It's The End Of The World As We Know It
I have been obsessed with end of the world stories since as long as I can remember. This list does not necessarily represent my favourites, but simply those I have watched over the years. The movies on the list revolve around man-made or natural disasters, famine or plague, extra-terrestrial threat or other vaguely believable end-of-the-world scenarios. Thus not including the likes of vampires or zombies except where their appearance is explained by some scientific means.
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- DirectorJohn HillcoatStarsViggo MortensenCharlize TheronKodi Smit-McPheeIn a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea.An awesome movie from probably one of my top five end of the world novels ever.
- DirectorStanley KramerStarsGregory PeckAva GardnerFred AstaireAfter a global nuclear war, the residents of Australia must come to terms with the fact that all life will be destroyed in a matter of months.This is the classic end of the world story, and still one of the best.
- StarsGary SiniseMolly RingwaldJamey SheridanAfter a deadly plague kills most of the world's population, the remaining survivors split into two groups - one led by a benevolent elder and the other by a malevolent being - to face each other in a final battle between good and evil.An adequate, but not overwhelmingly good, adaptation of Stephen King's fine addition to the genre.
- DirectorUbaldo RagonaSidney SalkowStarsVincent PriceFranca BettoiaEmma DanieliWhen a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter.The first, slightly hammy attempt to film I Am Legend
- DirectorBoris SagalStarsCharlton HestonAnthony ZerbeRosalind CashDr Robert Neville has developed an experimental vaccine which makes him the only immune survivor of a biological catastrophe. A gang of homicidal mutants blame science for their condition and attempt to kill him.Another go at I Am Legend, in a very 70s style.
- DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsWill SmithAlice BragaCharlie TahanYears after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.And this time, even though they kept the title, they still didn't get it right. A decent attempt, but the ending was dreadful.
- DirectorSteve SekelyFreddie FrancisStarsHoward KeelNicole MaureyJanette ScottAfter an unusual meteor shower leaves most of the human population blind, a merchant navy officer must find a way to conquer tall, aggressive plants which are feeding on people and animals.John Wyndham's classic given a typical treatment for it's day. Pretty good, but the story deserves better.
- DirectorCornel WildeStarsNigel DavenportJean WallaceJohn HamillAn environmental catastrophe destroys civilization. Led by father John and mother Ann, the Custance clan sets out on a quest for safety in a savage world that may just end up turning them into the very thing they are fleeing.A slightly low budget attempt to film John Christopher's classic The Death Of Grass.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsGene BarryAnn RobinsonLes TremayneA small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion.Moves the action of the novel to America in the fifties rather than London in the late 19th century. But otherwise does a decent job.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom CruiseDakota FanningTim RobbinsAn alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival.Unlike the Spielberg version, which also moves the action to America, but also pretty much throws out the entire story and creates a new one.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsWill SmithBill PullmanJeff GoldblumThe aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive.In fact, this pretty much did a better job of updating War of the Worlds for a modern era than the one which actually had the title.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsJohn CusackThandiwe NewtonChiwetel EjioforA frustrated writer struggles to keep his family alive when a series of global catastrophes threatens to annihilate mankind.Totally over the top and preposterous, this could actually be the worst end of the world movie ever made.
- DirectorVal GuestStarsEdward JuddJanet MunroLeo McKernWhen the U.S. and Russia unwittingly test atomic bombs at the same time, it alters the nutation (axis of rotation) of the Earth.Low budget British film which captures exactly the right tone of fatalism and creeping dread.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaWalter MatthauFritz WeaverA technical malfunction sends American planes to Moscow to deliver a nuclear attack. Can all-out war be averted?In fact the end of the world is narrowly averted in this one, but it is the looming threat of this which drives the narrative. A gripping movie with a great ending.
- DirectorJimmy T. MurakamiStarsPeggy AshcroftJohn MillsRobin HoustonA naive elderly British rural couple survive the initial onslaught of a nuclear war.Somehow the end of the world is even more heartbreaking when happening to cartoon pensioners.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonJoanne SamuelHugh Keays-ByrneIn a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.Considering what came after, it's hard remembering that this was a low-budget movie featuring an unknown lead. It does it's job, but doesn't deserve the cult status it holds.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonBruce SpenceMichael PrestonIn the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community get rid of a horde of bandits.Big budget sequel to the above, and slightly it's superior.
- DirectorGeorge MillerGeorge OgilvieStarsMel GibsonTina TurnerBruce SpenceAfter being exiled from the most advanced town in post-apocalyptic Australia, a drifter travels with a group of abandoned children to rebel against the town's queen.Unnecessary, ludicrous and overwrought second sequel. Quite, quite bad.
- DirectorKevin ReynoldsStarsKevin CostnerJeanne TripplehornDennis HopperIn a future where the polar ice-caps have melted and Earth is almost entirely submerged, a mutated mariner fights starvation and outlaw "smokers," and reluctantly helps a woman and a young girl try to find dry land.Kevin Costner's attempt to do Mad Max on the high seas. Great looking but a lousy script and scenery-chewing performances make it a curiousity only.
- DirectorKevin CostnerStarsKevin CostnerWill PattonLarenz TateA nameless drifter dons a postman's uniform and bag of mail as he begins a quest to inspire hope to the survivors living in post-apocalyptic America.Costner's second attempt to do post-apocalyptic is a big improvement. Not perfect, but a better movie than it's given credit for.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsJulianne MooreClive OwenChiwetel EjioforIn 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have somehow become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.One of the best of the genre in recent years, showing a dying rather than a dead world slowly falling into decay, but with a ray of hope for the future.
- DirectorJack SmightStarsJan-Michael VincentGeorge PeppardDominique SandaIn a post-apocalyptic world, a group of survivors travel and find other settlements in huge custom designed all terrain vehicles.I loved this film as a kid. Looking at it today, with a better cast and effects it could have been a pretty good movie, but as it is, just an interesting side-note.
- DirectorAndrew StantonStarsBen BurttElissa KnightJeff GarlinIn the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.Yep, you don't think of this as an end of the world movie, do you? But it is, and actually a damned good one, although more interesting while Earth-bound than when they get to the space-ship.
- DirectorPeter WatkinsStarsMichael AspelPeter GrahamDave BaldwinA docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain.Filmed by the BBC but not shown for 20 years, this was a mock documentary of the effects of a global nuclear war. Has some great moments, but one wonders just how fragile the authorities thought people were in the sixties if they would be unable to handle it.
- DirectorMick JacksonStarsKaren MeagherReece DinsdaleDavid BrierlyThe effects of a nuclear holocaust on the working class city of Sheffield, England and the eventual long-term effects of nuclear war on civilization.Similar to the War Game but with a more dramatic element, again made by British television. Bleak and uncompromising with possible a few too many gratuitous attempts to shock.