Best Apocalyptic Movies (Top Picks At A Glance)
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Filmmakers have been frightening audiences for decades by implanting their visions of apocalyptic despair into the minds of their audiences. Leaving humanity clinging to survival on an Earth laid barren by nuclear fallout, a ravaging zombie plague, or alien attack is standard fare for this dystopian science fiction.
The best of these films can instill an intense sense that all is lost. The shear mounds of gloom dumped on the viewer can leave little room for a hopeful future. Why do we humans love to torture each other?
For every box office blockbuster, there are lesser-known apocalyptic storylines that the masses haven’t fully experienced and appreciated. These hidden gems of gloom and desperation might not have the crowd generating cast of a World War Z or Mad Max: Fury Road, but they still offer enough sorrow and misery to fuel your apocalyptic nightmares for years to come.
From fungus fueled zombies to total extinction by infertility, these are the best apocalyptic movies you’ve never heard of. They’ll make you wonder just how it will all come to an end.
1. The Girl with All the Gifts
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Released in 2016, The Girl with All the Gifts is directed by Colm McCarthy. Also, the movie stars Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close, and
The Girl With All The Gifts Movie Description
A fungus that spreads through blood, saliva, and spores turns humans into headless, flesh-hungry beasts. The infected, known as “
While the group of children craves living flesh, they retain the ability to think and learn. They are studied by scientists and teachers in hopes of finding a cure. All hope seems lost, but could one of these children hold the key to defeating the fungus?
2. The Road
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Released in 2009, The Road is an adaptation of Cormac
The Road Movie Description
After an unknown catastrophic event that destroyed America, a man (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) fight for survival. In hopes of finding civilization, they travel towards the coast but face extreme danger and tremendous hardship along the way.
With most of humanity lost, the few left commit unimaginable savagery. Suffering from illness, starvation, and the threat of cannibalistic gangs killing or enslaving them, the man and his son struggle to survive. When they reach the coast, will their hopes come true?
3. Contagion
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Released in 2011, Contagion is directed by Steven Soderberg. Also, t
Contagion Movie Description
Returning to Minnesota from a trip to Hong Kong, Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) is unknowingly infected with a lethal virus. When she starts feeling ill, Beth attributes it to jet lag.
Two days later, Beth dies. Soon after, countless others begin to display the same symptoms. In a panic, doctors try their best to contain a dire situation, but is it too late?
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane
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Released in 2016, 10 Cloverfield Lane is directed by Dan Trachtenberg. Also, the movie stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallager Jr.
10 Cloverfield Lane Movie Description
Involved in a car accident that renders her unconscious Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up and finds herself locked up in a bunker with two men. Howard (John Goodman), the owner of the bunker, tells Michelle that he has brought her to the bunker to save her.
Michelle learns from Howard that after a nuclear or chemical fallout the air has become contaminated and is now unbreathable. Regardless of the safety the shelter provides, Howard’s menacing nature emboldens Michelle to escape. Michelle’s decision brings her face-to-face with the truth about the outside world.
5. Children of Men
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Released in 2006, Children of Men is directed by Alfonso Cuaron. This movie stars Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Pam Ferris, and Charlie Hunnam.
Children Of Men Movie Description
A global infertility crisis leaves women unable to have children and humanity facing the threat of extinction. In 2027, eighteen years after the last child was born, the population of the world is teetering on the edge of collapse.
A bureaucrat (Clive Owen) becomes an improbable champion in the fight for the survival of humanity. He must protect Earth’s last hope for the survival of our civilization. Will he be successful?