20 best apocalypse movies to watch now
Few genres shred our nerves quicker than doomsday films. The on-screen apocalypse — whether caused by Mother Nature, humans, aliens or some other mysterious cause — scares us like none other. The only upside is the endings of disaster movies often signal the start of something new.
“Part of what people love in these movies is that they give us a new perspective on our day-to-day lives; the ‘before times’ are never quite left behind, and it’s fascinating to see the remnants of our lives presented like a Roman ruin,” says author and vice president of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association John Murphy. “Everyday detritus becomes rare treasures; familiar things get repurposed in wild, sometimes in genius ways. It’s a way of stepping back and getting some distance, and remembering that humanity has been through tough times; we’ve seen the lights go out, and we came through all right.”
Although, that’s not always the case with the following films. Below, our list of 20 world-ending nail-biters, some with bright lights and some without, you can stream or rent right now.
‘Fail Safe’ (1964)
When American planes are mistakenly sent to bomb the Soviet Union with nuclear weapons, the president of the United States has to make the hardest decision of his life.
Rent or stream it on Tubi
The ‘Mad Max’ Franchise (1979-Present)
With four completed films and a fifth on the way, the “Mad Max” franchise explores the wasteland of a post-apocalyptic Australia, where roving gangs with outlandish vehicles battle over resources — specifically, fuel.
Mel Gibson stars as the title character in the first three films: “Mad Max” (1979), “The Road Warrior” (1981) and “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1985).
Tom Hardy takes over in the 2015 reboot (trailer above), which focuses on Charlize Theron’s Furiosa. And the newest installment, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” starring Anya Taylor-Joy, is due May 24.
Stream “Mad Max: Fury Road” on Hulu
‘Threads’ (1984)
When nuclear war breaks out, the town of Sheffield, England, is hit hard. Not only does this story focus on individuals and families, it looks at the failures of governments, the rise of looters, and the new dark age civilization regresses into.
Rent it on Amazon Prime/Shudder
‘The Quiet Earth’ (1985)
“The Quiet Earth” features no bombs or invasions, just a man who wakes up one morning to find he’s the last person on Earth. Or is he? Determined to find out what happened to mankind, he embarks on a quest that takes him places he may not want to go.
Rent or stream it on Tubi
‘When the Wind Blows’ (1986)
Based on the same-name graphic novel, this animated British film features a sweet older couple living in a remote cottage. When a missile strike is announced, they race to their shelter and follow the rules to stay safe — but as the days go on, they begin to lose hope.
Stream it on Amazon Freevee
‘Akira’ (1988)
Based on the 1982 manga, this animated film skips over the world war that led to apocalypse and takes viewers directly into a rebuilt, futuristic metropolis called Neo-Tokyo. Tetsuo, the leader of a biker gang, develops telekinetic abilities that feed a fomenting rebellion and eventually threaten to take over him and the city.
Rent or stream it on Hulu
‘12 Monkeys’ (1995)
A convict is sent back in time to learn more about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the population on Earth. But is any of this happening, or is he insane?
Rent it on Amazon Prime
‘The Postman’ (1997)
Considered a box-office flop, “The Postman” deserves another look. A post-apocalyptic film that’s less about destruction and more interested in rebuilding, it follows a loner who poses as a postman and ends up offering the residents of an isolated town hope that could lead to a new life.
Rent it on Google Play
‘Deep Impact’ / ‘Armageddon’ (1998)
In 1998, Hollywood had us believing that great big space rocks were the greatest threats to civilization, especially because “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon” were released within two months of each other.
With CGI making disaster films more realistic than ever, watching a bunch of astronauts launch into space to divert the impending doom of a comet (like in “Deep Impact”) or asteroid (as in “Armageddon”) from absolute destruction became a mini trend. Though varying in degrees of mission success and body counts, these two films are very similar yet still all their own.
Rent “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon” on Amazon Prime
‘28 Weeks Later’ (2002)
Following a disease outbreak that turns its victims into fast-moving, aggressive zombies, American soldiers land in Britain to restore order in this sequel to “28 Days Later.” (Word is “28 Years Later” is on the way.)
Stream it on Hulu
‘The Day After Tomorrow’ (2004)
When a giant storm system sends Earth into a new Ice Age, a paleoclimatologist takes on a dangerous mission to find his son caught in the middle of the shocking climate change.
Rent it on Amazon Prime
‘Children of Men’ (2006)
After women around the world become infertile, society undergoes a slow collapse. But when a single woman turns up pregnant, a former activist is enlisted to ensure her safe passage to a sanctuary out at sea.
Rent it on Amazon Prime
‘I Am Legend’ (2007)
A plague kills off most of humanity or turns it into vampiric monsters while the last surviving man in New York City tries to find a cure. (In 2022, a sequel was confirmed to be in development.)
Rent it on Google Play
The ‘Cloverfield’ Franchise (2008-Present)
What if the arrival of a “kaiju” (that is, a strange beast; in this case, a Godzilla-type monster) on the shores of New York City became a found-footage phenomenon? That’s the conceit of the “Cloverfield” franchise.
“10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016) sees three survivors hole up underground as the world above becomes unlivable. “The Cloverfield Paradox” (2018) heads into space and (maybe) explains how the monster got loose in the first place. But the saga, of course, begins with “Cloverfield,” a rampage through the streets of New York City.
Rent or stream it on Amazon/MGM+
‘Wall-E’ (2008)
In Pixar’s “Wall-E,” the apocalypse has never looked so charming. But the underlying message of a planet abandoned to its trash (and robot custodians) while humanity floats pampered among the stars is more than the sum of its mechanical love — it’s a message for everyone right now.
Stream it on Disney+
‘The Road’ (2009)
There have been few bleaker post-apocalyptic tales than “The Road,” based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel, which features an ailing dad trying to get his son to safety by the ocean before he dies. Dark in every way possible.
Stream it on Starz
‘The Book of Eli’ (2010)
Decades after a final war that laid waste to civilization, a man protects a special book as he travels (and fights his way) across the former United States.
Rent it on Google Play
‘Take Shelter’ (2011)
Curtis suffers from visions of the end of the world, but he can’t be sure they’re only in his head. Desperate to protect his wife and daughter from impending doom, he builds a shelter as a storm — real or not — looms on the horizon.
Stream it on YouTube
‘Greenland’ (2020)
A new comet hurtles toward the world, sending humanity scrambling for shelter and survival. But one family struggles to reach the plane that will evacuate them to Greenland and possible safety.
Stream it on Max
‘Don’t Look Up’ (2021)
When a comet threatens Earth (again!), concerned, earnest scientists find they first have to convince a public that has lost interest in facts not that the comet’s really coming, but that it’s actually an existential threat.
Stream it on Netflix
Please note, the linked locations of the films and their availability is subject to change.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com