List film apocalypse

1) I Am Legend, 2007

I Am Legendtells the story ofRobert Neville: the apparent sole survivor of a disease that has decimated humanity, and left him eking out a meagre and lonely existence in the heart of New York City. With the city dominated by terrifying, vampiric creatures, Neville (and eventually, his trusty canine companion) spends his days foraging for supplies, and his nights holed-up in his safehouse until one day, he lefts his guard down.

This particular adaptation of Richard Mathesons classic novel (#13 in our round-up of the 50 best post-apocalyptic books) took a lot of heat for its non-canon ending: taking a decidedly Hollywood approach to the films conclusion, and arguably, changing the entire films message. If youre aftera more true-to-the-book interpretation, check out 1971sOmega Man.

2) Omega Man, 1971

Speak of the devil: if youre interested in watching a counterpoint to Will Smithsglossy, overly-polished adaptation of Mathesons novel,Omega Mantakes the same source material and runs in a completely different direction. Though not without a few artistic liberties (biological warfare is responsible for the end of days, and not a mysterious bacterial plague), the over-arching message of the 1971 adaptationstays much closer to the spirit of the bookcreating a story vastly more profound and thought-provoking than the 2007 adaptation.

3)The Road, 2009

Winning the accolade ofmost depressing filmin a list of post-apocalyptic movies is no mean feat, butThe Roadmanages topaintthe most desolate picture of the apocalypse Ive ever seen.

Based on Cormac McCarthys incredible novel of the same name (and #39 in our list ofthe 50 best post apocalyptic books),The Roadstars Vigo Mortensen as the Man: a nameless wanderer, shepherding his only son through a dangerous and disturbing world. Beautiful and bleak in equal measure,The Roadmanages to liveup to the excellence of its source material.

4) Mad Max, 1979

Studded leather, muscle cars and Mel Gibson: either Im watching a celebrity edition ofWorlds Wildest Police Chases,or its time to talk about the legendaryMad Max.

The films protagonist, Max Rockatansky, is a former police officer, driven to a life of isolation after the murder of his family. As society crumbles around him, he reluctantly takes up the mantle of vigilante, and eventually, hero: helping tostem the tide of marauding bandits threateningto destroy the last remnants ofcivilisation.

Mad Maxsvivid wasteland and larger-than-life characters haveplayed a huge role in shaping the latest generation of post-apocalyptic fiction, includingvideo games likeRAGEand theFalloutseries.The success ofMad Maxalsospawned two sequels (Mad Max 2: The Road WarriorandMad Max Beyond Thunderdome), and most recently, a remake, in the form ofMad Max: Fury Road

5) Mad Max 2, 1981

Mad Max 2picks up where the original left off, packing avibrant design aesthetic, violent fight scenes, and desolate, beautiful cinematography. Following a broken, beaten Max on a journey to rediscover his humanity, the film tracks a running conflict between peaceful settlers and bloodthirsty (bondage gear-wearing) marauders; creating a cult classic in the process.

Mad Max 2s comic-book vibe has had a huge impact onpost apocalyptic fiction, with its influence visible everywhere from video games (bothBorderlandsandRAGEsaesthetic owe a debt of thanks to Max Rockatansky) to later films (likeWaterworldandDoomsday, both featured in this list). If youve ever played theFalloutfranchise, youll even see heavy similarities between Max and his faithful canine companion, and the games leather jacket-clad protagonist and his trusty companion Dogmeat.

6) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,1985

The last film to feature Mel Gibson,Beyond Thunderdomesees Mad Max don gladiatorial garb to enter the Thunderdome, and face off against a dwarf-giant alliance known as Master Blaster.

From an eternal nuclear summer, to a community of orphans living out of the wreckage of a downed 747 (and even featuring Tina Turner in a leading role), the third instalment to the Mad Max pantheon is a surreal, exciting romp through the post apocalypse.

7) Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015

30-years after the last Mad Max film,Fury RoadseesTom Hardy take the series reins from Mel Gibson. After Maxs capture by tyrannical bandits, and the escape of one of the bandits own warriors (played by Charlize Theron), an uneasy alliance is forged between the two, as they attempt to escape their pursuers in the armoured truck known as the War Rig.

TenAcademy Award nominations (and six victories) later, and this newcomer to the legendary Mad Max franchise has cemented its place as a worthy additionto Max Rockatanskys legacy.

8)Children of Men, 2006

Children of Mentakes a different approach to the apocalypse.

