government seals off the country with a massive wall. In hopes of finding a possible cure, a team led by Major Eden Sinclair moves into Scotland to find medical researchers who were working on a cure when the wall went up. The team is pitted against cannibals, medieval knights, and a secret plot within their own government.
Doomsday sees the collapse of society turning ordinary people into violent cannibals following the outbreak of a virus
26. Pandorum
Overpopulation has prompted a space expedition to colonize an Earth-like planet called Tanis. A spaceship containing 60,000 colonists is supposed to last 123 years and every two years a small number of crew members wake from sleep to maintain the ship. This task is incredibly difficult however owing to the infestation of a hostile alien species, a malfunctioning reactor, and the slow realization that they have been in stasis for far longer than intended.
Pandorum pits the crew of a ship loaded with sleeping colonists, an alien species and its own malfunctioning reactor
25. The Book of Eli
After a nuclear apocalypse has ravaged the Earth a blind man named Eli must traverse the wasteland of America in hopes of preserving the world’s last remaining Bible. Eli must survive bandits and other hazards while he protects the sacred and coveted book.
The Book of Eli tells the journey of a man traveling the wastes with the last Bible on Earth
24. Edge of Tomorrow
An alien race knowns as Mimics have invaded Earth and taken over continental Europe. In Britain Major Cage (Fom Cruise) is tasked with an invasion of France. When he arrives however he dies covered in the blood of a Mimic, He wakes however and realizes that time has reset itself and it is the previous day. Using this ability Cage attempts to find a way to destroy the mimics once and for all.
Soldiers fight against a hostile alien invasion and humanity is on the brink of defeat
23. These Final Hours
After a meteor crashes into the North Atlantic, a massive firestorm is engulfing the Earth and will reach Perth, Australia in 12 hours. The main character James, after being separated from his girlfriend decides to help a girl named Rose find her family so they can spend their last moments together.
With the end of the world coming James leads Rose to be with her family
22. The Road
A simple story of survival following an unexplained cataclysm, the road follows a boy and his father as they traverse a stretch of road in the hopes of finding a more hospitable land by the beach. The two must survive by any means they can but still have room in their hearts to give what help they can to others.
Based on the book of the same name, The Road tells a story of survival in a post-collapse United States
21. Interstellar
A massive drought is threatening to wipe out humanity who, by the start of the film is already living on the brink of collapse. NASA has continued to operate in secret and sends a team of Astronauts to explore several planets and deem if they are habitable or not. The film manages to blend both a more realistic take on science fiction with a heavy focus on emotional moments between characters
Astronauts sent to find a new home for mankind is humanity’s only hope
20. 10 Cloverfield Lane
Following an argument with her Fiancé, a woman named Michelle drives through the countryside of Louisiana. However over the radio she hears reports of an apocalyptic event possibly alien invasion. She makes her way to a man named Howard’s house where he has a large bunker deep underground. She meets another man named Emmet and the three seemingly get along until paranoia over whether or not the apocalypse is real and Howard’s own insanity forces Michelle and Emmet to remain in the bunker.
10 Cloverfield Lane pits 3 characters against the perceived apocalypse and each other
19. Shaun of the Dead
Shaun’s boring, repetitive, and dull life is flipped on its head when he and a group of friends must fight off a zombie apocalypse in their favorite pub. One by one their friends are killed by the horde in this horror/comedy. Acting as both an excellent satire of the George Romero Zombie films and as a zombie movie in its own right, it brings just the right balance of the serious and silly
Shaun of the Dead provides a comedic twist on the zombie movie genre
18. Mad Max: Road Warrior
Following both an energy crisis and a nuclear war, Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) traverses the wastes as a lone hero fending off all sorts of danger. The classic 80’s action movie still impresses to this day.
The Road Warrior has become an action movie classic and gives a gritty picture of the post-apocalypse
17. The Matrix
Tom Anderson’s suspicions about a mysterious concept called the Matrix leads him down a rabbit hole into discovering that the entire world around him is a computer program and that the real world is a desolate wasteland controlled by a race of intelligent machines. After being rescued by a group of surviving humans,Tom, now called Neo is believed to be “the one” the human prophesied to end the war and free mankind.
