List Of Post Apocalyptic Movies

Post Apocalytpic Movies List

I love watching post apocalyptic movies – when they are good movies!

Post Apocalytpic Movies List

I just prepared a good list of post apocalyptic movies at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB). To build the list, I adopted a few rules (and somewhat arbitrary decisions):

  • The movie should take place in the future (beyond the production date of the movie). It can take place before the apocalyptic event, if part of it takes place after the apocalyptic event. Pre-apocalyptic or apocalyptic only movies haven’t been included in this list, if there is nothing post-apocalyptic related.
  • The movie should make me think about the post apocalypse.  This is important: the movie should have a vision of the aftermath – and provide some thoughts on the apocalypse, on humankind survival or fight, on individual’s or community/group’s life, reactions, emotional dynamics in a post-apocalyptic scenario (I know, this is arbitrary. For example, The Hunger Games is borderline, as the apocalypse sounds just as an excuse, and its genre more action/fantasy than other)
  • Movies only. TV series, anime, shorts and animated movies will be included in different lists (with very few seminal exceptions such as Akira)
  • Quality: I haven’t watched all of them! But I used the IMDB rating to exclude the movies with less than 5 stars out of 10. Still, there are still a number of movies that just don’t deserve our time. But I’m also sure that the list contains lots of hidden gems too, and will help you finding expanding your interest for the post-apocalyptic movies
  • The apocalypse can happen at global or local (community) level (for example, The Mist is included even if it’s not clear whether the apocalypse takes place in the whole world or in Maine only)
  • All post-apocalyptic scenarios are allowed: nuclear warfare and fallout, zombies, extraterrestrial attack, virus and pandemic, environmental and climate change and disaster, impact event, cybernetic revolt, dysgenics, supernatural phenomena, divine judgement, resource depletion, economic/financial/ecological collapse etc.

Here below is the list, ordered by release year. If you want to sort the list by other criteria, check my complete Post Apocalyptic Movies list at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB).

Enjoy the treasure hunt! And feel free to come up with more movies to add, in the comments. It’s still a work in progress and I’ll keep it updated.