Instead of seeing theworld destroyed by a deluge of asteroids, an outbreak of mysterious virus, or an uprising of sentient monkeys (Im looking at you,Planet of the Apes), its a far quieter demise that befalls humanity: a sudden, inexplicable and incurable case of infertility. With humanitys future called into question, the Earths few remaining children find themselves idolised, even fought-over: and the worlds ageing population begins to grind to a halt.

This film version of PD James classic novelThe Children of Men(clocking in at #26 in our list of the50 best post-apocalyptic books) manages to pack-in a surprising amount of action and drama, making it an absolute must-watch for any fans of post-apocalyptic drama.

9) A Boy and His Dog, 1975

If the preceding films have struck you as all too serious and foreboding, its time to enter the post apocalyptic world ofA Boy and His Dog.The story follows 18-year old Vic, and telepathic dog, Blood, as they scavenge for food in the ruined wastes of America.

When the duo encounter an underground community, Vic realises all too late that hes been lured there for a single, nefarious purpose: sex. For reasons I dont fully understand, Vic takes it upon himself to escape and rejoin his trusty telepathic companion.

10) Snowpiercer, 2013

As the Earths climate spiralled out of control, the world united in their decision to face the calamity head-on: but unfortunately, their attempts at climate engineeringtransform the world into an inhospitable, ice-covered wasteland.

Now, the planets sole survivors live aboardSnowpiercer a high-speed train stuck perpetually circling the globe. In a classic dystopian twist, the train is divided into lower-class and upper-class sections and as a cryptic message finds its way to the rear of the train, it looks like an uprising is imminent.

11) Doomsday, 2008

Scotland has enduredits fair share of strife over the years, from the erection of Hadrians Wall to the invention of the deep fried Mars bar. Unfortunately, both events vanish into insignificance in light ofThe Reaper Virus leading to the complete segregation of Scotland from the rest of mainland Britain.

When an outbreak of the virus occurs in England, some 27 years after the quarantine, the government send out an investigative party beyond the border and within minutes of their arrival, they find themselves captive in a Medieval castle.

Fun fact: if youre also a fan ofFallout 4,you can downloadDoomsdays famous face paint as a sweet hi-res mod.

12) The Day After Tomorrow, 2004

From wolves roaming the snow-covered wastes of New York, to helicopter pilotsliterally freezing solid,The Day After Tomorrowis a smorgasbord of climate-induced post apocalyptic carnage.

The story follows Jack Hall, a paleoclimatologist (and general doomsayer) as he tries to convince the worlds governments to prepare for a climate-changing weather event. A few hurricanes, snowstorms and tsunamis later, and a new Ice Age is threatening to swallow the world and Jacks son with it.

13) Damnation Alley, 1977

Based onRoger Zelaznys book of the same name,Damnation Alleysees the world succumb to the impacts of nuclear war, as the US and Russia trade world-ending blows at the climax of the Cold War.

The end result is a planet titled off its axis, creating huge sandstorms, off-the-chart radiation levels, and a few giant, mutated scorpions for good measure. To this post apocalyptic backdrop we chart the journey of Lieutenant Jake Tanner and Major Sam Denton, as they try to cross the perilous Damnation Alley in search of the source of a mysterious radio transmission.

14) Oblivion, 2013

The world ofOblivionhas seen better days: after an extraterrestrial war, Earth is a destroyed, empty place, home only to a few rogue aliens and the drones that are tasked with destroying them.

Sent down from the orbiting platform that houses the worlds population, Jack Harper (played by Tom Cruise) is tasked with maintaining these drones until a chance encounter with a scavenger (Morgan Freeman) leads Jack to discover that not everything is as it seems.

Fun fact:Obliviontakesplace in the year 2077, familiar to many fans of post apocalyptic fiction as the yeartheFalloutfranchisesGreat War.

15) 9, 2009

At the end of the world, what will be left behind? The Tim Burton film9sets out to answer that question, following a small band of sentient rag dolls as they struggle to evade the machines that constantly seek them.

Based on a short story of the same name, the film tackles grand, existential issues through the unassuming guise of an animated film, pairing beautiful visuals with some deep and disturbing plot twists, making9one of the most profound and original post apocalyptic movies on this list.

16) The Last Man on Earth, 1964

The Last Man on Earthwas the first film adaptation of Richard Mathesons incredible novelI Am Legend(alongsideOmega Manand Will Smiths eponymous take) and the only version to feature Mathesons guiding influence.

