10 Best Apocalypse Movies
3. The Road (2009)
Based on the novel of the same name by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy, The Road is a harrowing journey narrative following a man and his son as they forge a path across an America that's been devastated by some unknown extinction-level event. Along the way they encounter roving gangs of scavengers, avoid cannibals and generally see the worst of what humanity remains.
The main draw of The Road is definitely the chemistry between the nameless father and son (played by Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee, respectively), as this moving relationship is practically all you have to cling to in this awful world. The decision to shoot practically in run-down metropolitan areas and abandoned or irrecoverably damaged buildings in and around America realises the utterly bleak environment of the novel perfectly, aided only by replacing the sky with a dull grey. The world and the narrative work in perfect harmony to create a complete mood of trauma, above all else.
The film unfortunately loses just a little bit of force just by avoiding the worst sections of unthinkable horror a reader will encounter, however director John Hillcoat's bleak vision of the book nevertheless remains a deeply gripping, traumatic tale that's sure to stir anyone's heart.