#TitleDirectorsIMDb RatingYearNum. Votes
1After EarthM. Night Shyamalan20130
2After the World EndedTony Sebastian Ukpo20130
3Battle of the DamnedChristopher Hatton20130
4Curio ShopEric S. Anderson20130
5ElysiumNeill Blomkamp20130
6Ender’s GameGavin Hood20130
7Los Ultimos diasDavid Pastor, Àlex Pastor20130
8OblivionJoseph Kosinski20130
9OrionAsiel Norton20130
10Pacific RimGuillermo del Toro20130
11Re-Entry: Grey ZoneRay Jay20130
12Scorched EarthBrad Turner20130
13Sleep, Wake, ForgetAriel Vida20130
14SnowpiercerJoon-ho Bong20130
15The ColonyJeff Renfroe20130
16The Hunger Games: Catching FireFrancis Lawrence20130
17The PhilosophersJohn Huddles20130
18The Wind is WatchingConrad Faraj20130
19The World’s EndEdgar Wright20130
20The Zero TheoremTerry Gilliam20130
21This Is the EndEvan Goldberg, Seth Rogen20130
22Warm BodiesJonathan Levine7.4201319961
23World War ZMarc Forster20130
245 ShellsPaul S. Myers20120
25AftershockNicolas Lopez52012256
26Another WorldEitan Reuven5.7201234
27BattleshipPeter Berg5.92012114388
28Beasts of the Southern WildBenh Zeitlin7.3201232473
29Cloud AtlasTom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski7.8201298848
30Cockneys vs ZombiesMatthias Hoene5.920124622
31Dead ShadowsDavid Cholewa6.3201240
32DerangedJeong-woo Park5.92012446
33DreddPete Travis7.1201276670
34Dust of WarAndrew Kightlinger20120
35ExistenceJuliet Bergh20120
36Heart LandFred Holmes20120
37New OrderMarco Rosson5.8201268
38Omega RoseGeorge Dorobantu20120
39Red DawnDan Bradley5.3201215001
40Re-KillValeri Milev6.12012148
41RemnantsTim Szczesniak, André Freitas6.2201248
42Resident Evil: RetributionPaul W.S. Anderson5.2201255847
43Seeking a Friend for the End of the WorldLorene Scafaria6.7201237732
44The Hunger GamesGary Ross7.22012316265
45The RisingSebastian Mattukat8.420125
46Trash and ProgressAbraham Dieckman20120
47Battle Los AngelesJonathan Liebesman5.82011105417
48ExaellaAndrew Oudot5.7201171
49HellTim Fehlbaum5.920114797
50In TimeAndrew Niccol6.62011146710
51MelancholiaLars von Trier7.1201171672
52Quarantine 2: TerminalJohn G. Pogue5.220118372
53The DivideXavier Gens5.8201119198
54OutliersLucas Krost6.8201010
55Stake LandJim Mickle6.6201019388
56The Book of EliThe Hughes Brothers6.82010135310
57Tomorrow, When the War BeganStuart Beattie6.2201016661
58VektorIvan Rogar6201020
599Shane Acker7200968764
602012Roland Emmerich5.82009170459
612084George Blumetti, Maurice Kelly5.7200962
62CargoIvan Engler, Ralph Etter6.220098242
63CarriersDavid Pastor, Àlex Pastor6.1200923321
64District 9Neill Blomkamp82009327889
65Happy EndArnaud Larrieu, Jean-Marie Larrieu6.32009494
66Terminator SalvationMcG6.72009178223
67The HordeYannick Dahan, Benjamin Rocher5.920098753
68The RoadJohn Hillcoat7.32009106739
69The Sky Has FallenDoug Roos6200972
70TransmissionRoland Vranik5.7200983
71ZombielandRuben Fleischer7.72009211226
72BlindnessFernando Meirelles6.6200841580
73City of EmberGil Kenan6.4200831972
74ConnectedBenny Chan6.720081057
75DoomsdayNeil Marshall6200848181
76From InsideJohn Bergin6.3200885
77QuarantineJohn Erick Dowdle6200839113
78The HappeningM. Night Shyamalan5.12008115781
79The VanguardMatthew Hope3.520081140
80WALL-EAndrew Stanton8.52008370234
8128 Weeks LaterJuan Carlos Fresnadillo72007132235
82Eden LogFranck Vestiel5.220074281
83I Am LegendFrancis Lawrence7.12007293749
84La antenaEsteban Sapir7.320072221
85SunshineDanny Boyle7.32007121812
86The MistFrank Darabont7.32007138830
87The SignalDavid Bruckner, Dan Bush6.1200713398
88Children of MenAlfonso Cuarón7.92006248911
89Freedom StateCullen Hoback5.3200661
90IdiocracyMike Judge6.4200666766
91Right at Your DoorChris Gorak6.220068075
92The Bothersome ManJens Lien7.320067411
93The Dark HourElio Quiroga620061032
94The Zombie DiariesMichael Bartlett, Kevin Gates4.120063449
95Eri Eri rema sabakutaniShinji Aoyama6.82005369
96Land of the DeadGeorge A. Romero6.3200558981
97War of the WorldsSteven Spielberg6.52005211736
98CasshernKazuaki Kiriya6.2200410114
99Dawn of the DeadZack Snyder7.42004126912
100Shaun of the DeadEdgar Wright82004237047
101The Day After TomorrowRoland Emmerich6.32004193905
102Le temps du loupMichael Haneke6.420035028
103The Matrix ReloadedThe Wachowski Brothers7.12003269464
104The Matrix RevolutionsThe Wachowski Brothers6.62003231256
10528 Days Later…Danny Boyle7.62002186703
106Reign of FireRob Bowman6.1200271385
107RitânâTakashi Yamazaki6.420028351
108A.I. Artificial IntelligenceSteven Spielberg72001158352
109Planet of the ApesTim Burton5.62001121817
110Battle RoyaleKinji Fukasaku7.8200092423
111The MatrixThe Wachowski Brothers8.71999670300
112ArmageddonMichael Bay6.41998206657
113Dark CityAlex Proyas7.81998105128
114Deep ImpactMimi Leder6199892240
115Last NightDon McKellar7.219986462
116Six-String SamuraiLance Mungia6.519984388
