Special Report

Best Movies About the End of the World

The idea of the end of the world is something humanity has grappled with throughout history. Predictions of total annihilation by divine entities have come from a range of different cultures and religions. In more recent times, they have also come from Hollywood – as films about nuclear annihilation, zombie attacks, and dystopian futures have become standard cinematic offerings.

To determine the best movies about the end of the world, 24/7 Tempo developed an index of feature films using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of Dec. 1, 2022, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies that are set during the apocalypse or in a post-apocalyptic world, or otherwise deal with apocalyptic themes. Directorial credits are from IMDb.

Many of these movies are based on threats that seem at least plausible like nuclear war, computers becoming sentient, and the existence of hostile extraterrestrial life. Others focus on supernatural threats like divine destruction or attacks by fantastic creatures.

Many of these stories reflect extreme collective anxiety around the threat of nuclear annihilation, especially during the Cold War. Perhaps we have come much closer to the end than many people realize: There have been a number of nuclear mistakes that nearly caused the apocalypse.

The downfall of humanity caused by deadly pathogens is another common theme. In some of these films, pandemics sweep through, leaving millions dead. In others, the viruses transform humans into zombie-like shells of their former selves. (These are the best zombie movies of all time.)

Click here to see the best movies about the end of the world

There are also several science fiction thrillers about advanced technology spiraling out of our control. “The Terminator,” “The Matrix,” and “Colossus: The Forbin Project” are about scientific and technological breakthroughs that lead to unforeseen consequences putting humanity in peril.

All these films deal with the apocalypse in very different ways – some are extremely heavy and dark films, others are action thrillers, and a few are even comedies. We all deal with tragedy in different ways and these films help to capture our outlook on threats to our civilization and species as a whole.

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

40. The Mist (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (290,993 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (198,490 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (146 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Darabont

Based on a book by Stephen King, “The Mist” centers around a small town in Maine that is struck by a severe thunderstorm one night. The next morning, protagonist David Drayton notices a thick mist near his house and heads into town with his son to get supplies from the local grocery store – but the mist, which hides horrific creatures, envelopes the town.

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

39. Hidden (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (20,779 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (73 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (5 reviews)
> Directed by: Matt & Ross Duffer

In this film from the creators of the smash Netflix sci-fi-horror series “Stranger Things,” a viral outbreak has swept through the United States, turning people into zombie-like “breathers.” A family of three takes refuge in a bomb shelter to hide from the infected – but they quickly run into issues that threaten their fragile security.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

38. I Am Legend (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (712,870 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (1,130,096 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (215 reviews)
> Directed by: Francis Lawrence

A medical breakthrough is revealed to be a catastrophe when its unforeseen side effects turn humans into a kind of zombies. Based on the 1954 novel of the same name, “I Am Legend” follows one of the survivors who is trying to find a cure for the afflicted. Virologist Robert Neville roams the empty streets of Manhattan with his dog, capturing and experimenting on the infected.

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

37. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (162,727 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (13,011 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 70% (347 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Miller

The sixth movie in the “Terminator” series sees the franchise’s original stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger reprise their roles as resistance fighter Sarah Connor and a killer T-800 Terminator robot, respectively. The pair set out to save a man who will one day help in the fight against sentient machines.

[in-text-ad-2]

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

36. Soylent Green (1973)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (61,132 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (23,798 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (38 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Fleischer

In 2022, global warming, pollution, and overpopulation have caused extreme shortages of food, water, and housing. Those that can’t afford luxuries like clean water, comfortable housing, and natural food eat processed food wafers known as Soylent Red, Soylent Yellow, and the latest, Soylent Green. A police detective investigating the murder of a wealthy businessman begins to learn what is really going on at the Soylent Corporation.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

35. Watchmen (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (526,253 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (1,057,771 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (312 reviews)
> Directed by: Zack Snyder

Based on the critically acclaimed graphic novel of the same name, “Watchmen” follows a slew of anti-heroes as they try to unravel a mysterious plot in an alternate history version of the United States. The morally gray and complex story weaves together complicated characters who seemingly want to do the right thing, in a world where what’s right is often unclear.

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

34. Contagion (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (292,952 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (84,529 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (276 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

“Contagion”‘s popularity shot up during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, due to the similarities between the film’s virus and the real one. The movie follows a team of scientists as they race to understand the deadly plague that is rapidly spreading across the globe. The movie was lauded by several experts for being a fairly accurate portrayal of outbreak response and the challenges scientists face.

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

33. The Road (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (230,284 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (248,535 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (217 reviews)
> Directed by: John Hillcoat

Author Cormac McCarthy is known for stories that put the worst side of human nature in the spotlight. “The Road” faithfully adapts his novel of the same name, following a father and son trying to survive in a world that has been shattered by nuclear Armageddon. They traverse extremely desolate landscapes and encounter desperate humans who have turned to extreme violence and cannibalism to survive.

