The best post-apocalyptic horror movies

Key conclusions

• Doomsday and post-apocalyptic cinema explore dark themes that play on the audience's fears.
• Twists and surprises keep the audience in suspense.
• Psychological survival horror can often be the scariest watch.

Nothing taps into the viewer's deepest, darkest fears like horror and post-apocalyptic films, which can provide some of the most terrifying narratives that focus on collapsing societies and explore the fragility of humanity.

From flesh-eating zombies to killer pathogens, Doomsday Cinematography takes you through the darkest corners of a ruined world where survival becomes do-or-die, and sometimes, as in life, the protagonist has to worry not only about myself.

From big-budget studio blockbusters to low-budget independent films, thinking outside the box has helped push the genre forward and keep it fresh in the minds of audiences over the years. Sometimes the most incredible idea can be the scariest.

9 Screamers (1995)

War never changes

• Director: Christian Dugvay
• Opening hours: 1 hour 48 minutes
• Release date: October 19, 1995

In the world of film, audiences are not limited to Earth as a setting, and conflict is a frequently used plot device. Set on a planet in the midst of a war, robots (Vikuns) created for combat gain insight and turn against their creators.

The plot of Screamers not new, with technology that harms the society that created it. However, AI usually does this when the world is rosy and perfect – at least on the surface. This movie uses destruction to pile on more destruction.

8 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Not what you think

• Director: Dan Trachtenberg
• Opening hours: 1 hour 43 minutes
• Release date: March 8, 2016

Viewers familiar with its 2008 predecessor and POV may have expected the same elements in this “spiritual sequel,” but 10 Kanyushinavy av upends the narrative and what fans thought they knew about what was to come.

Starting before the attack, the way the film develops creates a very different type of horror than first thought, before focusing on the post-apocalyptic aspects. Waking up like the main character does is enough to scare the audience, but what happens later puts the film firmly in the several horror genres.

7 It Comes at Night (2017)

Follow the Rules

• Director: Trey Edward Schultz
• Opening hours: 1 hour 31 minutes
• Release date: April 29, 2017

Not seen in many of the post-apocalyptic movies on this list, It comes at night uses a more psychological form of horror to depict the difficulties people face when left alone at the end of the world, not only with physical things but also with mental things.

The film focuses not on the great devastation of society, but on what happens when two families collide in an attempt to survive. Ultimately, the plot is about trust and the true desperation of humanity. With some inspiration taken from Radiancepsychological horrors can sometimes be the most disturbing.

6 I Am Legend (2007)

Will the dog die

• Director: Francis Lawrence
• Opening hours: 1 hour 41 minutes
• Release date: December 11, 2007

The story is one i'm a legend scary in itself. The idea of ​​a plague born out of scientific experimentation to cure another disease is as horrifying in today's world as it was in 2007.

However, many viewers may fear more than the terrifying future that protagonist Robert Neville lives in, and it is this fear that is why spoiler sites like Does the Dog Die exist. Horror seekers may want to skip those hectic hours when their main concern is an animal companion.

5 The Girl With All the Gifts (2016)

Children are the future

• Director: Colm McCarthy
• Opening hours: 1 hour 51 minutes
• Release date: September 23, 2016

Demon children, possessed children, and just plain “creepy” children are all common tropes of the horror genre. Children are innocent and often helpless, so a less used theme is the zombie child. Only a handful of movies and TV shows feature the undead as a child, and many of them are cartoons or even centered around children themselves.

This movie upends what we know about zombies and creates a future that can be recreated if future generations have one very specific characteristic.

4 The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Royalty starring

• Director: Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkov
• Opening hours: 1 hour 26 minutes
• Release date: May 6, 1964

Based on the 1954 novel I am a legendVincent Price plays the brooding and tragic protagonist whose isolation keeps him safe after the fall of humanity due to the “vampire plague.” One of three adaptations of the book to choose from, The last man on earth is the first and closest to the original source. The film has a somewhat Van Helsing-like protagonist, the film's low budget can be seen as detrimental to the quality. However, viewers can also appreciate the classic horror movie style it provides.

Price has appeared in more than 200 films and television shows. He is famous for his distinctive voice and penchant for the horror genre. Watching his performance, the viewer feels like a witness to the work of a master.

3 Bird Box (2018)

See no evil

• Director: Suzanne Beer
• Opening hours: 2 hours and 4 minutes
• Release date: November 12, 2018

For some, the loss of a highly hoped-for feeling is hard enough, but to be thrown into a horror-filled future with no routine, no direction, and where removing the bandage could spell the end for you or those you love, ie. cinematic gold. Not being in control is a fear shared by many for obvious reasons, and being the cause of pain to others or even yourself is a topic steeped in horror.

Flashbacks are a useful way to add intrigue to a story, but sometimes it means sacrificing good story beats. What Bird box does a very good job of making up for it by giving the protagonist nearly impossible obstacles while taking care of those who can't take care of themselves.

2 28 Days Later (2002)

Redefining the genre

• Director: Danny Boyle
• Opening hours: 1 hour 53 minutes
• Release date: November 1, 2002

Starting with two sequels, the last one will be released in 2025, 28 days later is on the lists of many horror and zombie movies, despite the fact that the director does not consider it a zombie movie. The story of Jim waking up from a coma in a post-apocalyptic world is very reminiscent The walking dead and the fast-paced narrative is matched only by the swift menace.

Viewers can learn about the downfall of society as Jim does, connecting them to his character in a way that is harder to do with a large number of survivors, and the full-circle story arc leaves viewers wanting more.

1 A Quiet Place (2018)

The sound of silence

• Director: John Krasinski
• Opening hours: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Release date: April 2, 2018

The constant need to be silent is an extremely difficult, if not impossible, obstacle to face when living in an endlessly noisy world. An audience member can't help but ask, “How would I have done?” in the same scenario, the silent viewing experience can be just as challenging.

Throwing the viewer into a world that is already destroyed, showing months of isolation and devastation of history is sometimes better than jumping forward in time. The audience meets the characters in a set routine, and it doesn't feel like moments are being skipped over just to get ahead to the “real story.” The family of Quiet place suffering from everyday traumas and tragic losses that manifest themselves in different ways in real life, meaning that their need to remain silent is yet another devastating loss. “To suffer in silence” is a very common phrase for a reason.