The Matrix offers a mixture of philosophical questions about the nature of men and machines with excellent action scenes
16. Wall-E
Excessive consumerism has turned the Earth into an inhospitable planet completely covered in mountains of garbage. Humanity was sent on an originally temporary space journey with an army of robots tasked with cleaning up all the garbage. However humanity has spent 800 years in space as the task has proven to be too big and all but one of the robots named Wall-E has broken down. When a robot named Eve from the human ship is sent to earth to assess whether or not the Earth has become habitable again, she meets and befriends Wall-E until she discovers a small plant growing. A rare family friendly post-apocalyptic film, Wall-E is filled with charming and lovable characters.
Wall-E delivers both a heartfelt relationship as well as commentary on consumerism and reliance on machines
15. Mad Max: Fury road
When a group of sex-slaves escape the clutches of a Warlord named Immortal Joe, Max must protect the women as they attempt to escape Joe’s forces in an epic car chase through the wasteland. Told more like a fairy tale than a traditional narrative, the imagery in Fury road is often nothing short of works of art.
Fury Road gives a surprisingly effective mix of over the top action and beautiful, almost fairytale-like imagry.
14. Nausicaä and the Valley of the wind
Following an ecological disaster turning much of the world into the “toxic jungle” Nausicaä, princess of the Valley of the Wind, one of the few remaining lush and habitable places on Earth, must stop an aggressive kingdom from destroying her home and further aggravating the mutated species residing in the jungle. A beautifully animated work by Hayao Miyazaki, the movie has a lot more humanity than the average post-apocalyptic film.
Nausicaä presents a story of humanity and nature through stunning animation and storytelling
13. The Last Days (2013)
Set in Barcelona, Spain, The Last Days depicts a frightening epidemic that causes instant death in the open world. Because of the epidemic, living people are all confined to the insides of buildings. In the film, we follow Marc as he desperately journeys to find his lost girlfriend, Julia. The twist? He can’t step one foot outside. Edge of your seat horror, a gripping narrative, and a beyond creative concept make this post-apocalyptic work an underrated gem.
This Spanish film won seven of the prestigious Gaudi awards.
12. How I Live Now (2013)
Daisy, a neurotic American teenager is sent to live with relatives in the English countryside. After growing close in particular with a cousin named Eddie, the summer facade starts to fade.
Soon, terrorist attacks and martial law sweep England. Among this tense military situation and other related horrors, Daisy desperately tries to hide and survive.
Ronan’s breakout performance was praised by several critics.
11. The Survivalist (2015)
Alone and isolated, the Survivalist tends to his lone plot of land and fends off intruders with his traps and trusty shotgun. In a world where people are starving and dying in masses, he keeps his setup a secret from all. As the madness of loneliness begins to consume him, two women appear and bargain with him to share some of his food in exchange for sex with the younger woman, Mia.
Entrapped in a blooming romance with Mia, the Survivalist is unaware of the women’s plot to kill him and take his supplies. Soon, however, a bandit kidnaps Mia and the Survivalist goes off to rescue her.
Using his wits, strength, and shotgun, can the Survivalist survive the unforgiving wilderness outside of his plot? This hard-hitting “Mad Max in the countryside” will have you on the edge of your seat.
Winner of the Citizen Kane Award for Best Directorial Revelation 2015.
10. Bird Box (2018)
A terrible force has swept humanity. Look at this force, you die. The film follows a woman, Mallorie as she flashes back to the pandemic and sets to embark on a dangerous journey with her two children. Down the river lies safety, but evil chases them tirelessly. Don’t take off your blindfold.
Said to have had the largest viewership of any Netflix movie, the gripping movie was said to have been streamed by over 45 million accounts in only seven days.