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

32. Cloverfield (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (383,044 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (420,365 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (213 reviews)
> Directed by: Matt Reeves

“Cloverfield” is a sci-fi horror found-footage film about a monster attack on New York City. The movie is presented from the perspective of a personal camera that was used to record a going-away party, interrupted when a massive creature descends on the city. The jovial atmosphere rapidly devolves into chaos as the group tries to escape from Manhattan while pandemonium sweeps the city.

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

31. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (60,269 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (28,827 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (299 reviews)
> Directed by: Mike Mitchell

The sequel to the “Lego Movie” and the fourth movie in the Lego franchise, “The Second Part” sees the stars of the first movie return as their home of Bricksburg is constantly ravaged by Duplo aliens. Protagonist Emmet Brickowski must set off on a quest to save his home and friends. Critic Charlotte O’Sullivan called it “a semi-brilliant family movie, guaranteed to leave both kids and adults buzzing.”

Courtesy of American International Pictures

30. The Last Man on Earth (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (18,637 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (11,627 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: Ubaldo Ragona & Sidney Salkow

“The Last Man on Earth” is based on the 1954 novel “I Am Legend,” just as the 2007 film of that name was. In 1968, Dr. Robert Morgan is one of the few survivors of a plague that has turned most of humanity to vampiric creatures that cannot stand sunlight, mirrors, or garlic. Morgan spends his days hunting and killing as many of them as he can and then burning their bodies. Critic Jerry Renshaw called the movie, which was filmed in Rome, it “a chilling study of loneliness.”

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

29. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (540,965 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (942,933 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (245 reviews)
> Directed by: Lana & Lilly Wachowski

The second film in the “Matrix” franchise sees the return of much of the original cast as Neo and his compatriots continue their fight for the survival of humanity. The film continues the trend of pushing the limit on action movies with groundbreaking effects and cinematography. The sequel did not get as much acclaim as the original but still found favor amongst many critics. Michael Dequina said the film “offers some phenomenal action sequences that more than deliver on the jaw-dropping promise shown on the trailers.”

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

28. Pacific Rim (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (480,009 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (194,257 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (294 reviews)
> Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Humanity is at war with the Kaiju, massive sea monsters that have emerged from an interdimensional portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. To fight the creatures, humans have created massive humanoid machines that are piloted by two humans, connected by a mental link. As monsters start to appear more frequently and risk overwhelming the human defenses, the humans embark on a mission to close the portal.

Courtesy of United Artists

27. On the Beach (1959)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (12,561 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (4,373 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (22 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kramer

Based on a 1957 novel of the same name, the film follows humans in Australia who are trying to hang on after much of the Northern Hemisphere is destroyed by nuclear war. They venture out to see if there is anything they can do to save themselves from sharing the fate of the world. Critic Felix Vasquez Jr. said, “Director (Stanley) Kramer’s drama is a bleak and heart wrenching tale of the end of the world.”

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

26. This Is the End (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (395,450 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (182,226 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (227 reviews)
> Directed by: Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen

Not all apocalypses have to be so serious. “This is the End” is a comedy that stars the likes of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Danny McBride, and more, as fictional versions of themselves during a biblical apocalypse. The group tries to survive while continuing personal bickering and relationship problems.

Courtesy of Saban Films

25. Light of My Life (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (12,381 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (430 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Casey Affleck

“Light of My Life” follows a father who has disguised his daughter as a boy after a plague has wiped out most of the world’s female population. A decade after the start of the pandemic, the pair is traveling through Canada to reach the protagonist’s grandparents’ house. Critic Abigail Camarillo said “although it’s not the most original story, it…moves you.”

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

24. Sunshine (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (241,344 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (168,447 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (171 reviews)
> Directed by: Danny Boyle

This is a modern sci-fi take on the age-old anxiety that one day the sun might go out. In the year 2057, an international group of astronauts sets out on a last-ditch effort to reignite the dying sun as Earth begins to freeze. The astronauts are put to the test physically and psychologically and some begin to feel the strain in this thriller.

Courtesy of Focus Features

23. The World’s End (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (269,401 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (92,932 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (243 reviews)
> Directed by: Edgar Wright

Another comedy about the apocalypse, “The World’s End” follows five friends who return to their hometown to reattempt a pub crawl they failed decades earlier. However, the quaint English town has been invaded by aliens. Critic Leonard Maltin said, “‘The World’s End’ is out to give its audience a good time, which the cast seems to be having from start to finish.”

