10 Apocalypse Horror Movies That Don't Involve Zombies

After receiving mixed critical reviews, Netflix’s sense-focused apocalyptic drama Bird Box became an unprecedented shock hit upon release, becoming the most-watched film on the streaming platform within 28 days of release. Starring Sandra Bullock, the film is set in a post-apocalypse where potentially-demonic entities cause people to kill themselves and encourage others to do the same upon looking at them.

This unusual premise leads to a conceptually and visually alternative film, as the characters must blindfold themselves and learn to make their way through the environment without sight, meaning much of the horror in the latter half of the movie relies on suspense and sound design, as the characters cannot see and the entities themselves are never shown on screen.

While its sensory-deprived world doesn’t feel as successfully lived in as another entry further down this list, Sandra Bullock’s performance first as a pregnant woman during the apocalypse, and later as a mother both struggling to maintain detachment from her vulnerable children and lead them to safety is commendable. If you somehow haven’t seen it yet, you should, at least for the experience. Just don’t try the Bird Box challenge at home (seriously - people have been injured).