10 Greatest Apocalypse Movies Of All Time
If the end truly is near, you should spend your final days watching these gems.
The earth is doomed and we're all going to die. That's the general consensus according to Hollywood, which has pumped out movie after movie dedicated to reminding viewers that the apocalypse is nigh.
By nature bleak and morbid, apocalyptic films are also incredibly diverse. They're not necessarily bound by genre - though a fair amount of them at least bleed into the edges of the science fiction category - partially because there are so many different ways to present the end of the world.
It might be aliens or zombies or some other type of unspecified "monster" that brings on the destruction of our planet. Or it could be caused by a rampant infection. Or a nuclear war. Or it could be nothing but a series of poor choices made by humankind that finally catches up to us.
That's the beauty of these movies. No two apocalypses have to be the same.
Before we proceed to the top ten, there are a few films that didn't make the list that deserve an honorable mention. Escape From New York, 28 Days Later, Children of Men, The Road, and Cloud Atlas are all amazing apocalyptic films in their own right, but just missed out on top honors.
10. 12 Monkeys
The combination of Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Terry Gilliam's quirky storytelling methods, and an apocalyptic plot that also involves time travel sounds like the kind of strange brew that might cause viewers' heads to explode by the time the movie has reached the final act.
And while there's no denying that 12 Monkeys is one of the most eccentric films on this list, its execution is nearly flawless. And that alone makes it the most palatable work Terry Gilliam has ever produced. (Could you imagine a story like this being presented in a similar fashion as Gilliam's masterwork, Brazil? Yikes.)
12 Monkeys should be considered required viewing for anyone desiring a crash course in the ways of apocalyptic cinema. It has it all: a deadly virus that destroys civilization, an subterranean wasteland, time travel, and super shady authoritarian powers. It's basically a cornucopia of dystopian plot elements.
The storyline is plenty fun, but it's the interactions between Willis and Pitt - as well as the perpetually underrated Madeleine Stowe - that turns this into a classic.