Cinema of the Apocalypse
Cinema is, above all, transporting. But now that the apocalypse feels so close, let's take a look at the best films that transport us to the not-so-distant future, where the end of the world feels every day like a promise rather than a threat. On a lighter note, the world will not end. It just feels like it. And these are some great movies about global disasters. Happy viewing.
MELANCHOLIA (2011), this Lars von Trier film acts as an apocalyptic allegory for depression as the threat of a comet set to wipe out the entire planet looms over one bride's wedding day. The end will leave you stunned. Stream on Tubi or Vudu, or rent on Amazon Video for $2.99.
THREADS (1984), a British realistic drama that explores in exact detail what could happen if nuclear war suddenly broke out. Writer Barry Hines takes a surgical knife to deconstruct the horrors of nuclear disaster, in ways you won't soon forget. Stream on Mubi or Shudder, or rent on Amazon Video for $1.99.
TIME OF THE WOLF (2003), one of Michael Haneke's minor films but nonetheless an unsettling vision of a mother protecting her children during the end of days. Haneke's fabrication of a world so similar to our own makes the film that much more eerie. Rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.
CONTAGION (2011), an uncommonly precise and medically accurate film about a pandemic, this Steven Soderbergh-Scott Z. Burns collab is remarkable in not only the scope of its story but the efficiency with which the two tell this story - to horrific effect. Stream on Cinemax, or rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), an old school zombie flick that any horror buff is familiar with, it's well worth the watch. The grandfather of zombie cinema, George Romero's classic still has the power to give anyone the creeps. Stream on Amazon Prime, the Criterion Channel, Kanopy, Shudder, or Tubi.
28 WEEKS LATER (2007), the sequel to the critically-praised 28 Days Later, I would argue that the sequel is a better film. Chock-full of huge set pieces, great scares, and a wider scope, this is a modern zombie film not to miss. Rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.
CHILDREN OF MEN (2006), this masterpiece from Mexican auteur Alfonso Cuaron depicts a future where children can't be born anymore. When one woman becomes pregnant, a crew bands together to protect her from the horrors of a world in descent. It's riveting stuff. Stream on Starz, or rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.
MELANCHOLIA (2011), this Lars von Trier film acts as an apocalyptic allegory for depression as the threat of a comet set to wipe out the entire planet looms over one bride's wedding day. The end will leave you stunned. Stream on Tubi or Vudu, or rent on Amazon Video for $2.99.
THREADS (1984), a British realistic drama that explores in exact detail what could happen if nuclear war suddenly broke out. Writer Barry Hines takes a surgical knife to deconstruct the horrors of nuclear disaster, in ways you won't soon forget. Stream on Mubi or Shudder, or rent on Amazon Video for $1.99.
TIME OF THE WOLF (2003), one of Michael Haneke's minor films but nonetheless an unsettling vision of a mother protecting her children during the end of days. Haneke's fabrication of a world so similar to our own makes the film that much more eerie. Rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), an old school zombie flick that any horror buff is familiar with, it's well worth the watch. The grandfather of zombie cinema, George Romero's classic still has the power to give anyone the creeps. Stream on Amazon Prime, the Criterion Channel, Kanopy, Shudder, or Tubi.
28 WEEKS LATER (2007), the sequel to the critically-praised 28 Days Later, I would argue that the sequel is a better film. Chock-full of huge set pieces, great scares, and a wider scope, this is a modern zombie film not to miss. Rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.
CHILDREN OF MEN (2006), this masterpiece from Mexican auteur Alfonso Cuaron depicts a future where children can't be born anymore. When one woman becomes pregnant, a crew bands together to protect her from the horrors of a world in descent. It's riveting stuff. Stream on Starz, or rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.
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