10 Post Apocalyptic Films You Need To See

After two “more of the same” sequels, Terminator Salvation darkened the tone and relocated the action to the post-nuke wilderness, where a killer cast (including Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and the late great Anton Yelchin) attempt to destroy Skynet. If you were tired of the formula and wanted a more serious movie where nobody travels naked through time and Arnie doesn’t say “I’ll be back!” this one’s for you.

There are also some expert action sequences. Eschewing smash cut editing and shaky cam, McG delivers a series of set pieces that manage to be exciting without stressing chaos over coherence. One of the most visually arresting takes place early on when Christian Bale’s helicopter is blown out of the sky and the camera swirls around the doomed craft, tracking its descent in one fluid take.

Special mention, however, has to be made of the attack by the Harvester Terminator, which simply put is one of the most accomplished moments in any recent action movie. Buildings are demolished, Moto-Terminators are employed, dragged for several miles and hurled into the air, then once the HK-Aerials get in on the action, bridges are destroyed before Resistance planes engage them in a dogfight.