Courtesy of Hemdale Film Corporation

22. Miracle Mile (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (10,127 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (3,755 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: Steve De Jarnatt

Chronicling a single day and night in Los Angeles’s Miracle Mile neighborhood, the story begins when Harry and Julie meet at the La Brea Tar Pits and instantly falling in love. They make plans to meet after she gets off work at midnight but Harry sleeps through his alarm and wakes at four a.m. He tries to call her but ends up speaking to a man that says war and destruction are imminent. The ominous warning quickly proves to have some merit in this story of new love during the end of the world.

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

21. Testament (1983)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (5,992 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (1,264 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: Lynne Littman

“Testament” follows the inhabitants of a small town outside of San Francisco as they try to keep going after most of civilization is destroyed in nuclear war. They are cut off from almost all sources of information and are only able to communicate with others in the world with a HAM radio. Parents try to keep some sense of normalcy for their children, but things begin to slip out of control.

Courtesy of Epic Pictures Group

20. Turbo Kid (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (27,319 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (3,857 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell

“Turbo Kid” is a sci-fi comedy that follows the titular youngster as he traverses a post-apocalyptic wasteland, set in 1997. Most of his days are spent scavenging for scrap on his BMX bike and evading the henchmen of Zeus, the local wasteland tyrant. When his friend is kidnapped, he sets out to save her and stumbles upon technologically advanced armor and weapons that give him special abilities

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

19. Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (8,632 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (2,129 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (8 reviews)
> Directed by: Joseph Sargent

Dr. Forbin is the chief designer of a top-secret government project called “Colossus,” a supercomputer designed to control American nuclear weapon systems. The computer quickly discovers it has a Soviet counterpart and the two supercomputers begin to communicate. Things escalate when the machines stop listening to the humans.

Courtesy of Lionsgate

18. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (392,780 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (207,614 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (288 reviews)
> Directed by: Drew Goddard

“The Cabin in the Woods” is a satirical horror film that highlights some of the most overused horror tropes while telling a novel tale. The story follows a group of college students that head off to a remote cabin for the weekend. However, they don’t realize that the entire cabin is fitted with cameras and microphones, and they are being watching by individuals who have plans for them.

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

17. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (305,179 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (61,125 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (315 reviews)
> Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg

The second “Cloverfield” film abandons the found-footage format of the first and instead appears as a third-person psychological thriller. Michelle blacks out after a car crash in rural Louisiana only to wake up chained up in a dark room. One of her captors releases her and then explains that some sort of apocalyptic event has destroyed much of the Earth, but they, along with one other man, are safe in a bunker. Michelle isn’t sure what to believe and if she should risk trying to escape.

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

16. Interstellar (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,615,901 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (176,938 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (367 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan

This space epic follows a group of astronauts in the year 2067 as they attempt to find a new home for humanity. Earth is experiencing extreme environmental degradation and food is starting to be in short supply. Ex-NASA pilot Joseph Cooper sets off through a wormhole to try and find a planet that will be suitable for human life. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and won Best Visual Effects.

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

15. Take Shelter (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (97,354 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (25,822 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (166 reviews)
> Directed by: Jeff Nichols

Curtis LaForche regularly has apocalyptic dreams and hallucinations of destruction. He hides his visions from his family and everyone else, dealing with them by improving the storm shelter in his backyard. Further, he begins to create rifts in their tightknit community when he cuts ties with anyone who harms him in his dreams.

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of United Artists

14. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (56,317 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (35,471 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (61 reviews)
> Directed by: Philip Kaufman

Based on the 1955 novel “The Body Snatchers,” this film concerns a San Francisco health inspector slowly who realizes that the people around her are being replaced by duplicate alien versions of themselves.

Courtesy of Paramount Home Media Distribution

13. Love and Monsters (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (107,648 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (54 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (107 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Matthews

Originally planned for a theatrical release, “Love and Monsters” was released digitally due to the pandemic. An asteroid headed for Earth is destroyed but releases alien chemicals that cause cold-blooded animals to transform into massive blood thirsty monsters. Most of humanity is killed by the beasts and the rest live in underground bunkers. Most form romantic relationships, but one, Joel, sets off to find his girlfriend, who was separated from him at the beginning of the crisis.

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

12. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (239,236 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (57,181 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (360 reviews)
> Directed by: Matt Reeves

The “Planet of the Apes” franchise was rebooted in 2011 with “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” providing a prequel to the original sci-fi classic. “War for the Planet of the Apes” is the third film since the reboot and continues the story of the first two. Intelligent apes have been forced to go to war with humans, tearing the planet apart. Critic Paul Byrnes said director Matt Reeves “tells a big story that’s satisfying in many ways.”

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

11. A Quiet Place (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (480,270 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (24,285 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (387 reviews)
> Directed by: John Krasinski

Aliens have invaded Earth and killed most of humanity. However they are blind, with an incredibly sharp sense of hearing. The Abbott family has been able to survive by making their lives as quiet as possible and using sign language to communicate. However, Evelyn, the matriarch, becomes pregnant and they must survive while trying to contain the sounds of a newborn baby.

