Human civilization lives with the haunting understanding that life, as we know it, will one day end, and the sci-fi genre has dutifully explored the survivability of this concept with a number of fan-favorite movies set after the looming end of society for whatever reason, be it natural disasters, man-made wars or Hollywood’s fascination with zombie apocalypses.
While fans have seen a number of legendary post-apocalyptic movies over the years, the last couple of decades have showcased some of the best “wasteland” movies in the genre as we continue to imagine our inevitable end and new beginnings that highlight the strength and adaptability of the human race, which we’ll explore further today.
15 Bird Box (2018)
Bird Box is a unique movie with a brilliant premise that borders on cosmic and Lovecraftian horror. It tells the tale of a mother who tries to bring herself and her two children into a shelter after an unknown force destroys Earth.
The fact that no one knows what this force is makes it even more horrifying. Bird Box plays off this premise brilliantly… even though it might falter later down the line.
14 The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
While 2004’s The Day After Tomorrow from director Roland Emmerich may be better classified as a disaster movie, the arctic superstorm that creates a new ice age on Earth that the cast is attempting to survive showcases the beginnings of a post-apocalyptic world.
Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal starred as a separated father and son attempt to survive the sudden apocalyptic storms while society struggles to cope with the dramatic climate shift that devastates half the planet.
13 Children Of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón directed 2006’s Children of Men which took place in a society nearing its end after decades of infertility has threatened humanity with extinction, resulting in an increasingly lawless post-apocalyptic society at odds with the remaining government.
As countries tighten borders and refuse entry to refugees in order to stretch dwindling resources, Clive Owen stars as a civil servant fighting to get a recently discovered pregnant woman to safety in order to help ensure the survival of the human race.
12 I Am Legend (2007)
2007’s adaptation of Richard Matheson’s legendary sci-fi novel I Am Legend from director Francis Lawrence starred Will Smith as Robert Neville, a virologist with the U.S. Army who also happens to be immune to the virus that decimated humanity.
Neville spends his days on the abandoned streets of New York City missing the lost society he still finds himself surrounded in while also hunting down dangerous infected humans known as Darkseekers in order to hopefully find a cure and save the human race, though he soon discovers he might not be as alone as he once thought.
11 This Is The End (2013)
This is the End is one of the most hilarious post-apocalypse movies ever made. The star-studded cast plays fictional versions of themselves who get trapped in the events of a biblical apocalypse.
It’s a hilarious movie that doesn’t fear crossing any lines with some of its grosser scenes. This is the End never fails to entertain the audience and is a great post-apocalyptic movie in its own right.
10 Zombieland (2007)
Rueben Fleischer directed 2007’s Zombieland, which starred Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin as survivors of a zombie apocalypse that ravaged the world who find each other as they travel across the United States.
While Zombieland definitely explored a world reeling from a zombie apocalypse, it was done in a comedic, real-world way that both hilariously and emotionally captured the desensitized lives of normal, everyday zombie killers.
9 WALL-E (2008)
Pixar Animation released the futuristic WALL-E in 2008 which explored the life of a robot whose existence is spent stacking and organizing the garbage and debris that covers the entirety of the planet Earth after humanity was forced to abandon the planet for the stars.
The reasons behind the apocalyptic state of the planet due to society’s mistreatment of Earth is the only horror element in the otherwise family-friendly film, which casts a haunting pall over the cute love story between two robots.
8 The Road (2009)
Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic thriller The Road was adapted in 2009 by director John Hillcoat and followed a father and son as they spent months together traveling through the wastelands of the former United States.
The world was previously decimated by an unknown disaster that wiped out most of the population and caused a number of survivors to resort to cannibalism, making their trek towards the sea to escape the harsh winters even more dangerous and full of despair, which is well-captured by leads Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
7 The Book Of Eli (2010)
Denzel Washington starred in 2010s The Book of Eli from directors Albert and Allen Hughes which followed Washington’s Eli as he traveled across a dry and arid wasteland years after a nuclear apocalypse devastated the world.
Eli is a well-trained fighter and survivalist on an important mission which makes him a target of a local warlord (Gary Oldman) who is searching for a book that is in Eli’s possession. The Book of Eli is action-packed and features a gut-wrenching twist that makes it one of the best post-apocalyptic movies of the last decade.
6 Dredd (2012)
A new adaptation of 2000 A.D.’s incredibly popular Judge Dredd comic series released in 2012 called Dredd from director Pete Travis (and Alex garland, unofficially) that starred Karl Urban in a comics-accurate portrayal of the titular character.
Dredd takes place in the future of MegaCity-One, a massive overpopulated nationwide city surrounded by a nuclear wasteland and protected by an army of Judges who also serve as jury and executioner when dealing with the many different types of futuristic criminals.
5 A Quiet Place (2018)
A Quiet Place is a movie that’s awfully similar to Bird Box, although some people consider it to be way superior. Emily Blunt and John Krasinski absolutely shine in their roles in this horror flick.
The movie has a chilling premise, revolving around a bunch of blind monsters who only hunt through sound alone. This leads to some tense moments that are easily the best parts of this film.
4 Avengers: Endgame (2019)
For the most part, Endgame only briefly touches upon the impact of an apocalypse before setting into its bombastic action sequences once again. However, it’s during these human moments that the sheer impact of Infinity War’s conclusion really resonates with the audience.
The idea that half of humanity has completely perished is a pretty horrifying prospect. Fans were glad to see that Tony Stark’s smart intervention saved the day… even though it did come at the cost of his own life.
3 Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
A hilarious take on the zombie apocalypse, Shaun of the Dead is a brilliant movie that shows why Edgar Wright is one of the most talented directors around. The movie is absolutely brilliant, with the duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost bouncing off perfectly with each other.
There are surprisingly heartfelt moments in a movie that pulls no punches when it comes to either laughter or gore. Fans of the zombie genre who might be bored with some of the usual offerings in this genre can have a great time with Shaun of the Dead!
2 Snowpiercer (2013)
Bong-Joon Ho directed 2013’s Snowpiercer, an adaptation of the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige that takes place on the titular train as it carries the last surviving vestiges of humanity across a never-ending global track that spans a frozen world.
Chris Evans stars as the leader of a rebellion that begins to make its way up the train cars through the segregated class system of the cars as he discovered the dark secrets of the Snowpeircer train and the frozen world they created while trying to fix the damage we had already done.
1 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
George Miller returned to his hit post-apocalyptic franchise in 2015 with Mad Max: Fury Road, which starred Tom Hardy as the titular drifter as he found himself in the middle of a war between a despotic warlord and Charlize Theron’s scene-stealing Furiosa.
Fury Road was filled with explosive car chases across wasted deserts that explored the different factions of a distantly-remembered society and the extremes they take to both survive and remain free in such a hard world.
