12 Best Movies About The End Of The World

The end of the world can be a heavy topic so it's not a bad idea to kick off the list with a light-hearted entry. This Is the End is a 2013 apocalyptic comedy starring the most influential comic actors of this generation playing fictional versions of themselves.

Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, and Jay Baruchel form the core group of celebrities holed up in Franco's mansion after an apocalyptic occurrence straight out of The Book of Revelation beams good people to heaven and leaves the less-than-worthy below. Barricading themselves inside after a hilarious scene involving a giant sinkhole kills off their famous friends, we see why they weren't raptured.

Divisive among critics, this won't be everyone's cup of tea. Anyone familiar with the brand of comedy that Rogen and company specialise in can expect a gratuitous amount of dick and weed jokes. It is their MO, after all. There is no doubting that it's a touch self-indulgent but that's in the spirit of a send-up. The improv is heavy here and it often results in funny exchanges that feel off the cuff and raw. There's a lot thrown at the wall and not everything sticks.

Adapted from a short film trailer that Rogen and Baruchel made in 2007, This Is the End is the type of movie that can best be enjoyed by a group of friends hanging out and shooting the breeze. There are nods to many of the best films these actors have made with a Pineapple Express 2 trailer showing what could have been. The scene-stealing turn, though, is made by Michael Cera, who plays himself as a coked-up deviant who runs afoul of everyone at the party.