Movies have depicted how the world will end in many different ways over the years, and with one major life event after another, it seems to some that the end might be closer than everyone thinks. From giant comets threatening to wipe out the civilization like the dinosaurs to people treating their planet like a giant trash can, there's no end to the ideas that could lead to tragedy.
Some films, like Greenland, provide the message that there may be a way to be saved, while others, such as The Road, depict a much more harrowing outlook where it's every man for themself.
Wall-E - Stream On Disney+
While some watch this Disney Pixar movie for the cute robots falling in love, Wall-E is more than a little disturbing when put into perspective of where the world could be headed. Wall-E is the last of his kind on the planet that's been overtaken by trash, and when Eve is sent to see if anything habitable remains, he clings to her after being alone for so many years.
The movie gives the overall message that humans need to do better and care more about the world they're living in, showing they had abandoned Earth after the pollution on the planet became too horrible to withstand. Disney never fails to incite strong emotions in its viewers, and this film is chockful of hilarious moments as well as devastatingly heartbreaking ones.
Knowing - Stream On Peacock
Caleb Koestler receives a piece of paper with random numbers on it from a time capsule from 50 years ago that is supposed to depict what the students from back then thought would happen in the future. Caleb's father, an astrophysics professor from MIT, discovers its numbers are dates, death tolls, and coordinates of tragic events that have occurred over the past 50 years.
Knowing has a different take on the usual end of the world films, as John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) becomes convinced that his family is connected, which leads him to understand that Earth is in danger as a solar flare is on its way to destroy all of humanity. There's some semblance of hope at the very end of the film when the tree of life promises a chance to start from the beginning.
Don't Look Up - Stream On Netflix
The satire of this film was lost on many as it demonstrates the all too real reaction of society looking the other way when faced with catastrophic disasters. Leonardo DiCaprio plays an astronomy professor who, alongside his Ph.D. student (Jennifer Lawrence) discovers a comet heading straight for Earth and the two team up to desperately warn anyone who will listen.
Don't Look Up takes jabs at everyone, from the news media to civilization as a whole, no one wanting to work together to come to a resolution. The message of sitting around and waiting until it's too late rings through in this movie filled with big-name stars, and how it affects the scientists trying so hard to warn them before their planet is destroyed.
Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World - Stream On HBO Max
There's a countdown timer counting down the days until a giant asteroid hits Earth that creates chaos in an ordinary insurance salesman's life. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World stars Steve Carell and shows him getting ditched by his wife and his life losing all meaning until his neighbor Penny comes by with a letter for him from "the one who got away" in high school.
The movie creates a light romantic comedy feel as the two new friends decide to go on a road trip together to find his lost love, meeting many other people trying to fulfill their bucket lists before time runs out along the way. The unlikely duo of Carell and Keira Knightly create a fun take on how the end of the world isn't all bad when you have someone to share the last days with.
This Is The End - Stream On Hulu
This comical apocalyptic film was Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg's directorial debut and gives the impression to viewers that the two gathered up their closest friends to make it.
James Franco hosts a housewarming party that ends in chaos as The Rapture begins sucking people up into the sky, and things just get zanier from there. The laughs don't stop, as well-known faces show on screen and act the complete opposite of what viewers expect. This Is The End is a breath of fresh air compared to the darker portrayals of how the world is going to end that any fan of Seth Rogan will love.
Contagion - Stream On HBO Max
It only took nine years for this movie to become reality as a real pandemic struck the world. Contagion can basically be classified as Covid-19's origin story as an uncertain illness begins plaguing the world, putting scientists in action to stop the disease from spreading.
The amount of parallels that can be found between real-life and this piece of science-fiction is alarming, as it touches on the media frenzy and warnings that fall on deaf ears as they decide to sweep the issue under the rug as the death count grows. The incredible star-studded cast and tightly wound scenes captivate the audience but Contagion is definitely hard to stomach in the current climate.
The Road - Stream On Amazon Prime
The overall tone this movie provides is one of hopelessness and despair. The colors have been washed out and the characters don't even have names. Instead, viewers watch as "Man" and "Boy" head south along a barren wasteland after an unnamed catastrophe left them scavenging for resources.
Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, The Road is one movie that leaves whoever watches with heavy hearts and stones in the pit of their stomachs, as there's no positive side to the end of civilization. This movie is very graphic and not something to watch when feeling down.
Interstellar - Stream On Paramount+
The premise of this movie is summed up by one of its scientist characters, who tells Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), "We're not meant to save the world, we're meant to leave it." Interstellar centers around a second Dust Bowl that wiped out most of the crops, and scientists discover there's not much time left for human life, prompting an intergalactic search for habitable land.
Christopher Nolan creates a mind-bending masterpiece with the breathtaking yet terrifying imagery of the possible future, which is complemented by the emotional performances given by McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. The film is heavy and filled with carefully researched scientific data, making this piece of science-fiction all too real.
Greenland - Stream On HBO Max
John Allan Garrity (Gerard Butler) receives a presidential alert notifying he and his family have been selected for emergency shelter relocation in the action/disaster film, Greenland. The movie harbors heavy emotions as well as tense, terrifying scenes as a deadly comet named Clarke comes closer and closer to Earth and is heightened as the news flashes footage of entire states being wiped out in the comet's wake.
The portrayal of how humans would behave in these circumstances is a harrowing comparison to the world today and shows what lengths one will go to fight for their own safety, as the Garrity's face the worst (and occasionally the best) of humanity on their trek for survival.
Mad Max: Fury Road - Stream On HBO Max
Not many post-apocalyptic movies feature a strong female role, and that's where Mad Max: Fury Road stands out from the rest. Charlize Theron's outstanding performance as Furiosa heightens the film and gives an air of feminism as she doesn't give in to the toxic masculinity in a world that's long lost any sense of meaning.
Mad Max provides non-stop action sequences, leaving viewers enthralled at the unfolding wasteland of Australia before them, and doesn't let go until the very end. The movie shows what could become of humans as they turn against one another for survival and the realistic scenes make it all the more believable.