Starring legendary screen-smith Vincent Price, and filmed almost entirely in the Italian city of Rome, this half-a-century old take on a classic post apocalyptic story recently fell into public domain allowing you to watch it for free!

17) Shaun of the Dead, 2004

Who said the apocalypse had to be alldoom and gloom?

The first of Simon Pegg and Nick Frosts hallowed Cornetto Trilogy,Shaun of the Deadis a scary and hilarious mixture of romance, comedy and zombies (yep its arom-zom-com).The films protagonist, Shaun, finds himself struggling to balancehis love life, best friend, family and career when a bigger, zombie-shaped problem begins to loom on the horizon. In true British style, he seeks refuge in the safest place he knows: the pub.

Personal favouritescene: the films titular character beating thelivingcrap out of a zombie with a pool cue, to the sound of Queens Dont Stop Me Now.

18) The Worlds End, 2013

The Worlds Endroundsup the Cornetto Trilogy(film #2 is the awesome-but-not-apocalypse-relatedHot Fuzz), and likeShaun of the Dead,most of the action takes place in British pubs and bars.

The film follows a group of childhood friends, now grown-up, and attempting to recapture their glory days with a pub-crawl to end all pub-crawls. Unfortunately,the story unfolds in an all-too-literal way, as an alien invasionforces the drunken anti-heroes to try and defend all of humanity. Things do not go all together well.

19)Zombieland, 2009

Zombielandis anothertake on the zombie-comedy genre, featuringa killer cast(including the awesome Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone) battling their way through post-apocalyptic America.

Facing hordes of zombies (courtesy of a nasty strain ofmad cow disease), the films protagonists use any and all weapons at their disposal to make it to their end goal: whether thats finding love, reaching a creepy-as-hell amusement park, or in one case, looking for the worlds lastTwinkie.

Semi-spoiler alert: theres a hilarious,hilariouscameo from Bill Murray. Like, funny enough to warrant watching the film just for his scenes.

20) This Is the End, 2013

Its a classic story: youre hanging out in your mansion with your millionaire celebrity friends, when you realise youve run out of cigarettes. En route to the convenience store,the rapture happens, turning your entire neighbourhood into an apocalyptic battleground between the forces of good and evil.

This is the Endprovides a deeply satisfying answer to a question I never even knew I had: what would happen to a band of comedic actors (and Emma Watson) in the event of the apocalypse? Exorcism, cannibalism, murder, and a whole heap of laughs.

21)World War Z, 2013

World War Zis a big screen adaptation of Max Brooks killerpseudo-documentary novel of the same name (and #49 in our list of the50 best post-apocalyptic books).

The film followsGerry Lane, a retired United Nations investigator (played by Brad Pitt), as he tries totrack down the source of zombie outbreak thats engulfing the worlds countries at a terrifying pace. Though a pretty big departure from Max Brooks source material,WorldWar Zsucceeds at being an exciting big-budget Hollywood take on the classic zombie apocalypse scenario.

22)WALL-E, 2008

Its the year 2805, and Earth as we know it has been destroyed: buried under billions of tons of garbage. The planets sole inhabitant is an artificially intelligent robot, tasked with reviving the stricken planet and restoring it to its former glory.

Sounds terrifying, right? Well, maybe not:Wall-Eis an animatedfamily film, created by the same folks responsible forFinding Nemo.And though it isnt a particularly dark, depressing or scary take on the post-apocalypse, it does paint a pretty compelling picture of the damage humanity can do to the planet and the price wed have to pay as a result. If you want a break from edge-of-seat thrillers and hiding-behind-the-sofa scare flicks,Wall-Eis well worth a watch.

23)Threads, 1984

Hollywood doesnt have a monopoly on post-apocalyptic movies. Our next entry,Threads,is a BBC-produced film from 1984 and despite being shot on a meagre budget of just £250,000, it manages to offer one of the most brutally realistic depictions of life after nuclear Armageddon.

The film follows two families as conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact escalates to fever pitch: and then charts the tragedies and horrors that befall them in the aftermath of a nuclear exchange.Toquote one reviewer,Threadsis:

[the]film which comes closest to representing the full horror of nuclear war and its aftermath, as well as the catastrophic impact that the event would have on human culture

24) 28 Days Later, 2002

Remember the whole waking up in a hospital bed thingfrom the first episode ofThe Walking Dead?You have the British film28 Days Laterto thank for that trope.

