Are you looking for the best post-apocalyptic movies of all time that you can simply enjoy on Netflix? Well, we have got you all covered with the top 13 movies in the genre.
Starting from man-made horrors to natural disasters, audiences love to watch apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic movies that offer a strong sense of survival and adventure. It is often comprised of sci-fi concepts that also include gore visuals, aliens, zombies, or just brutal action among the humans who are fighting for survival.
Netflix comes with a wide collection of apocalypse movies that you can easily enjoy with your friends and loved ones. While you are thinking of the ways the world could end, why not add a cinematic layer to it and find some ingredients for entertainment? Whether you are looking for something intriguing or something with hack and slash; Netflix can offer you everything. Let’s find out the top 13 apocalyptic movies that satisfy your movie needs.
- Badland Hunters (2024)
Ma Dong-seok is best known for his physique and action scenes that he serves with perfection this Korean movie on Netflix will keep you hooked to your seats. The movie might even remind you of ‘Train To Busan’ but this is way more gore and there are not only zombies but also super soldiers and hunters and scavengers. Sounds like the ideal plot for an apocalypse where a hunter sets out to save a teenager from a mad scientist. The movie takes place in Seoul which turns into a lawless wasteland after a severe earthquake. Director Heo Myeong-haeng filled the movie with eye-popping and bloody action which makes it look great!
- The Bad Batch (2016)
Cannibalism and love go side by side in many movies and there is a different touch when it comes to ‘The Bad Batch’. One of the critics explained this movie as “a uniquely berserk tale of love and cannibalism” which features Jason Momoa who is almost shirtless in every movie and then Keanu Reeves and Giovanni Ribisi. Creating a blend of human-eaters, cult leaders, and other weirdoes; this movie offers the perfect post-apocalyptic scenario that is haunting and causes a lot of body trauma. Director Ana Lily Amirpour truly did a great job in creating this disturbing movie.
- Bird Box (2018)
This is one of the most unique apocalyptic movies ever made which stars Sandra Bullock as the protagonist of the movie. Critics say, “It’s a thriller about motherhood,” where humanity is blindly surviving after an unseen force makes most people commit suicide. It is definitely a gripping thriller but also one of the most emotional creations in sci-fi that shows the caring and brave side of humans, especially women when they find their kids in danger. Director Susanne Bier did a great job in making this film that will remind you of it every time you try blindfolding.
- Don’t Look Up (2021)
Offering audiences a fine blend of comedy, tragedy, thrill, and a lot of entertainment; this movie is a must-watch for everyone. It is not unique because of Leonardo but the concept of the movie that showcases the raw and vulnerable human nature in the face of real trouble. No there are no Kaijus but there is definitely a mega-comet that is coming towards the earth. Somewhere between finding the truth and the chance of being it fake; humans have forgotten about humanity and the insanity is shown in ludicrous ways to make everyone feel bad about the climate crisis.
- Dune: Part Two (2024)
Part of two of Dune was perhaps the most anticipated sequel of 2024 and it served its purpose well. Starting from Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya’s chemistry to Josh Brolin’s loyalty, Austin Butler’s villainous aura, and of course; riding the giant sandworms; the film has offered everything that one can imagine. Director Denis Villeneuve did a great job in making part two that embraces power play and politics even further. The war in the desert with the help of worms is something straight out of fantasy and you should definitely watch it.
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Furiosa is more like a prequel to the saga and it shows the era when Mad Max was not even there. This movie is a tribute to the female protagonist Furiosa who is played by Anya Taylor-Joy in this movie. The intensity of action, heavy metal craziness, bizarre car modifications, and fight for water are still intact in this movie however, it also shows how it all began. This movie is a unique spin on the franchise that has gained much attention from the fans.
- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
There are many movies made on Godzilla but this one received the 2024 Oscar for Best Visual Effects. The director has utilized some incredible CGI work within a tight budget which offered him huge profits at the global box office. As usual, this movie is made in the classic Tokyo setting and it shows the devastating side of the animal rather than it fighting with other big titans. The storytelling and the visuals in the movie are too good to be true and you can enjoy it with your friends as well as your kids. One of the best parts of the movie is when Godzilla prepares for an atomic breath.
- I Am Mother (2019)
This is a bizarre sci-fi story with an intriguing concept where AI plays the role of mother for newborn babies in an apocalyptic setting. After humanity’s extinction, a teenager was raised in an austere postapocalyptic bunker where a maternal AI robot rears her. This is the debut project by Australian filmmaker Grant Sputore he has done a remarkable job with such a thought-provoking cinematic piece. The movie constantly questions human psychology and intrigues the mind.
- Leave the World Behind (2023)
Directed by Sam Esmail, this film is based on a book written by Rumaan Alam which mainly revolves around two families. However, it also shows the greater picture of the world and humanity in the strangest times. There is an incident of cyberterror attack that knocks society offline. This sci-fi thriller wants to “get inside your mind and unlock the fears that you might really have about our world” as the critics said. The movie is produced by the company that is owned by Barack and Michelle Obama.
- Melancholia (2011)
This movie is one of the most emotive movies made in the sci-fi genre and perhaps one of the best performances by Kirsten Dunst. It is one of the most unique movies made on mental health and depression where Dunst played the character of a bride whose descent into a mental health crisis coincides with the arrival of a rogue planet called Melancholia which is about the hit the earth. More than the collision, it is the psychological depth of the movie that will intrigue you. It is strikingly good and offers a lingering aftertaste.
- The Midnight Sky (2020)
Everybody knows about actor George Clooney but this time, he is the director of the movie. He has also acted in the movie as a bearded Arctic scientist who is trying to stop a crew of astronauts from coming back to Earth as Earth is already going through a severe catastrophe. The film is mainly shot in Iceland and remains ferocious. Clooney said in an interview, “I lost like 25 pounds so I was pretty weak in general and I’m also directing a big film and you need energy. I was pretty beat up.” It is a gripping movie and you might also enjoy the visuals.
- Oxygen (2021)
There are many movies made on trapped places and this claustrophobic movie will put you on your edge. It is a French sci-fi movie shot in a small tube-like chamber with one only female protagonist. The unidentified woman awakens in an airtight medical unit and questions her existence as she does not know of anything. However, one thing is clear and that is the oxygen is limited in the pod and it will soon run out. There is also an AI called M.I.L.O. (Medical Interface Liaison Officer) who helps her in the process. Does she finally escape? Watch the movie to find out.
- Waterworld (1995)
This classic hit is one of the most cult movies in the sci-fi genre It took 166 days to shoot and more than $200 million to make. It is one of the best post-apocalyptic science fiction films of that era which is completely shot on water. The film showcases the time when all the ice in the poles melted and the whole world is thriving through water only. Although his movie was released 30 years before, it is still one of the most relevant movies that make us think about the climate crisis and the coming days of the future which is going to be rough.
Stay tuned to find out more fascinating sci-fi movies.
