Upamanyu Biswas
Post-apocalyptic movies have a sense of heightened expectations baked into their narrative. As the world collapses into a shadow of its former self, those left behind have to stake a claim for survival, making their journey an intense ride full of emotion and danger. Films that capture these harrowing stories of a world gone wrong have become steeped in modern culture as we watch the rapid progress of technology ourselves. They are a reflection of our fears but also our obsession with the idea of rebuilding the world from its ashes. Thus, if you are intrigued by stories that delve into life after the end times, here are the best post-apocalyptic movies on HBO Max.
13. After Earth (2013)
In this M. Night Shyamalan directorial, humanity lives on a new planet named Nova Prime after leaving Earth. The story follows a father and son duo, Cypher (Will Smith) and Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith), who find themselves stranded on a desolate Earth after crash landing on the Planet. With Cypher injured during the ship’s crash, Kitai has to go on a quest for survival and send a signal back home before he and his father fall victim to Earth’s new harsh inhabitants.
Loosely based on an original idea suggested by Will Smith about a father-son trip in the wilderness, ‘After Earth’ explores how time and tide wait for no one as Earth’s ecosystem becomes vastly changed after 1000 years of human absence. It’s an interesting reflection on the future with a familial dynamic at its center and bursts of action to keep the survival story engaging. Watch it here.
12. The Dead Don’t Die (2019)
Directed by Jim Jarmusch, ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ tells the story of an uneventful, isolated town by the name of Centerville. After strange, inexplicable phenomena start taking place in and around the community, police officers Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray) and Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver) have their work cut out. Things start going haywire when corpses start flooding out of the town’s graves and begin hounding the townsfolk, hell-bent on feeding on the living.
Combining elements of absurd comedy with an equally unhinged post-apocalyptic zombie scenario, ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ is a madcap narrative with some dashing central performances at the helm. It is not the scariest end-times story put to screen, but its whimsical narration lends it a sense of joy despite the monsters infesting the sleepy town setting. Enjoy the film by streaming it here.
11. Doomsday (2008)
Set in a bleak virus-infected Scotland, ‘Doomsday’ centers upon Eden Sinclair, a survivor who lost her mother during the first outbreak. She is tasked with returning to the containment zone, which has been turned into an area for social outcasts, to locate a counteragent to the Reaper virus. However, she must contend with the feral citizens of the area who do not wish to grant her easy passage. The Neil Marshall directorial alights upon a story of humans against humans as the world crumbles around them in the face of a deadly pandemic. ‘Doomsday’ hits all the marks of a solid post-apocalyptic story that hinges on the protagonist’s success to prevent the fall of humanity even further. Stream the film here.
10. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
‘Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’ is the second installment of the ‘The Maze Runner’ film series, which is based on the ‘The Maze Runner’ novels by James Dashner. It follows Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) after he and his fellow Gladers are transported to a remote location, where they unearth a conspiracy surrounding the enigmatic organization WCKD. Directed by Wes Ball, the film continues the young crew’s struggle against the secrecy and misdirection that have kept them hidden from the seemingly barren wasteland outside the walls and the real state of humanity. It’s a dystopian world brimming with young adult themes and is available to watch here.
9. Terminator Salvation (2009)
The fourth installment of the ‘Terminator’ franchise, directed by McG, tells the story of John Connor (Christian Bale), who is fighting a desperate war against Skynet. John and the Resistance have their plans upended when a stranger named Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) arrives at their doorstep with no memory or recollection of his past.
The crew has to subsequently decide whether he is an enemy or ally while continuing their unending struggle against their AI aggressor. ‘Terminator Salvation’ leans into an unexplored narrative within the iconic franchise, providing a different vantage point into John Connor’s struggles. As humanity and the Resistance forge ahead, everyone digs deep to find a lifeline to save them from a bleak future. The film is available for streaming here.
8. 9 (2009)
In a barren wasteland devoid of life, a sentient ragdoll by the name of 9 wakes up and joins up with several other entities like it. From them, the protagonist learns that humans no longer exist and machines hunt down straggler dolls like it, who are the only source of life left behind. Directed by Shane Acker, based on his eponymous animated short film, ‘9,’ the film follows the struggle of a group of ragdolls who try to take the fight to their mechanical enemy while piecing together what happened to their world. During the quest, the titular protagonist learns the reality of their desperate predicament and what got them there in the first place. Viewers can look forward to the visual splendor of the designs, animation, and the mystery at the heart of the narrative. You can watch the movie here.
7. It Comes at Night (2017)
‘It Comes at Night‘ revolves around a couple, Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and Paul (Joel Edgerton), who live in a secluded cabin with their son, Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). A deadly and contagious virus has wiped out most of humanity, and those who have survived keep themselves isolated. When a new family turns up at their doorstep, the couple is faced with the grave dilemma of showing kindness or doing what’s best for themselves.