After genetic experiments get seriously out of hand , a deadly virus (known asRagefor reasons that become very apparent) is let loose upon the population. A month later and the films protagonist wakes up in a hospital in the centre of London, and finds himself forcedto battle his way through the zombie-infested city in search of a fabled safe zone: a military checkpoint several hundred miles away.

28 Days Lateris my personal favourite post-apocalyptic movie: packed-full of suspense, action, and some surprisingly profound cultural commentary. It also haszombies.

25) 28 Weeks Later, 2007

28 Weeks Laterpicks up six months after the Rage epidemic left off, as NATO forces struggle to carve out a safe zone in the heart of post apocalyptic London. Gradually, refugees are reintroduced to their homeland, but one of those refugees carries a deadly secret with them. Soon, Londons safe zone doesnt look so safe.

26)The Postman, 1997

After The Doomwar destroys almost all of the worlds technology, the USA is plunged into a second dark age. Small communities form in the ashes of society, but constantly preyed upon by marauding survivalists, and without a way to communicate with neighbouring settlements, societys fledgling progress finds itself stunted.

Enter the films protagonist: aman who stumbles upon the decayed body of a pre-war postman, and begins to assume his identity: first for personal gain, and eventually, for the good of civilisation.

The film is based upon David Brins classic novelThe Postman(#38 in our list of the 50 best post apocalyptic books),andcontains the type ofcrazyplot twist youd expect from ascience-fiction author. Though the film didnt live up to the high standards of the book, its still a must-watch for any die-hard fan of post apocalyptic movies(and if you think Kevin Costner and the apocalypse is a winning combination, it might be worth checking outWaterworld:another sprawling, post-apocalyptic epic that reached a little too far).

27) Waterworld, 1995

Kevin Costner had a really bad run in the 90s almost ruinously bad but for some reason, both of the films responsible are decidedlygood.

It seems fitting thattwo post apocalyptic movies would be responsible for ending the career of Costner, and we probably have theslow-paced epicThe Postmanand the huge budget overreach ofWaterworldto thank for delaying the cause of post apocalyptic fiction but a decade.

Waterworldin particular was the (then) most expensive film ever made and though the story of melted ice caps and roving bands of pirates never quite lived up to the hype, its still a must-watch for any fans of the genre.

28)Planet of the Apes, 1968

When a lone astronaut crash lands on an alien planet, he hopes to findsurvivors ofa previous expedition to the surface: but instead, he finds himself captured by a terrifying race of sentient beings. In one of the most famous stories ever told in a post apocalyptic movie, the astronaut discovers that humanity has been enslaved by a civilisation of intelligent apes and that getting home might be harder than hed hoped.

The phenomenal success ofThe Planet of the Apesbirthed an armada of sequels and reboots, and theres life yet in the franchise. Most recently,2011sRise of the Planet of the Apesexplored the origin of the films super-intelligent apes, with a sequel released in 2014 (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and an upcoming film (War for the Planet of the Apes)slated for a 2017 release date.

29) Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2011

Gritty reboots seem to be the defining trend of 2000s cinema, so it seems fitting that the now slightly camp, outdatedPlanet of the Apesseries should have new life breathed into it.

Rise of the Planet of the Apesis the series origin story, and follows a scientists attempts to cure Alzheimers diseases. While testing the drug on, you guessed it, chimpanzees, one of the subjects escapes on a violent rampage. The scientist (played by James Franco) takes it upon himself to raise the chimps orphaned offspring a chimpanzee with seemingly human levels of intelligence.

30) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, 2014

At the risk of ruining the conclusion of the last film,Dawn of the Planet of the Apesfollows a horde of super-intelligent apes on their journeyto reclaim their world after a bout of Simian Flu has destroyed over 99% of the worlds human population.

The film follows Caesar, the series protagonistand now leader of a tribe of apes, as he strives to set up a safe-haven for himself and the other chimpanzees running into direct conflict with the remnants of humanity in the process.

31) War of the Planet of the Apes, 2017

The next film in the series is scheduled for release in July of this year, and is set to follow the events of an all-out war between man- and ape-kind. Despite Caesars best intentions, it shows the ape wrestling with their deeper, darker urges their need for revenge against the race that enslaved them.

32) Logans Run, 1976

In the 2274, humanity is banded together in a sealed city, clustered beneath a giant structure of geodesic domes, and overseen entirely by a super-intelligent computer. The computer dictates every aspect of humanitys existence, from life to, at the age of 30, death.