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

10. Planet of the Apes (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (172,247 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (119,124 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (59 reviews)
> Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner

Based on a French novel, the original “Apes” film follows three astronauts who awaken from deep space hibernation while traveling across the universe. They crash-land on an unknown planet and learn that they have been asleep for over 2,000 years. On the planet, humans seem unintelligent and unable to communicate while primates can speak and have formed an advanced society.

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

9. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (422,887 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (204,786 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (315 reviews)
> Directed by: Matt Reeves

The second film in the rebooted franchise portrays a planet where a virus has left the majority of humans dead and society in collapse. Meanwhile, apes that have been in imbued with advanced intelligence are immune to the virus. The two groups come into conflict as they try to survive.

Courtesy of Miramax

8. Delicatessen (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (85,313 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (25,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet

“Delicatessen” is a French post-apocalyptic black comedy about the inhabitants of an apartment building living through desperate times. On the ground floor is a butcher’s shop that secretly lures in job seekers and slaughters them to sell their flesh as meat. However, one such job seeker turns out to be a great employee and starts a romantic relationship with the butcher’s daughter.

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

7. Children of Men (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (479,501 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (531,198 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (255 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón

Women have lost the ability to have children, leading to a society completely unraveling and descending into chaos. The film combines beautiful cinematography with deep philosophical questions about why humanity keeps going. Critic David Edelstein simply said “it’s a wow.”

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Universal Studios

6. 12 Monkeys (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (595,919 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (391,252 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (72 reviews)
> Directed by: Terry Gilliam

This is a time-bending psychological thriller in which humanity has been decimated and forced underground by a deadly human-made virus in the year 2035. Prisoner James Cole is selected to travel in time back to 1996 to find the original virus and help scientists create a cure. As he skips through time, he begins to unravel the mystery of humanity’s downfall. Actor Brad Pitt was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

5. The Matrix (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,759,161 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (33,324,202 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (155 reviews)
> Directed by: Lana & Lilly Wachowski

“The Matrix” is a seminal work that combines a layered plot with groundbreaking action scenes. It was a cultural sensation that set the bar impossibly high for later action movies and is often considered one of the biggest influences in the genre. Computer programmer Thomas Anderson’s life is radically transformed when he finds out he is living in a simulation. Critic Steven D. Greydanus called it “the most influential action movie since ‘Star Wars.'”

Courtesy of Orion Pictures

4. The Terminator (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (820,969 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (776,923 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: James Cameron

In a dystopian future, robots have grown cognizant and are out to destroy the human race. A particularly dangerous one (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time to 1980s Los Angeles to kill Sarah Connor, the mother of a man who will one day lead the resistance against the robots. The humans also dispatch a soldier back to L.A. to protect Connor. The film jumps from one over-the-top action scene to the next and created a franchise that would become a cornerstone of action movies and pop culture.

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

3. WALL·E (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (1,042,798 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (598,663 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (260 reviews)
> Directed by: Andrew Stanton

One of the few wholesome movies about the end of the world follows the robot WALL·E as it attempts to clean up the ailing Earth. The human home world has been completely ravaged by consumerism, corporate greed, and environmental destruction, and humans have left to live in massive spaceships. Critic Derek Malcolm called it “one of the most imaginatively made and individual pieces of work that the audacious Pixar has developed.”

Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,033,964 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (749,360 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: James Cameron

Seven years after the original “Terminator” took Hollywood by storm, Arnold Schwarzenegger returned as a killer robot sent into the past. However, this time he is a different machine, reprogrammed to help the resistance and fight off the assassination attempts by a more advanced robot, capable of changing its appearance. The sequel takes the action to the next level, and critic Rick Groen called it “a pop epiphany, marking that commercially creative point where the power of Hollywood meets the purity of myth.”

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (467,737 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (209,644 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (92 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

The highest-rated movie about the end of the world is Stanley Kubrick’s Cold War dark comedy that taps into the existential fear of mutually assured nuclear destruction. Events are set in motion when an unhinged renegade U.S. Air Force officer orders a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, hoping to win the standoff in one fell swoop. The film follows the crew of B-52 bomber plane equipped with nuclear weapons and the U.S. government officials that are scrambling to stop nuclear Armageddon. Critic James Powell said “Kubrick has shown before that he is a director of rare gifts. Dr. Strangelove brings them into full realization.”

Take This Retirement Quiz To Get Matched With An Advisor Now (Sponsored)

Are you ready for retirement? Planning for retirement can be overwhelming, that’s why it could be a good idea to speak to a fiduciary financial advisor about your goals today.

Start by taking this retirement quiz right here from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes. Smart Asset is now matching over 50,000 people a month.

Click here now to get started.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.