10 Greatest Apocalypse Movies Of All Time

The end of the world is, as one might expect, a bit of a downer. No, really! Unless you're a particularly sadistic person, the potential destruction of all mankind is bound to leave you feeling a tad depressed.

Which is probably why Lars Von Trier's solemn, hauntingly desolate Melancholia remains one of the most thoroughly comfortless entries in the genre. Well, that and the fact that all Lars Von Trier films are contractually obligated to make viewers sick to their stomach with existential despair by the end of their runtime.

Melancholia isn't Von Trier's greatest work, but it just might be the one that resonates the longest with viewers. Here, the apocalypse is both an actual event and a metaphor for depression. It's a dark comparison that's handled deftly, and with an odd sense of hope tucked underneath it all.

There's plenty to get wrapped up in here. For starters, Kirsten Dunst gives the finest performance of her career. There's no traces of her Bring It On cutesiness to be found. And since the director stripped away some of the self-indulgence that plagued his earlier works, you're less likely to be turned off by the provocative nature of the film.