The post-apocalyptic narrative has been an integral part of cultural consciousness since the dawn of civilization. Ragnarök, Noah's Ark, and the Second Coming are three popular motifs that appear in religions around the world. Modern post-apocalyptic fiction owes its origin to Mary Shelley's The Last Man (1826), which revolves around a mysterious plague that sends humanity to the brink of extinction.

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There is a wide range of post-apocalyptic themes in cinema these days — viral outbreaks, zombie invasions, alien holocausts, AI rebellion, genetic engineering failures, meteor impacts, and nuclear catastrophes. Post-apocalyptic films often teach an important lesson about caring for the future, one that society needs to learn now more than ever.

10 This Is The End (2013) Is One Of The Most Audacious Parodies Of The Post-Apocalyptic Genre

paul-rudd-this-is-the-end

Written and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, This Is the End is a masterfully crafted satire of the post-apocalyptic genre. A number of famous actors play themselves in the film, adding a delicious coating of meta-comedy to the Armageddon-themed narrative.

This Is the End is filled with tenacious characters, wacky energy, and laugh-out-loud punchlines, making it one of the most audacious movie parodies ever made. Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman stated that viewers "could sit through a year's worth of Hollywood comedies and still not see anything" as wildly blatant as This Is the End.

9 Despite Its Real-World Setting, The Warriors (1979) Feels More Dystopian Than Realistic

the warriors come out to play

Although not technically categorized as a post-apocalyptic film, The Warriors borrows enough elements from the genre to merit a mention. Gang violence in New York reaches unprecedented levels, effectively dividing the city into tightly controlled turfs.

The movie's raw aesthetic and its characters' spartan clothing create an atmosphere of gloom and hopelessness — emotionally speaking, The Warriors feels more dystopian than realistic. The L.A. Times praised the film's "insightful, stylized, and shallow portrayal of gang warfare," although a few critics were disappointed by the story's dreary message.

8 Zombieland (2009) Is An Irreverently Humorous And Lighthearted Twist On The Zombie Trope

Zombieland cast

Ruben Fleischer's Zombieland, starring Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, and Jesse Eisenberg, is an adorably endearing twist on the zombie trope. The narrative can be interpreted as a series of guidelines for surviving the zombie apocalypse, albeit framed in a comically relatable manner.

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Like Shaun of the Dead (2004), Zombieland's protagonists persistently look for the silver lining in a decidedly dark cloud, a glittering needle of hope inside a massive haystack. The story's irreverent sense of humor and lighthearted outlook prevents it from getting too morbid.

7 12 Monkeys (1995) Appeals More To The Mind Than To The Senses

Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys Movie

Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys is loosely based on La Jetée, a 1962 French-language featurette concerning post-apocalyptic time travel. 12 Monkeys turned over a profit at the box office, while also receiving critical acclaim for its unpredictable plot and chaotic ambiance.

Brad Pitt obtained a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, and was nominated for the same Oscar. Set in 2035, 12 Monkeys takes place after humanity is driven to near-extinction by a viral pandemic, courtesy of the titular antagonists. Critic Roger Ebert lauded the movie's intellectual rigor, claiming that it "appeals more to the mind than to the senses."

6 World War Z (2013) Manages To Craft A Gripping Tale Without Expanding Beyond Its Scope

Zombies from World War Z

World War Z's ensemble cast is excellent, but there's no doubt that Brad Pitt steals the show. The zombies in this film don't behave any differently from their cinematic predecessors, but they eventually overwhelm the living through sheer number and brute force.

World War Z was a box office triumph, earning nearly three times its production budget. Hope is the central motif running throughout the story, demonstrating humanity's limitless resolve and indestructible spirit. World War Z doesn't make the mistake of expanding beyond its own scope, but it successfully manages to craft a gripping tale with the tools it already has.

5 The Quiet Earth (1985) Incorporates Religious Symbology And Concepts Into Its Sci-Fi Narrative

The Quiet Earth

Geoff Murphy's The Quiet Earth, adapted from Craig Harrison's eponymous book, revolves around three characters and their increasingly surreal interactions with each other and their surroundings. The film has been the subject of academic debate and analysis for several decades, partly because it incorporates religious symbology and concepts into an otherwise sci-fi narrative.

The Quiet Earth amassed a strong cult following over time, appearing on multiple "best-of" sci-fi movie lists. According to Variety, "Murphy has taken a man-alone theme and turned it imaginatively to string and refreshing effect" in the film.

4 Planet Of The Apes (1968) Concludes On A Distinctly Despondent Note

Discovery of the Statue of Liberty on The Planet of the Apes

The Planet of the Apes franchise is arguably one of the biggest sci-fi media enterprises in Hollywood history. The concept originated in Pierre Boulle's iconic novel, La Planète des Singes, receiving its first film adaptation in 1968. Planet of the Apes went on to spawn a diverse array of sequels, remakes, reboots, and spinoffs.

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The narrative's eco-political underpinnings aren't obvious until the protagonist realizes that he's not actually on an alien planet and that humanity had already destroyed itself thousands of years ago. Planet of the Apes concludes on a distinctly despondent note — there is no hope left because there is nobody left to hope any more.

3 The Host (2013) Combines A Range Of Genre Elements Into A Deftly Woven Satire

Movies The Host Kaiju Attack Bong Joon-Ho

Bong Joon-ho may have earned global fame with Parasite (2019), but his earlier films deserve just as much appreciation, if not more. The Host, known as Gwoemul in Korean, received universal acclaim for its ingenious satire and multilayered narrative.

Writing for The New York Times, critic Manohla Dargis praised the movie's "loopy, feverishly imaginative" storytelling, calling it "a genre hybrid about the demons that haunt us from without and within." The Host deftly combines elements from sci-fi, drama, comedy, tragedy, horror, and fantasy to create something radically new.

2 Children Of Men (2006) Highlights Humanity's Innate Capacity For Self-Sacrifice

Vagrants struggle for hope in dystopia in Children Of Men

Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men concerns the rapid decline of human civilization following an extended period of global infertility. Governments and their citizens react to the absence of children in different ways — in Great Britain, refugees and asylum seekers are treated like vermin, either confined to disease-ridden concentration camps or simply killed without mercy.

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According to Roger Ebert, Children of Men is about "a world ending not with a bang but a whimper," illustrating just how easily people can be swayed by Jingoist notions of self-preservation. On the other hand, there are a few rays of hope that cut through the smog of political apathy, highlighting humanity's innate capacity for self-sacrifice.

1 The Mad Max Franchise Has Become All But Synonymous With The Post-Apocalyptic Genre

Mad Max chained to the front of a car in Mad Max Fury Road

There is no post-apocalyptic narrative more iconic than the Mad Max franchise. Starting with Mad Max in 1979, George Miller's fictional world has become all but synonymous with the genre. While the first three installments have their own valid merits, the most powerful story belongs to Mad Max: Fury Road — a gut-wrenching, heart-stopping, hair-raising adventure fueled by grit, gumption, and gasoline.

Fury Road blisters and burns from start to finish, taking both its characters and the audience on a rollercoaster ride through a parched landscape. Surviving the apocalypse is an act that requires incredible power, making everyone in this universe a hero in their own way.

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