9. The Domestics (2018)
When the government launches attacks on its own people, the world falls to total chaos. In all of this chaos, there are a cavalcade of gangs and non-hostile survivors called “domestics.” Nina and Mark, two married domestics make a daring run to a possible safe haven in Milwaukee. Mind blowing action, and a whole lot of fun, The Domestics is one of the most intriguing films I’ve seen lately.
Great chemistry with the two leads propels this great film even further.
8. Dredd (2012)
A remake of 1995’s Judge Dredd, Dredd takes its gritty source material and makes it even better. Dredd’s America is an irradiated wasteland where law and order is nothing but a relic of past society. In the main source of civilization, Mega City One, one group of feared people attempt to hold up the law. Judges. The most feared of these judges, Dredd, takes viewers on a wild, violent ride through this bleak world. Can Dredd deal with a new drug and the frightening criminal underworld behind it?
Dredd was praised for being visually striking. The scenes depicting the effects of the “slo-mo” drug were especially amazing.
7. Pacific Rim (2013)
In the future, the world is threatened by large beasts called Kaiju. Humanity’s only hope lies in large mech suits known as “jaegers.” After protecting the world with jaegers for years, the tide is finally turning. Only a washed up pilot and a raw trainee stand between mankind and extinction. Get ready for some heartstopping, robot-monster fighting!
Viewers were drawn to the Godzilla inspired film, so much so, this film spawned an entire film series with three movies released so far.
6. The Day (2011)
Five survivors fight to stay alive through a bitter apocalypse. As they wander, they come across an ominous farmhouse and feel that they are finally safe. The sense of safety doesn’t last, as they soon find themselves fighting for their lives against bloodthirsty cannibals.
Not many films depict cannibals anymore. This movie will make viewers fear cannibalism again.
5. Cargo (2018)
In the wilderness of Australia, a man wanders with his child after a nightmare of a pandemic sweeps the world. The difference between this and other movies in the genre? The man himself is already infected. Journey with the man through a somber, intense quest to find a new home for his child. Will the desperate man survive long enough to protect his child? Or will the man give in to his alarming, changing nature? An amazing performance from Martin Freeman propels this Netflix film to huge heights.
A career defining performance from Martin Freeman will tug on your heartstrings in between the action.
4. Train to Busan (2016)
Huddled in a bullet train, passengers struggle to keep their sanity in a frightening zombie apocalypse. Through the darkness, they hope to make it to the resort city of Busan, a place rumored to be safe from zombie hordes. A blur of horror and thrills, Train to Busan is a surprisingly fresh zombie experience, and a good place to start an interest in Korean films.
Korean films seem to be some of the most underrated out there. This is a great stepping stone for any viewer looking to get into them.
3. Snowpiercer (2013)
When the world falls to apocalypse due to a botched global warming experiment, humanity survives on a train that constantly travels around the globe via a perpetual motion engine. After generations, dynamics unfold. The rich live in the frontal cars, the poor are confined to the slums of the back cars. As cryptic messages play on this division, will the passengers turn on each other? Snowpiercer takes a fascinating post-apocalyptic landscape, adds ambitious action, and throws it together in a highly underrated film experience.
A Korean film, Chris Evans really assisted with the film’s crossover appeal.
2. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
28 Weeks Later trailer
This film takes place 28 weeks after a frightening “rage” virus that turned people in London into mindless creatures that would destroy anything in their path. The American army has intervened, and declares the fight against the outbreak done. What will they do when the virus makes a shocking return?
A good sequel is rare in post-apocalyptic movies, but this is an exception. The success and good reception of this film has actually led to recent talks of a third movie in the franchise!
1. 28 Days Later (2002)
And of course, I couldn’t bring up 28 Weeks Later without mentioning the classic that inspired it! When a courier named Jim awakes from a coma, he finds his world destroyed by people infected with the mysterious rage virus. Fleeing from these unstoppable, zombie-like people, Jim journeys with survivors to find what he hopes will be safety. With fantastic performances and chilling atmosphere, you will soon realize why 28 Days Later is often considered the quintessential zombie film.
The brilliant script and action resonated with audiences to the point of a sequel and possible future installments.
