Top 10 Apocalyptic Movies Of All Time

"It's the end of the world as we know it... and I feel fine"-- R.E.M.

The apocalyptic genre may be considered a subset of several categories-- horror, sci fi and/or fantasy. I have two criteria for what qualifies as an apocalyptic move: 1. The world has to come to some sort of disastrous ending (be it a natural disaster or man made occurrences). "Pure" survival movies (as in your plane crashes in the Andes) are not included here; and 2. The person/people left must struggle against the environment (and each other) in order to survive. There are tons of shows in apocalyptic category. What separates the great from the B level flicks? It's a combination of a good story, characters we can root for and a super creepy atmosphere.

And if you're ever stuck in an apocalyptic environment, remember these helpful hints: 1. The people that are left are probably the worst of the worst. Trust no one-- there are lots of cannibals lurking around. 2. Find and keep as much water/food as possible (remember Twinkies last forever!); 3. Everyone seems to know karate after the apocalypse. No, I don't know why.

Now on to the shows:

10. The Day After (1983)- This made-for-TV-movie causes quite a ruckus when it aired back in the day. That's because the risk of an all out nuclear war was still very much on everyone's minds. The Soviet Union has since dissolved but the threat is not over by a long shot. We need to continue to be vigilant.

9. The Book Of Eli (2010)- 'The Book Of Eli" might be aptly described as an apocalyptic western. Everything in it is dusty. The color palette is all shades of brown. And with a top notch cast of Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman and Jennifer Beals it's hard to miss. The movie begins 30 years after an apocalyptic event. Eli is walking West with a top secret book. Much of the show's time is spent with Bad Guy Carnegie trying to take the book away from Eli. Instead, I wish Eli could have traveled to other locales so we get a better picture of this world (but no one asked me). "The Book Of Eli" has a fun twist ending. Your interpretation of the movie will vary though depending on your religious views. I personally enjoyed it and found it's message of faith comforting.

8. I Am Legend (2007)- It's three years after a virus (and hopeful cancer cure) has wiped out much of the Earth's population. Robert Neville (Will Smith) spends much of the movie alone. His only companion is a cute German Shepherd. During the day he hunts in an overgrown New York City. At night, he hides in his heavily fortified house. In between, he runs experiments on the creatures to see if you can find a cure.

Interestingly, this is the third adaptation of Robert Matheson's 1954 book "I Am Legend". The first was the 1964 movie "The Last Man On Earth" staring Vincent Price. The colorized version is currently available on Amazon. The initial vamp/zombies here are very slow and stupid. The second is the 1971 movie staring Charleston Heston called "The Omega Man". The vamp/zombies here are robe wearing albinos for some reason. In the Will Smith version the vamp/zombies are very fast moving CGI creatures. I believe better monsters would have enhanced the viewing experience but we got what we got. These movie is as much about the effects of isolation as anything else.

7. Soylent Green (1973)- Yes this is one of many dystopian movies created by Charles Heston in the 1970s. Let's not forget the previously mentioned "Omega Man" and "Planet Of The Apes". In 2022 (which isnt that far off) global warming has destroyed the planet. There is no food so people are forced to eat different colored soy/plankton products. A few have more privileged lives. I will not quote the now famous line (since it will give away the secret), My only criticism (besides Heston's over the top acting) is that the ending could have been handled differently to give it more umph. Am I wrong?

6. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)- There's are tons of disaster movies (all the way back to "Airport" in 1970). "The Day After Tomorrow" is an example of what happens when the something in the genre is done well. There are lots of top notch actors-- Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal and Sela Ward. The special effects are super cool. We care about the main characters (so what if millions of other people die). Yes, the story is WAY over the top but who cares. Mother Nature kicks some serious ass here.

5. Mad Max (1979 to 2015)- There are currently four films in the "Mad Max" series. For those unfamiliar, it tells the story of a loner who does his best to survive a in dystopian Australian landscape. After seeing all four, I gotta say "Fury Road" is my favorite. Tom Hardy takes over the role of Mad Max from Mel Gibson and Charlize Theron is added as Furiosa. It's an absolutely over the top adrenaline rush and I loved it. See my review here: Mad Max Fury Road "Road Warrior" would be my second favorite but they're all definitely worth a watch.

4. On The Road (2009)- The movie is based on a book by Cormac McCathy by the same name. An unnamed man (played by Viggo Mortensen) and his son roam the countryside after an unknown disaster wipes out most of life on Earth. They attempt to make it to ocean while trying not to get eaten by the many cannibals roaming the countryside. "The Road" is bleak, bleak, bleak. You may need a hug after watching this one.

3. The Mist (2007)- "The Mist" is based on a Stephen King novella. Fog descends on a small community and the residents must band together to figure out what is going on. As is to be expected all sorts of craziness ensues. Thomas Jane, Laurie Holden and Marcia Gay Harden star. Note: Make sure you dont confuse this version with the dreadful SpikeTV adaptation that is currently airing. See my review of that here: The Mist 2017

2. 12 Monkeys (1995)- "12 Monkeys" stars Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt. A virus has wiped out most of the Earth's population. A group of survivors build a time machine and travel back in an attempt to correct the event. Of course, things don't go as planned since they don't have all the facts so they keep having to go back over and over again. While the movie is great the SyFy television series is even better. It's at the top of my "must see" list. See my review here: 12 Monkeys (The Series) Warning though, your brain will hurt after watching it.