Logans Runfollows one resident as he nears the end of his life clock, and his escape from the dystopian world (and its militarised police force, theSandmen) into the overgrown wilderness of post apocalyptic Washington.

33) Escape from New York, 1981

Modern-day Manhattans crime problem doesnt look so bad when compared to the New York of John Carpenters classic film.

With the countrys crime levels spiralling out of control, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a maximum security prison. After the crash of Airforce One into the heart of the prison island, ex-solider Snake Plissken (played by Kurt Russell) is given 24 hours to find and rescue the president from the clutches of the islands criminal residents.

34) Terminator Salvation, 2009

I straight-up loveThe Terminatorfilms, but despite my urge to includeTerminator 2on every film roundup ever made,Salvationis the only film to make the grade. Though the threat of total global annihilation hangs over the entire franchise, its only in the most recent film that we get to fully indulge in the post apocalypse.

The film follows John Connor (played by Christian Bale) as he leads the resistance against Skynets horde of armored, sentient machines and its greatest weapon yet: the T-800, made famous by the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger.

35)The Matrix, 1999

At some point in the distant past of theThe Matrixuniverse, mankindachieved a monumental milestone: the creation oftrueartificial intelligence. Unfortunately (as tends to be the case in the post-apocalyptic genre), things get slightly out of hand; eventually forcing mankind to take extreme measures to combat the sentient machines, and destroy their source of power: the sun.As one of the films main characters, Morpheus, states:

We dont know who struck first, us or them. But we do know it was us that scorched the sky.

Packed full of mind-blowing action and a whole ton of killer plot twists,The Matrixis a phenomenal post-apocalyptic film.

36) The Matrix Reloaded, 2003

Featuring fast cars and huge French chateaus,The Matrix Reloadedfeels like indulgent bourgeois counterpart to the film noir world of its predecessor.

Packed full of even more mind-blowing action than the first film,Reloadedfollows Neo, Morpheus and Trinity in their journey through the distorted reality ofThe Matrix,and the crew of the hovercraftLogosin their battle through the desolate, perilous real world outside.

37) The Matrix Revolutions, 2003

Revolutionswas the thirdand final piece in the Wachowskis sentient puzzle, and takes place almost entirely in the real world of the Matrix a scorched wasteland of grim towers and murderous machines.

Ripe with biblical analogy, and for many people, a step too far in the franchise,The Matrix Revolutionsis nonetheless an epic conclusion to the trilogy.

38) Equilibrium, 2002

Equilibriumhas everything a great dystopian film needs: a secret police force of heavily armed, unwaveringly loyal soldiers; a post apocalyptic world, destroyed by World War III; and a required regimen of emotion-suppressing narcotics.

But when an enforcement offer (played by Christian Bale) accidentally forgoes a dose, he begins to question the morality of his actions leading him into the hands of a small force of resistance fighters.

39) Stake Land, 2010

Stake Land starts with a familiar premise: the US has been ravaged by economic and political strife, and the countrys residence find themselves struggling to survive.From the frying pan, the films characters stagger into aroaring inferno as things take a turn for the apocalyptic as a vampire epidemic sweeps across the nation.

From there, its up to teenager Martin, and his vampire-hunting mentor Mister, to carve out a safe piece of farmland for themselves from the vampire-infested country that they once called home.

40) Reign of Fire, 2002

Reign of Fireis about as close to classic, Medieval-styled fantasy as post apocalyptic movies tend to get.

In the year 2000, British workers were tunnelling through the London underground when they stumbled upon a forgotten piece of Englands past: dragons. With humanitys nemesis reawakened, it falls to a small band of survivors to systematically hunt down and destroy the beasts.

41) Delicatessen, 1991

At the end of the world, good food is hard to come by even when youre in living in the once heart of fine dining, France.

Delicatessentells the surreal story of a French apartment block, and their resident butchers skill for sourcing fine, fresh meat. When their latest superintendent moves into the building, a former circus town, the origin of the meat is called into question with dark, strangely humorous consequences.

42) Stalker, 1979

Roadside Picnicis one of my favouritepost apocalyptic booksof all-time, combining Chernobyl-inspired fear of radiation, alien lifeforms andruthless scavengers known as Stalkers. The 1979 film by the same name is inspired by the classic novel, with its screenplay written by the books authors, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

The film follows an expedition composed of a writer, seeking inspiration, a scientist, keen for discovery, and their guide, a Stalker, into the irradiated, seemingly sentient area known asThe Zone.

