Ten of the Most Atmospheric Post-Apocalyptic Films

This week I decided that I would delve into a subject of which I am quite fond - the end of the world.  While there have been many movies made about how the world will supposedly in, ranging from humanity-destroying diseases to zombie hordes to alien invasions, few of these films manage to excel when it comes to putting together a believable post-apocalyptic world.  Either they glaze over the finer details, the people in the world act like they just walked out of the modern day or the movies themselves are little more than excuses to throw together yet another action blockbuster (or failure).  Some of these flicks, however, manage to get it right.  Not all of those successful are necessarily serious dramas, some of them are comedies in fact, but they do all manage to leave you with the impression that whatever world you’ve just entered is indeed post-apocalyptic.

Before presenting the list, I do have to admit that I’ve not seen every post-apocalyptic movie out there.  I also admit that I am somewhat biased in my choices, being that some of these are films that I’ve grown up on.  Still, I think this list of 10 is a good place to start for anyone with a love of the end of the world scenario.

Road Warrior (1981) -

Genre - Post-nuclear wasteland

By far one of the best looking post-apocalyptic franchises is the Mad Max series.  I chose the second of the films to put on the list because it happens to be my favorite, but they all excel equally when it comes to bringing the viewer a world that has gone bad.  The costumes in these films look amazing, truly like things put together from found materials.  The cars and buildings are dirty and edgy.  The people look, for the most part, as if they haven’t properly bathed in some time.  And the characters are almost all ruthless and out for themselves.  When you watch a Mad Max film, you are brought into a world that has been crafted with painstaking attention to detail.

Planet of the Apes (1968) -

Genre - Post-nuclear future

One of the classics of the genre, Planet of the Apes crafts an entire new world based on the rubble of the old one.  Enter a world where apes have evolved and taken control.  The human world was destroyed by its own arrogance and thus the monkeys inherit the Earth.  I recommend the original movie because the new one isn’t properly post-apocalyptic.  The gritty feeling of Planet of the Apes is excellent, even if the costuming and FX are definitely from 1968.

28 Days Later (2002) -

Genre - Viral infection/Zombie infestation

Though 28 Days Later does not deal with an apocalypse on a global scale, what it does with England alone is a brilliant look into what might happen should a rabies virus go horribly wrong.  Though the “zombies” are freaky and the tension of the film is excellent, where the movie really excels is in the way the characters handle the situation they’re in.  Some are good, but most are bad in some way.  And when they need to kill to survive, they do.  Whether you’re just looking for a great horror movie or want something that looks and feels as realistic as zombie movies get, this is one to check out.

The Road (2009) -

Genre - Nobody knows

The Road is unique in the post-apocalyptic genre in that it never chooses to explain exactly why things have gone to hell.  We see images of burning forests, walk through shattered cities and encounter people that are degenerating into beasts.  This movie is perhaps one of the best at delving right into the heart of what people would do should they think the world was ending.  No one, not even the protagonist, is altruistic.  And the way the movie looks is beautiful in its desolation.  A great combination of atmosphere and overall movie quality.

A Boy and His Dog (1975) -

Genre - Post-nuclear wasteland/comedy

This flick is one of the relatively unknown classics of the post-nuclear wasteland genre.  A Boy and His Dog depicts a world where people are barely holding on after the bombs have fallen.  Things are, in the usual post-nuclear way, dirty, edgy, and covered in sand.  The people are mostly scoundrels and bandits roam about causing problems for everyone.  But A Boy and His Dog also explores the bizarre mirror of the nuclear wasteland - a secured compound still living in the mindset of the 50s (albeit evolved to deal with certain post-nuclear problems).  This movie is, in fact, one of the chief influences on the Fallout video game series, with its strange, dark humor.  The ratings at Rotten Tomatoes put it at 75/63%, which isn’t too impressive, but if you’re a fan of post-nuclear flicks, this is one that should not be missed.

Dawn of the Dead (1978) -

Genre - Zombie infestation

What can only be described as “The” classic zombie movie, George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead depicts a world where zombies have taken over the Earth and the living are left to struggle on.  The “of the Dead” franchise as a whole explores the many facets of this world, but Dawn gives us a glimpse into one group of survivors trying to make the best of it as they set up a new home in a remote mall.  Of course, while the undead menace is somewhat controllable, the human one isn’t.  With great special effects and a simple storyline, this is one of the more immersive and realistic zombie-apocalypse movies out there.

Children of Men (2006) -

Genre - Impending extinction (disease?)

Put together by the same director that’s being praised right now for Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron), Children of Men is a great look at a world slowly falling into the post-apocalyptic state.  People have stopped being able to have children and everyone knows that the human race is done for and what results is a world that is just waiting to die.  Cuaron does a brilliant job with the look and feel of this film.  It’s not the blasted wasteland that usually accompanies a post-apocalyptic movie, but instead depicts the rot and decay (both physically and socially) that occurs as everyone simply stops giving a crap.

9 (2009) -

Genre - Robot uprising

One of my favorites by far, 9 is one of the only post-apocalyptic robot uprising films that you will find out there.  Seriously, I looked and almost all of them are pre-apocalyptic.  Still, even if it had competition from movies better than Terminator 4, it would still be on this list.  The folks at Rotten Tomatoes don’t seem to agree, giving it a not-so-nice 57/55%, but I would protest this lack of vision.  9 is a visual spectacle that creates a world so beautiful and original that it makes Cameron’s Avatar look like amateur hour.  The story is a typical hero’s journey, though it’s not really a happy ending type of film.  The broken shells of cities, robotic creatures built from the scraps of the dead and even the heroes themselves all combine to make one of the best post-apocalyptic worlds ever designed.

Cherry 2000 (1987) -

Genre - Societal decline/comedy

I have to admit that this entry is a guilty pleasure.  Just taking a look at Rotten Tomatoes to witness their 0/38% rating will tell you that it’s not a great film.  What it is, however, is a fun comedy about a man that loves his robotic sex doll so much that he risks his life in the wasteland to find a replacement for her when she breaks down.  The characters are ridiculous at best and the sets aren’t what you’d call exceptional, but the dystopian/wasteland atmosphere of Cherry 2000 is excellent.  It’s only a shame that the rest of the movie isn’t quite as good.  Still, if you like campy cult films, put this one on your list.

Oblivion (2013) -

Genre - Alien invasion

And finally, I had to have at least one alien invasion apocalypse to add to the list and, honestly, there aren’t that many out there.  Almost all the alien invasion flicks involve the fighting before the fall and not what happens when humanity loses.  Oblivion takes this less traveled road with its approach and does so in a world that looks great.  The sets, costumes and overall atmosphere are some of the best I’ve seen in modern films.  They capture both the opulence of the high-tech survivors and the left-over feel of the last remnants of Earth.  Don’t listen to critics on this one, Oblivion is a great addition to the sci-fi world and the post-apocalyptic genre.

Photo Credits -

Road Warrior courtesy of ew.com

Planet of the Apes courtesy of fanpop.com

28 Days Later courtesy of ruthlessreviews.com

The Road courtesy of rogerebert.com

A Boy and His Dog courtesy of dogstoryvideos.com

Dawn of the Dead courtesy of horrorfanzine.con

Children of Men courtesy of drafthouse.com

9 courtesy of reviewsstl.com

Cherry 2000 courtesy of teleport-city.com

Oblivion courtesy of news.discovery.com