117Zbogum na dvaesetiot vekDarko Mitrevski, Aleksandar Popovski7.11998327
118Bleak FutureBrian S. O’Malley5.31997149
119Starship TroopersPaul Verhoeven7.11997148839
120The Fifth ElementLuc Besson7.61997217151
121The PostmanKevin Costner5.7199738140
122Escape from L.A.John Carpenter5.5199634994
123Independence DayRoland Emmerich6.81996264123
124ScreamersChristian Duguay6.2199513961
125Strange DaysKathryn Bigelow7.1199538304
126The City of Lost ChildrenMarc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet7.6199540152
127Twelve MonkeysTerry Gilliam8.11995278574
128WaterworldKevin Reynolds5.9199594608
129Brain SlasherSteve Barnett5.21992970
130DelicatessenMarc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet7.7199145267
131Terminator 2: Judgment DayJames Cameron8.61991420348
132HardwareRichard Stanley5.719906299
133RoboCop 2Irvin Kershner5.5199035589
134The Handmaid’s TaleVolker Schlondorff5.919903902
135Total RecallPaul Verhoeven7.51990149081
136Posetitel muzeyaKonstantin Lopushansky6.91989236
137Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the CloudsAlex Proyas6.31989170
138The Blood of HeroesDavid Peoples6.219893462
139AkiraKatsuhiro Otomo8198861498
140Hell Comes to FrogtownDonald G. Jackson, R.J. Kizer5.219881743
141Na srebrnym globieAndrzej Zulawski6.71988471
142Proini peripolosNikos Nikolaidis6.91987221
143RoboCopPaul Verhoeven7.51987101244
144Dead End Drive-InBrian Trenchard-Smith5.61986830
145Ga, Ga – Chwala bohateromPiotr Szulkin71986146
146Pisma myortvogo chelovekaKonstantin Lopushansky7.21986861
147Angel’s EggMamoru Oshii7.319851331
148BrazilTerry Gilliam81985107289
149Day of the DeadGeorge A. Romero7.1198533898
150Mad Max Beyond ThunderdomeGeorge Miller, George Ogilvie6.1198552775
151O-Bi, O-Ba – The End of CivilizationPiotr Szulkin71985280
152The Quiet EarthGeoffrey Murphy6.9198512783
153Red DawnJohn Milius6.1198428515
154SexmissionJuliusz Machulski7.719845334
155The TerminatorJames Cameron8.11984329676
156ThreadsMick Jackson819844537
157Le cimetière des voituresFernando Arrabal5.8198343
158Le dernier combatLuc Besson6.819833156
159TestamentLynne Littman7.119833293
160The Day AfterNicholas Meyer6.919837313
161Blade RunnerRidley Scott8.31982290747
162Turkey ShootBrian Trenchard-Smith5.719821255
163Escape from New YorkJohn Carpenter7.2198156071
164Mad Max 2: The Road WarriorGeorge Miller7.6198169227
165Memoirs of a SurvivorDavid Gladwell5.91981126
166Wojna swiatów – nastepne stuleciePiotr Szulkin71981178
167AlienRidley Scott8.51979315485
168Mad MaxGeorge Miller7197975847
169QuintetRobert Altman519791518
170StalkerAndrey Tarkovskiy8.1197937915
171Zoo zéroAlain Fleischer5.7197950
172Dawn of the DeadGeorge A. Romero8197863152
173JubileeDerek Jarman5.919781368
174Damnation AlleyJack Smight519772403
175EraserheadDavid Lynch7.3197741705
176WizardsRalph Bakshi6.219774745
177Logan’s RunMichael Anderson6.8197625112
178A Boy and His DogL.Q. Jones6.519758197
179Black MoonLouis Malle6.319751918
180ZardozJohn Boorman5.7197410154
181Soylent GreenRichard Fleischer7197328252
182The Omega ManBoris Sagal6.6197115646
183THX 1138George Lucas6.8197126445
184No Blade of GrassCornel Wilde61970518
185Zabil jsem Einsteina, panoveOldrich Lipský6.81970192
186Il seme dell’uomoMarco Ferreri6.51969193
187The Bed Sitting RoomRichard Lester6.219691013
1882001: A Space OdysseyStanley Kubrick8.41968243530
189Fando y LisAlexandro Jodorowsky6.919682404
190Night of the Living DeadGeorge A. Romero8196859336
191Planet of the ApesFranklin J. Schaffner8196892592
192The Deserter and the NomadsJuraj Jakubisko6.9196884
193Konec srpna v Hotelu OzonJan Schmidt6.91967273
194The War GamePeter Watkins819653062
195The Last Man on EarthUbaldo B. Ragona6.919648564
196La jetéeChris Marker8.3196212582
197This Is Not a TestFredric Gadette5.71962330
198The Day the Earth Caught FireVal Guest719612134
199On the BeachStanley Kramer7.319596532
200The World, the Flesh and the DevilRanald MacDougall6.919591195
201When Worlds CollideRudolph Maté6.719513492
202Things to ComeWilliam Cameron Menzies6.719363077
203MetropolisFritz Lang8.4192765965

Data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database.

Image: Right at your door poster


6 responses to “List Of Post Apocalyptic Movies”

  1. You did not list the movie: Hell. Now perhaps it was a T.V. movie; I saw it on Netflix so I have no idea. Also how do I vote for Trash and Progress? (I am so happy that I’m not the only one who watched it.)

  2. There’s also Arch Oboler’s 1951 film “Five”, which was firmly in the post-nuclear Apocalypse genre, and included James Anderson (“Bob Ewell” in “To Kill a Mockingbird”) as the heavy. Not a well-known movie nowadays, so it’s easy to miss.

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