43) Dawn of the Dead, 1978

George A Romeros cult classicDawn of the Deadwas one of the first zombie films to really garner attention, and with good reason: it combinesa catastrophic zombie apocalypsewith genuinely interesting characters, and subtle social commentary that captures the Zeitgeist ofAmerica during the turbulent 1970s.

Though a sequel to the equally awesomeNight of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Deadmakes the cut courtesy of the sheer number of post-apocalyptic clichés the film birthed: from the whole seeking shelter from the apocalypse in a shopping mall concept to the insane levels of gross-out gore found throughoutThe Walking Dead.

If the classic 1978 film doesnt appeal (it really should), theres a decent 2004 remake: and a whole ton of sequels, spin-offs and homages.

44) Day of the Dead, 1985

Day of the Deadis the third of George A RomerosDeadseries, and follows a band of scientists, soldiers and survivors, isolated in the Florida Everglades, as they try to unravel the mystery of the zombie epidemic. Unfortunately, as so often happens in these situations, zombie experimentation goes awry, and very quickly, the group of survivors turn on each other.

Day of the Deadreceived also a reboot in 2008, so if you struggle with older production values, you can still enjoy some classic, Romero-inspired horror.

45) Dawn of the Dead, 2004

While were on the topic of reboots,Dawn of the Deads2004 reanimation is a particularly great example of modern, post apocalyptic zombie fiction.

Following the same plot as the original, the film brings updated graphics, makeup and cinematography to bear on arguably the most famous post apocalyptic movie ever made, creating some of the most gruesome, grisly and unmissable scenes in all cinema.

46) On the Beach, 1959

Set during the golden age of post-apocalyptic fiction,On the Beachtells the story of a handful of survivors waiting for the end, in the aftermath of a global nuclear exchange. With only Australia spared from the conflict, the inhabitants of a small coastal town and the occupants of an offshore submarine band together to wait out the end of days and an oncoming deluge of lethal radiation.

Based on Nevil Shutes classic novel of the same name (and#19 in our round-up of the 50 best post-apocalyptic books),On the Beachcontains anall-star cast including Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire, and offersthe kind of powerful, deeply evocative story-telling that really captures the desperation and isolation of the apocalypses few remaining survivors.

47)The Book of Eli, 2010

InThe Book of Eli,Denzel Washington plays a lone drifter, wandering his way across the violent wastes of post-apocalyptic America.

As a skilled hunter, the films protagonist eventually draws the attention of a gang of violent mobsters, hell-bent on soliciting his fighting skills and the small book that never leaves his side.

Combining the bleak violence of a destroyed world with the fundamental human goodness of a handful of characters,The Book of Eliis a profound, engrossing and downright awesome post-apocalyptic film.

48) 12 Monkeys, 1995

Its the year 2035: and in the aftermath of a lethal virus wiping out 5 million of the Earths inhabitants, humanitys last remaining survivors are forced to live underground. In a desperate attempt to restore humanity, a convict volunteers to be sent back to the past, to identify, study and eradicate the virus before it obliterates mankind.

Directed by Terry Gilliam (renowned director ofMonty Python, BrazilandFear and Loathing in Las Vegasfame), and starring the likes of Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt,12 Monkeysis a weird and wonderful take on the post-apocalypse and though somewhat overlooked by history, its a must-watch for fans of the genre.

49)Blindness, 2008

Blindnessfollows the inhabitants of an unnamed city, ravaged by a complete and instantaneous bout of blindness. Within hours of the catastrophe, society has ground to a halt, with criminal gangs striking to seize control and prey upon the weak.

The novelBlindnessis based upon was written by Jose Saramago winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature (and#4 in our round-up of the 50 greatest post-apocalyptic books).As you might expect, the story is a beautifully crafted narrative that intertwines raw human emotion with layers of cultural commentary and insightful analysis.

Though the film adaptation doesnt live up to the heady heights of the the novel,Blindnessis still a stellar look at life during the breakdown of society.

50) Soylent Green, 1973

In 2022 (so weve only got a couple of years folks!) the Earth is hugely overpopulated, and smothered by catastrophic pollution as a result. Tasked with the mammoth job of keeping humanity fed is Soylent Industries: relying on the oceans plankton to keep mankind satiated.

In the midst of a murder investigation, Detective Thorn (played by none other than Charlton Heston) stumbles upon Soylents dark secret: and the worlds continued existence is called into question.