In this Trey Edward Shults directorial, the tension between the inhabitants of a small remote house offers a unique post-apocalyptic narrative that centers on loneliness. It explores the lengths that individuals are prepared to go to ensure their own survival when outside forces threaten their future. As such, the film presents a desolate story where hope is a distant concept. It can be seen here.
6. Mad Max (1979)
Not many film franchises have managed to become a staple of their genre like the ‘Mad Max’ film series. George Miller co-created an iconic narrative that defined what dystopian and post-apocalyptic films can achieve with a combination of action and well-developed science fiction ideas. In the first installment of the franchise, Miller delves into a barren Australia affected by a scarcity of oil, which has given rise to anarchy and chaos among the population.
The film centers upon the titular cop, Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson), who is on a revenge quest to hunt the biker gang that killed his family and left him with nothing. The film illustrates several origin points of the complex world and characters, which were later expanded upon in subsequent movies. This high-octane drama can be streamed here.
5. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
The third installment of the ‘Planet of the Apes’ reboot franchise, ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ is a visual spectacle that takes place two years after ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ (2014). It follows Caesar (Andy Serkis has voiced), who picks up arms and gathers an army against the ruthless Colonel J. Wesley McCullough (Woody Harrelson), who killed Caesar’s wife and eldest son. However, the latter is not out of his inner conflict between his trust in the good in humans and their controlling nature. Can apes and humans live together peacefully? A war seems to be the only answer.
Directed by Matt Reeves, ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ is a milestone in visual effects just like the other ‘Planet of the Apes’ movies. Accompanied by impeccable voice acting by the cast, including Judy Greer, Toby Kebbell, Steve Zahn, and Michael Adamthwaite, the film takes place more than a decade after a deadly global pandemic struck Earth (‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ (2011)). You can watch it here.
4. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
The fifth installment of the ‘Mad Max’ franchise turns the focus away from the titular protagonist as it follows the origins of Furiosa, a significant character from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road.’ Under the direction of George Miller, the narrative chronicles Furiosa’s childhood and the forces that shaped her into a tough, formidable warrior in Immortan Joe’s army. Like all the previous entries in the ‘Mad Max’ film series, the societal collapse of a resource-starved Australia forms the backdrop of the eponymous protagonist’s journey as she survives tragedy and exploitation to make a name for herself. It’s a thrilling tale of overcoming the odds, which can be streamed here.
3. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Long before zombies started crawling in post-apocalyptic films, ‘Night of the Living Dead’ brought them to life as flesh-eating ghouls who haunt the living. Helmed by George A. Romero, the story follows a group of human survivors seeking refuge in a desolate house to shelter themselves from cannibalistic corpses. As the monsters surround the house, the crew tries to make it through the night without losing any limbs or lives.
If you want to see the historical evolution of zombies, ‘Night of the Living Dead’ is the place to start. The film popularized several aspects of the creatures that have become an iconic part of modern pop culture. It is an entertaining and gripping horror narrative where the presence of the flesh-eaters slowly breaks the unity within the humans, who try not to become the prey of their devilish tormentors. You can watch the classic here.
2. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Director Hayao Miyazaki has given birth to several imaginative films that defy expectations through their visual beauty and creativity. In ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,’ he envisions a post-apocalyptic world infested with massive insects where humanity survives in scattered pockets of existence within lush green forests. It is adapted from the director’s eponymous manga series that was published between 1982–94, focusing on the ideas of toxic environments and their effects on humans.
The narrative centers on the exploits of a young girl named Nausicaä, who hails from the Valley of the Wind and has to go on a quest to save the world from tearing itself apart. Like all of Miyazaki’s films, ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ is brimming with the rich, dreamlike artwork that has defined all his works. The film’s central message is one that is key to all post-apocalyptic stories, where survival is uncertain in a world that has been corrupted and no longer resembles ours. You can savor the fantasy film here.
1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
In many ways, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road‘ is the culmination of decades of effort by George Miller to perfect his ‘Mad Max’ franchise. The film blends all the elements that work so perfectly in his previous entries while taking it in a new direction that is dripping with eye-catching style, stunning visuals, gripping narrative, and elaborately designed set pieces that raise the tension in each scene.
The Tom Hardy starrer follows the titular protagonist as he teams up with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) to go on a quest for survival while being chased across the barren wastelands by the vicious warlord of the Citadel. Its car chases and visceral bone-crunching action earned it ten nominations at the 88th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. If you haven’t watched it yet, you should definitely check it out here.
Read More: Best Post-Apocalyptic Movies on Netflix
