This is my current list of fave apocalypse movies and shows. It’s very likely to change in a year or even tomorrow as I see new and cool things.
These aren’t in any particular order, because I like them all for different reasons. I’ll put my main reason for listing it with each item. Some of these moved into my fave list after the recent pandemic, how it was created and spread, and then used to control the world. What happened to us in 2020 and what we allowed to happen to us has been seen over and over in movies, and still we fell for it.
Now, to lighten the mood a bit before you read on, here’s a lovely pic of me at the spot where the OG zombie movie Night of the Living Dead was filmed.
This TV movie from 1983 hits the list because it scared the piss out of me as an 8yo kid who watched it on TV, couldn’t sleep the entire night fearing a nuclear war, and then talked about it for days with my friends.
I think my biggest fear was not looking away fast enough and going flash blind.
This was an indie zombie movie that was never completed, but the main bad guy who took over and started killing everyone was played by…ME! It was actually a really good script that showcased how the most dangerous creatures in any type of apocalypse are the people.
Even though the movie was never completed, you can still see the trailer on my Youtube channel.
I never watched this series when it came on because I didn’t have cable and it was before streaming was a thing. But once I started watching it on Netflix, I was immediately hooked.
Although some stuff is hyped for drama, the show is incredibly realistic for what could happen.
This movie hits on several levels. A zombie type plague from a vaccine, great action scenes, a great dog companion…but what really hits for me was seeing New York being reclaimed by nature, just like Chuck Palahniuk described in Fight Club.
To me, this was Will Smith at his finest.
I love zombie movies, but this one was different in ways that made it believable. The zombie like virus was created in a lab and there were no walking dead, just living monsters. And they were fast.
Almost all the same reasons as the previous listing of 28 Days Later. This is also another one of those “the book is so much better” movies. Even so, Brad Pitt and his production company did a great job bringing it to life.
I’m a child of the 80’s and 90’s and malls were our thing. I think every kid from that time period dreamed about living in a mall or at least being locked in after hours to run free and explore.
In that theme, where better to hold out after a zombie apocalypse than inside a mall.
Here’s the mall where the original Dawn of the Dead was filmed…
I believe Kevin Costner’s longform works are his best, and this post-apocalyptic drama certainly fits the bill. It’s a realistic look at the world years after everything fell apart. What kind of governments and groups survive after the US falls apart? Until things come back together, people realize that only the strong survive. After all, that’s what built America. And the strong aren’t always the good guys.
Plus, there’s a great cameo by Tom Petty.
This zombie movie is just plain fun. But in addition to all the fun, it teaches some core rules for survival in ways that you’ll remember.
This moern remake of the original is another one that, to me, seems incredibly possible. The government screws up and releases something they should never have created, and the populace pays the price.
Here’s a screenshot from the original Crazies movie plus a pic of me at the same spot…
If you disagree with any or have better suggestions, I’d love to know, just let me know why. Feel free to comment, here, on my social media, or send me a message.
Now go enjoy some good end of the world movies the rest of the day!