#1 Children of Men

You can really feel the despair and hope of the characters as they struggle to find purpose as the last humans on earth. This one is a must see for fans of the post apocalyptic genre.

#2 Pacific Rim

In Pacific Rim the world is being invaded by giant monsters, much like Godzilla. Mankind has united to fight them off, primarily by constructing giant mech suits.

This is a layered, clever, and visually pleasing take on the Kaiju genre. If you haven’t traditionally loved Godzilla movies, don’t let that keep you from giving Pacific Rim a try.

#3 The Matrix

This movie was groundbreaking in its approach to philosophy and future technology. And it planted the idea in my head that maybe we really are in a simulation. Now I can’t stop thinking about it.

#4 Starship Troopers

When aliens attack earth, killing billions, all of humanity mobilizes for war. What would that look like?

War, propaganda, genocidal aliens, retribution – Starship Troopers tackles the ugly side of war as well as the justifications.

#5 The Hunger Games

A strong central government is prospering in a world of false scarcity. Young people from among the poor must risk everything for a small chance to leave poverty. To do so, they will have to survive the arena. Sound familiar? No, it’s not the NFL. But you may recognize that much of this plot was lifted straight from the 1999 book Battle Royale, and the 2000 movie by the same name.

#1 Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Most of the movies on this list have 2 things in common: childhood memories and the word “Road.” The second Mad Max film is a masterpiece for so many reasons, but mainly it was also a huge part of my childhood.

#2 The Road

As a parent, this one was especially powerful to me. What would I do in each crazy situation? It actually took me a long time to watch it a second time, but I’ve been able to appreciate it a few times since, and it never gets less sad.

#3 Testament

Another one I loved as a kid, especially since I could relate to the boy in the family. This one was brutal because it showed a nuclear blast, the ugly effects of radiation fallout, and was super sad when (spoiler alert!) the family members died off one by one.

#4 Threads

An incredibly gritty and depressing story of the effects of nuclear war on two families in the UK. I watched this one as a kid (that explains a lot!) and it has always stuck with me for obvious reasons. Side note: not a kids’ show.

#5 Mad Max: Fury Road

This movie is a gateway drug to a more serious post-apocalyptic movie addiction, and for good reason. If you don’t like this one because it’s just one big car chase, then realize that’s exactly why I like it.

#1 The Matrix

Matrix broke a lot of tropes and conventions back when it first came out, in both visual effects and storytelling. I remember having no clue about the twist in the plotline and feeling so inspired when I watched the movie. It is one of the highest quality post-apocalyptic movies out there, in my opinion. Now, my opinion of Matrix 2 and Matrix 3 is less enthusiastic, but I’ll save that for another time. 🙂

#2 I Am Legend

Although I prefer the alternative ending to the one in theaters, I thought I Am Legend was really good. The scenes involving the dog still haunt me to this day, and I haven’t seen the movie in years. Whenever I hear the song “Don’t worry, about a thing,” I think about the scenes with Will Smith and his dog. And I feel SO sad. Even all these years later, it is the only think I think about when I hear the song. To me, that’s a sign of a really powerful movie, which is why this is my #2.

#3 Independence Day

Oh my gosh, the original Independence Day was so much fun! And yes, it’s another Will Smith movie in my Top 5. I adored Independence Day and watched it so many times. I still think about the scene when all the people were standing on the rooftop, welcoming the aliens, and… Well, you know what happened after that. This was a great movie.

#4 Interstellar

I’ll admit – I am drawn to any science fiction movie that tries to tackle some of the crazier sides of quantum physics and explore those deeper issues. I liked Interstellar so much that I wrote about it for Post Apocalyptic Media right here. To show why this is in my top 5, here’s a quote from my article: “I absolutely LOVE the new post-apocalyptic movie Interstellar, partially because it really speaks to the physics geek in me and my love for all things time travel. My favorite classroom moments of all time involved learning time dilation equations and figuring out just how much time slows down as someone approaches c. Length contraction is also pretty crazy, along with the thought experiments that go along with it… What’s amazing to me is how this stuff is real.”

#5 Cloverfield

Chalk this up to another movie that really made a lasting impression on me when I watched this. Here’s another movie where they tried to approach the cinematography from an original and unique angle, and it worked. I was scared while watching the movie, and I also felt a little sick too haha. It was really good, and it spawned 10 Cloverfield Lane, which was also really good.

#1 Mad Max: Fury Road

I love everything about this movie! The intricacies of the car battles (given they are not augmented by special effects), the characters (how Furiosa and Max both change but in different ways), the villains, and the setting. It’s so much but also not campy.

#2 The Road

One of the few movies that translated very well from book to film, this movie is fantastic in its surprising message of hope after a great deal of travesty. Viggo did an amazing job as the father, and anyone with kids can understand his fear. The setting and the small details are also so well-done. You really feel like you’re there at the end of the world.

#3 Terminator 2: Judgement Day

This movie was a staple of my childhood (I wanted to be Sarah Connor so bad as a kid), and of all the apocalypses, robo-apocalypse is probably the one that freaks me out the most. T2 is great, not only because of Sarah, but because of the chase scene at the start, everything about the T-1000, and it’s so fun to see the Terminator develop the feels.

#4 Cherry 2000

Out of the slew of B-movie apocalypse films, Cherry 2000 is my favourite (followed shortly by Hell Comes to Frogtown and Exterminators of the Year 3000). It has car chases, zany characters, a fun love story, and it’s really funny.

#5 Zombieland

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I love road trip movies, I love zombie movies, I love characters who don’t get along, and I love absurd comedy, so Zombieland hit home for me right away. It’s still funny after all these years, and the sequel, surprisingly, wasn’t bad at all.