Post-apocalyptic movies represent some of the most thrilling and imaginative stories out there, and recent decades have produced a number of excellent films. Primarily defined by their settings in worlds in which humans have destroyed themselves in some manner, post-apocalyptic movies often lean toward the action, psychological thriller, or horror genres while remaining true to their post-civilization premise. Despite taking place in the future, post-apocalyptic films tend to revolve around highly relevant themes and communicate thoughtful political messages. From the popular Mad Max franchise to great standalone titles, the post-apocalyptic realm of movies contains no shortage of compelling tales.
Fans of the genre currently can currently enjoy The Last of Us Season 2 on Max, and those who enjoy the TV show should check out movies that center on a similar premise. The following five films are some of the best post-apocalyptic stories of recent memory.
Mad Max: Fury Road
George Miller’s fourth installment in the Mad Max franchise functions as a soft reboot due to its new cast and reimagined post-apocalyptic world. 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road introduces Tom Hardy’s rendition of the wasteland survivor Max Rockatansky, who finds himself held prisoner by the villainous Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Max teams up with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) and others as they embark on a thrilling desert road quest to take down the sinister warlord.
Mad Max: Fury Road boasts mesmerizing visuals, heart-pounding action sequences, and forceful character portrayals all throughout. The movie represents the roughness of Mad Max‘s post-apocalyptic desert setting better than all of its predecessors and paved the way nicely for the 2024 prequel, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Mad Max: Fury Road remains one of the best action movies set in a post-apocalyptic world.
It Comes at Night
The plot of 2017’s It Comes at Night is entirely self-contained, but it keeps viewers on edge thanks to a hefty amount of suspense. Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, the film centers on married couple Paul (Joel Edgerton) and Sarah (Carmen Ejogo), their son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), and their dog Stanley, who live deep in the woods during a deadly pandemic. The family scarcely encounters other people until a man named Will (Christopher Abbott) tries to break into their house while searching for supplies for himself, his wife Kim (Riley Keough), and their young son Andrew (Griffin Robert Faulkner). The two families decide to help each other, however, mistrust and strange events pave the way for chaos.
It Comes at Night is far more than a simple post-apocalyptic horror movie: it illustrates profound themes about trust and morality amid a lawless world where survival is the only goal. The entire cast delivers memorable performances, while Shults’s screenplay is well-paced and never reveals too much at once. It Comes at Night‘s devastating ending thrillingly caps off an hour-and-a-half of tension and leaves viewers with a lot to ponder.
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10 Cloverfield Lane
10 Cloverfield Lane‘s unconventional take on apocalypse survival and monster horror is one to remember. Dan Trachtenberg’s 2016 directorial debut fixates on Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a woman who wakes up in an underground bunker alongside two men. The owner of the bunker, Howard (John Goodman), insists that they can’t go outside because the air is toxic, but Michelle and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) begin to question his true motives.
10 Cloverfield Lane tells a mysterious and absorbing tale that reflects on humans’ fear and suspicion of each other in dire circumstances. The film’s smaller scale approach, compared to the spectacular action of its predecessor, 2008’s Cloverfield, makes it stand out among other similar titles. Even though 10 Cloverfield Lane reveals all of its secrets at the end in an outrageous fashion, the suspenseful buildup makes for top-notch storytelling.
Snowpiercer
Based on the French graphic novel by Jacques Lob, 2013’s Snowpiercer narrates a captivating post-apocalyptic future in which the climate crisis has forced the few surviving humans to dwell on a train that moves around the globe amid an ice age. Bong Joon Ho’s English-language film debut skillfully adapts this compelling premise, as Snowpiercer follows Curtis Everett (Chris Evans) and the lower-class inhabitants of the train as they stage a rebellion.
Full of exhilarating action and fascinating characters, Snowpiercer paints a harrowing portrait of the potential dystopian consequences of climate change. Additionally, stunning visual effects enhance the movie’s thrills, and Bong proves extremely effective at world-building. Snowpiercer‘s story has since been adapted into a TV series bearing the same title, but the 2013 movie still reigns supreme.
28 Days Later
Over two decades later, 28 Days Later still ranks among the best zombie movies of recent memory. Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, the 2002 film follows Jim (Cillian Murphy), who, after waking from a coma, struggles to survive in a world ravaged by a lethal rage virus. 28 Days Later‘s harrowing depiction of post-apocalyptic life and the zombie-like creatures that inhabit the Earth makes for a gripping viewing experience. Moreover, Murphy’s outstanding lead performance elevates the movie, as do Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, and the rest of the cast. Gruesome, unnerving, and full of political messaging, 28 Days Later is a supremely well-rounded survival horror movie that everyone needs to watch. Following the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, a third installment, 28 Years Later, is set to hit theaters this June.
What are your favorite post-apocalyptic movies? Let us know in the comments below!
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