Summary

• The best apocalypse movies on Prime Video depict the collapse of society and highlight the survivors' struggles.
• These films push the boundaries of human drama, unraveling social realities and the politics of survival.
• From the 80s to the 2010s, great apocalyptic films are available on Prime Video, showcasing hope in the midst of despair.

The best apocalypse movies on Prime Video have one thing in common: they imagine the collapse of modern society and hold a broken mirror up to the unlucky survivors. In movies, the end of the world can be caused by a virus, zombies, nuclear war, a giant meteor, a water or food crisis, or some other natural or unnatural disaster. Either way, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic movies are about those who somehow survive the worst-case scenario for the planet.

This template affords filmmakers the perfect backdrop for pushing the boundaries of human drama. Amid impending doom for everything and everyone, social realities and the inherent politics of mundane things like survival are unraveled. Glimpses of tender, hilarious, and inspiring moments shine like beacons in the thick, nuclear clouds of hopelessness. In the wasteland, strangers signify hope and instant death. From the 80s to the 2010s, there are great apocalyptic films available to stream on Prime Video.

25 Mortal Engines (2018)

Post-Apocalyptic Steampunk Movie

Based on the novel by Philip Reeve, Mortal Engines is a post-apocalyptic steampunk movie produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Christian Rivers. It takes place in a future where the Sixty-Minute War destroyed much of the world and major cities have become mobile on devices called Traction Cities. Larger predator cities hunt down and absorb smaller cities and a rebellion has risen to try to bring down the powerful people who have taken control.

Jackson handpicked Rivers to direct the movie. The two had worked together since Jackson's early movies and Rivers won an Oscar for his visual effects work on King Kong. The movie ended up as a major box office bomb, making only $83 million on a $100-$150 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). However, the novel's author praised the movie despite its changes and it won an award from the Visual Effects Society for its design.

24 The Flash (2023)

Superhero Movie To Prevent Apocalyptic Future

The Flash is a time travel movie based on one of the most famous DC Comics stories in history, Flashpoint. That original comic showed Flash changing history to save his mother, only to create a dystopian future where everything was bad, and he had to work with Thomas Wayne's murderous Batman to revert the world. This created the DC New 52. In the movies, it was slightly different but kept the main concept of a world that would soon lead to an apocalypse thanks to General Zod's arrival on Earth.

Flash saw the world was going to fall thanks to his actions, ensuring Superman never showed up on Earth and Batman was a very different person. He then fought to revert the world to a semblance of its original state, while dealing with the fact that his actions also created a villain who wanted things to stay the same. It was a box office failure but was nowhere near as bad as some critics and fans made it out to be.

23 The Forever Purge (2021)

Apocalyptic Dystopian Horror Movie

The first Purge film was a solid home invasion horror movie that took place in a future where - for one night of the year - all crime, including murder, is legal. The government set this up to curb the crimes committed throughout the rest of the year. However, it was when the franchise developed and told the story of the history of Purge Night that the movie really took on a new meaning and slowly improved in quality as the series wore on. The Forever Purge plays into the apocalyptic nature of the event.

This takes place in 2048, which is eight years after a new President banned the Purge. Sadly, things haven't changed, and a new regime has taken over and restarted the Purge, leading the country to fall further into chaos. Instead of just one night, a group called the Purge Purification Force sets out to kill anyone they feel is un-American, and do so at any time - now known as the Forever Purge. The movie didn't do well at the box office since it was released in 2021, but it did receive mixed reviews.

22 Turbo Kid (2015)

A Post-Apocalyptic Superhero Movie

The apocalypse movie genre can sometimes be overall grim, so it is nice to see a movie that allows itself to have some fun with the genre while also paying homage to some of the greats. As a sign that Turbo Kid doesn't take itself too seriously, the post-apocalyptic adventure is set in the Wasteland of 1997 where a young comic book lover turned superhero teams with a band of colorful heroes to take down a warlord.

With plenty of love shown to George Miller and John Carpenter, Turbo Kid feels like a nostalgic trip with some great humor and gory fun to make for a hugely entertaining and underseen experience.

21 Cell (2016)

Sci-Fi Horror Infection Movie

Stephen King's novel Cell was not one of his more beloved horror stories, but it was successful enough to warrant a movie. Directed by Tod Williams (Paranormal Activity 2), th movie shows the world breaking down to an apocalyptic infection that turns people using mobile devices into rage-fueled killers. It is similar to the story told in 28 Days Later but with more of a technological basis.

John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson lead the cast in the movie as two men who lead a group of survivors in an attempt to survive the world as it collapses. While the movie received mostly poor reviews, the performances of both Cusack and Jackson help the movie rise above its story and make it a fun watch when it comes to end-of-day movies.

