Upamanyu Biswas
In post-apocalyptic settings, viewers are often treated to a bleak scenario where things have gone awfully wrong, with most of the world lying in tatters. There is a perverse joy that comes from diving into films that depict how life moves on after a harrowing annihilation event that wipes out civilization as we know it. For generations, these movies have inspired some of the most exciting and thrilling narratives, dripping with high-stakes scenarios about life and death. Therefore, if you enjoy watching such stories where hope and morality are secondary to survival in a stark and desolate world, here is a list of the best post-apocalyptic movies to watch on Hulu.
8. Mother/Android (2021)
Set in a future where AI robots are waging a war against humans, Mattson Tomlin’s ‘Mother/Android’ follows Georgia (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Sam (Algee Smith) as they try to find a safe haven so that Grace can give birth to their baby. The question is: Can they survive the perilous journey wherein their hunters are devoid of emotions? More to the eyes than to the mind, ‘Mother/Android’ is an entertaining movie that isn’t as emotionally powerful as expected but does manage to establish the urgency that the situation brings. You can watch it here.
7. Last Survivors (2021)
Directed by Drew Mylrea, ‘Last Survivors’ tells the story of a father and son, Troy (Stephen Moyer) and Jake (Drew Van Acker), who live in an isolated part of the wilderness. From birth, Troy has taught his son never to venture outside and interact with strangers, as most of humanity perished a long time ago during an apocalyptic event. However, when the boy comes across a girl named Henrietta (Alicia Silverstone), who tells him about the outside world, he wonders if his father has been truthful thus far.
‘Last Survivors’ is one of those rare entries that plays with its own premise. It injects doubt in the protagonist as he wonders whether the reality that has been presented to him is indeed as authentic as he first imagined. As the narrative progresses, he pieces together the mystery at the film’s heart, resulting in several revelations that change his worldview. To experience it yourself, check it out here.
6. Rubikon (2022)
Not every world-ending scenario takes place at the heart of civilization. ‘Rubikon’ follows a group of astronauts stuck on a space station named Rubikon, who learn that Earth has been engulfed in a toxic fog, making it uninhabitable. The crew, led by Hannah (Julia Franz Richter), Gavin (George Blagden), and Dimitri (Mark Ivanir), are faced with the moral and ethical quandary of whether they should join the rest of the humans on the surface or stay in orbit and keep themselves safe.
Director Magdalena Lauritsch crafts a fascinating drama with several conflicting agendas at play as each crew member tries to negotiate their position in a precarious situation. It poses the question of responsibility in a thrilling post-apocalyptic narrative, where the isolated existence of space is the unwitting solution to everybody’s survival. You can watch the film here.
5. Vesper (2022)
‘Vesper’ revolves around a young girl named Vesper, who uses her bio-hacking skills to survive in a post-apocalyptic future where the elites live in citadels while the rest are relegated to the wilderness. Her life is upended when a member of the ruling class crash-lands near her home, seeking her help to return to her people. On their precarious journey, Vesper learns the reality behind her world and how it came to exist.
The film, directed by Kristina Buožytė and Bruno Samper, explores the uneasy alliance between people of different backgrounds trying to survive in their own way amidst a backdrop of exciting science fiction conceits. It dives into the complexities of class and societal fractures, which ultimately circle back on the choices made by humans to serve selfish goals. It is available for streaming here.
4. Biosphere (2022)
After most of humanity perishes in an apocalypse event, childhood friends Billy (Mark Duplass) and Ray (Sterling K. Brown) must find ways to keep their species alive. Helmed by Mel Eslyn, ‘Biosphere’ combines absurdity, humor, and poignancy in equal measure in a narrative that is unpredictable and full of original ideas. Unlike most post-apocalyptic stories, it is a subversive take on the genre that also has a lot of heart and interesting concepts of body transformation at its center. You can watch the movie here.
3. Arcadian (2024)
Directed by Ben Brewer, ‘Arcadian’ is a thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans, the few that are left, live under the constant fear of monstrous creatures that hunt them. In such a setting, we have a father and his two sons who live in an isolated farmhouse. Daily living conditions are tough, and the boys are still learning how to survive. However, when the creatures attack, they must work together with their father to stay alive. Gritty and dark in its presentation, ‘Arcadian’ offers an intriguing watch powered by the performances of Nicolas Cage, who plays the father, and Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins, who play the sons. You can watch ‘Arcadian’ here.
2. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Well Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ is set generations after the events of ‘War for the Planet of the Apes.’ The film follows a young chimpanzee named Noa and his newfound human acquaintance, Mae (Freya Allan), who team up with a wise orangutan named Raka to bring down the villainous Proximus, a bonobo who leads a clan of apes and propagates a manipulated version of Caesar’s philosophy. How Noa and Mae evaluate their respective pasts to determine what the future has in store for them has been depicted in a most visually stunning manner powered by a gripping plot. ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ is a milestone in visual effects, pushing the boundaries of CGI to extraordinary lengths, and underscored by the impeccable voice-acting of Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, and Peter Macon, makes for a rich cinematic experience. You can watch it here.
1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
While ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ is a culmination of all the events in the ‘Planet of the Apes’ reboot franchise, ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ is where the series took on a darker and serious tone that reflected the profound themes at its core. Set years after the events of its previous film, Matt Reeves tells the story of Caeser as a fledgling leader who has to navigate the fragile relationship between his ape colony and the neighboring humans who fear them.
Both species look at each other with distrusting eyes while Caesar tries to foster a stronger bond, believing it is the only way to have peace between humans and apes. Amid his political efforts, Caesar must also deal with the prospect of betrayal and the nuances of his relationships. Andy Serkis delivers an incredibly convincing performance as the protagonist, who tries to balance all his affairs with the prospect of war on the horizon. ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ can be watched here.
Read More: Best Post-Apocalyptic Movies on HBO Max
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