20 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

Apocalyptic Action Horror Movie

Resident Evil is a horror movie based on a video game of the same name. However, as the movie franchise moved on, it changed and morphed into something very different. By the time the last entry in the series arrived in 2016, it became a post-apocalyptic action horror movie, with Milla Jovovish's Alice fighting to save the United States from the mutated monsters Umbrella Corporation created over the years.

The movie received mixed reviews, which is not surprising considering the genre and franchise in general. However, it lives and dies by its ridiculous premise and is never embarrassed by what it is meant to be. This is a movie with the heroes doing things that are physically impossible to kill some of the most deranged monsters imaginable.

19 Knock At The Cabin (2023)

An Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Movie

Knock at the Cabin is the latest thriller by M. Night Shyamalan and poses an interesting question about what an ordinary person might be willing to sacrifice to stop the end of the world. The movie follows a family vacationing in a secluded cabin when they are visited by a group of strangers who lock them inside and tell them the world will end if they do not choose one of them to be killed.

Knock at the Cabin's anti-climatic ending makes it feel as though Shyamalan dropped the ball in this story, but it plays close to the source novel, The Cabin at the End of the World. In the end, Shyamalan manages to maintain thrilling tension throughout. It also features one of Dave Bautista's best performances as the leader of the strangers.

18 Maggie (2015)

A Zombie Apocalypse Movie

The idea of Arnold Schwarzenegger starring in a zombie apocalypse movie may cause fans to picture some sort of bloody action-horror movie, but Maggie is certainly not that. Featuring Schwarzenegger's most reserved performance to date, he stars as a father who, living in seclusion with his daughter during a zombie outbreak, must come to terms with losing her after she is bitten.

The movie takes a human look at the kind of zombie story audiences have seen so many times, and though it is a little slow at times, the performances from Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin as his daughter elevate the whole thing.

17 The Tomorrow War (2021)

An Alien Invasion Movie

After launching into space as Star-Lord, Chris Pratt found himself in a few sci-fi blockbusters with The Tomorrow War bringing him into this human versus alien story. Pratt plays a family man in the present day who is drafted along with many other citizens to come to the future and fight against alien invaders who are eradicating the planet.

The premise is an exciting one that makes great use of the "time travel to save the world" gimmick. While the action and CGI alien enemies are nothing unique, it is a fun story with some interesting twists and a fun cast.

16 The Last Man On Earth (1964)

An End Of The World Horror Movie

The Last Man on Earth is the first attempt to adapt the book of I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. Vincent Price stars as a man who finds himself the last living person in the world when a virus turns the rest of humanity into the living dead. As he becomes a hunter of these deadly new enemies, he fights against the odds to survive.

Like the rest of the adaptations, The Last Man on Earth loses some of the most interesting concepts of Mathson's novel. However, it still maintains a creepy and dark tone for its era with a wonderfully compelling performance from Price in the lead role.

15 The Dead Zone (1983)

A Horror Movie Threatening Nuclear Apocalypse

The adaptation of a Stephen King story, The Dead Zone begins with a brilliant premise that turns into an intense story about preventing the end of the world. Christopher Walken stars as a man who develops the ability to see a person's future simply by touching their hand.

The third act of the movie deals with Walken touching the hand of a politician (Martin Sheen) who he sees will ignite a nuclear war that destroys the planet, leaving Walken with the decision of whether to kill him and save the planet. His solution for saving the day is a brilliant twist.

14 The World's End (2013)

An Alien Invasion Movie

The third movie collaboration between Edgar Wright, Nick Frost, and Simon Pegg, The World's End is generally regarded as a great but least popular entry in the Three Cornettos Trilogy. However, fans who might have dismissed it the first time around should revisit it and see if their opinion doesn't improve.

Pegg stars as a man desperately trying to recapture his glory days who convinces his friends to return to their hometown for a pub crawl only to find it's been taken over by aliens. Wright's energetic direction, sharp humor, and a more emotional character arc than the other two movies make The World's End a fun ride from beginning to end.

13 War Of The Worlds (1953)

An Alien Invasion Movie

What began as Orson Welles' infamous radio broadcast of a Martian invasion has become a long-lasting story in sci-fi. War of the Worlds deals with the invasion of the alien army with their deadly tripod weapons making quick work of the defending humans. The story doesn't break new ground but rather helped guide a lot of popular alien invasion movies that followed. While Steven Spielberg used his talent to remake it, many call the 1953 version of War of the Worlds the better of the two takes.

12 Z For Zachariah (2015)

Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Movie

Z for Zachariah is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie starring Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Chris Pine. Based on the novel by Robert C. O'Brien, the movie focuses on three survivors of a plague that wiped out most humans. Robbie is Ann, a minister's daughter who lives alone after her parents and brother went to look for more survivors. Ejiofor is John, a man who wanders into town and becomes close to Ann. Pine is Caleb, a third survivor who arrives in town and joins the other two at the farm.

The movie is more of a drama than most apocalyptic movies. The three have a strained relationship, as both John and Caleb have feelings for Ann. As for Ann, she struggles to move on when John offers a chance to bring electricity back to her home, but only by tearing down her father's old chapel. The movie is a slight departure from the novel, but it does keep the main theme of the interracial love triangle intact and the cast's performance helped it find critical success.

11 I Think We're Alone Now (2018)

Post-Apocalyptic Romance Drama

I Think We're Alone Now takes the idea of a post-apocalyptic landscape and turns it into a small and twisted love story. A sudden apocalyptic event killed people instantly, often where they sat at the moment it struck. The movie picks up after the event, with a survivor named Del (Peter Dinklage) living alone in a small town. He spends his time in a library reading books and the rest of his time, clearing out the houses in town and burying the dead. While he is alone, he is happy.

The movie won the Special Jury Award at Sundance.

This all changes when a woman shows up in town (Elle Fanning) and the two eventually become close, working together to clean out the houses and eventually find companionship with each other. This ends up compromised when more people show up in town and want to bring both the survivors into their camp, where people are reconditioned to forget their pasts. The movie won the Special Jury Award at Sundance and received mostly positive reviews.

10 Before The Fire (2020)

Infection-Based Apocalyptic Movie

Before the Fire is a little different from other post-apocalyptic movies because it takes place during an apocalyptic event, but in an area away from most of the devastation. With a mostly unknown cast, the movie focuses on a woman named Ava, an actress who leaves Los Angeles for her hometown in South Dakota when a deadly flu pandemic starts to kill people across the world. When she arrives home, the townspeople are not all that welcome and dismiss her for leaving to start with.

However, the movie then veers into more of a dramatic territory as the town ends up barricaded and blocked off from the world. This causes the people there to become slightly territorial and controlling and Ava realizes she has more to fear in this small town than the flu that threatens to eventually seep in. The movie was a festival movie that ended up shut down thanks to COVID-19 and the all-too-real pandemic which made the fictional version in the movie a little too uncomfortable at that time.

9 Death Race 2000 (1975)

Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Action Movie

When it comes to post-apocalyptic movies, Death Race 2000 remains one of the most beloved cult classics in the genre. The movie tells the story of a dystopian America where a murderous race called the Transcontinental Road Race is the biggest form of entertainment for society. It takes place in the future year of 2000 when the world economy and governments crashed in 1979 and now a totalitarian regime exists with martial law and people forced to kill each other for entertainment.

On top of the wild car action and violence, the movie was also full of names who became familiar faces in the future. David Carradine stars in the movie as "Frankenstein," one of the greatest racers on the planet. Also appearing in the movie is a very young Sylvester Stallone, just one year before his breakout role in Rocky. The movie received poor reviews when released but has since become a cult classic and even got a remake years later with 2007's Death Race.

8 9 (2009)

Animated Post-Apocalyptic Movie

Released in 2009, the movie 9 tells the story of a world destroyed by an apocalypse and humankind has ended after machines rose against them. What remains are nine rag dolls, created by a scientist, each sent to battle the Fabrication Machine in the hope they could re-spark life on Earth once again. These rag dolls contain part of the scientist's human soul and embody his flaws and good qualities. As the title indicates, the ninth rag doll (9) is who the movie follows.

The movie sees each of the nine rag dolls setting out to stop the machine, with 9 being the most thoughtful and humane of the group, and the one who wants more than anything to learn the meaning of life. The movie was only a minor box office success, but it earned two Annie Awards nominations and received mixed to positive reviews from the critics, with praise going to the animation style.

7 Fido (2007)

A Zombie Apocalypse Movie​​​​​

In 2007, the Canadian horror movie Fido took the zombie genre and breathed life into it, creating one of the best zombie movies of all time, and done in a way that was unlike anything that came before. Dylan Baker stars as Bill, a man terrified of zombies, while Carrie-Anne Moss is his wife Helen. In this world, the zombie apocalypse has ended, and the humans won and domesticated the zombies. Using a control collar, the zombies are not domesticated servants for the living.

However, Fido follows Bill and Helen's son, Timmy, and the family's domesticated zombie, Fido. When Fido's collar malfunctions, and he eats a local woman, the public starts to panic that the technology is failing. It is up to Timmy to help uncover dark secrets from the organization making the collars while saving his zombie friend. The movie received mostly positive reviews and has become a cult classic in the same vein as Shaun of the Dead.

6 Train To Busan (2016)

A Zombie Apocalypse Movie

Just as it seemed the zombie genre was running out of steam, Train to Busan delivered a hugely entertaining and suspenseful action movie. The South Korean project follows a neglectful man who takes his daughter on a train going to Busan only for a zombie outbreak to take over. The remaining passengers band together to secure themselves in the remaining safe cars and battle against the increasing hordes of the undead.

The movie is a fast-paced ride with a cast of terrific characters that elevate the genre's storytelling and add to the excellent sequences of suspense and horror.