Aidan Reidy is a writer who’s currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in motion pictures screenwriting at the University of Miami. He is passionate about the entertainment industry and enjoys watching most genres. He is interested in every aspect of filmmaking ranging from technical aspects like editing and sound mixing to acting and directing styles. Hollywood Insider’s commitment to substance-filled articles rather than gossip columns attracted him to the website, creating an enjoyable environment for him to write in and aligning with his personal values, as well.
Jun 21, 2025
Table of Contents
With the release of ‘28 Years Later’, let’s take a look at some of the best movies set in a post-apocalyptic world:
“People are changing, they’re becoming less human.” With themes as relevant today as they were in 1978, ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ is much more frightening but just as bleak as the original science-fiction film from 1956. Phillip Kauffman’s renowned, stylish remake follows Matthew (Donald Sutherland), a no-nonsense health inspector, and his co-worker Elizabeth (Brooke Adams) unraveling a mystery that involves the people of San Francisco, which is gorgeously shot on film, being replaced by alien-like duplicates after she notices something is off with her husband. The late, great Donald Sutherland gives a powerhouse performance with an unmatched screen presence, giving us a real sense of paranoia in a world that’s rapidly changing, and this movie would not be nearly as good without him in the lead role.
9. ‘Escape from New York’ (1981)
Instead of suburbia, John Carpenter’s follow up to ‘Halloween’ places us in a futuristic New York City with a collapsed society, completely run-down by crime, now acting as a maximum security prison while the world is in the midst of war. After Air Force One crashes into the middle of Manhattan, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), a discharged Special Forces soldier, is dispatched into the city and given 24 hours to rescue the President (Donald Pleasance), and ultimately live. We get to see some of Carpenter’s signature flair that shows up in his future projects while a smooth, synth score (that he composed) bumps in the background, and there are some truly great side characters (Harry Dean Stanton anyone?) on this wild trek through a post-apocalyptic city.
Edgar Wright’s second feature film is one of the funniest, most original takes on a zombie apocalypse, launching the successful collaboration between him and Simon Pegg. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ follows Shaun, an electronics salesman who’s not respected whatsoever by his co-workers or step-father, (Simon Pegg) trying to survive an apocalypse in London with his lazy best friend, Ed (Nick Frost) while also navigating the complicated relationship he has with his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield), and her annoying best friends. Mixing the typical fast-paced style and energy that we see in all of Edgar Wright’s future projects, along with some truly great comedy and shades of horror, this is the perfect movie for anyone trying to get into the post-apocalyptic genre without wanting to get their socks scared off of them.
7. ‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968)
George A. Romero’s classic horror movie inspired so many that came after it, including ‘Shaun of the Dead’, and is the definitive zombie survival film. ‘Night of the Living Dead’ follows a group of people, all coming from different backgrounds and circumstances, barricaded in a farmhouse while flesh-eating zombies lurk outside, trying to break in and claim their next victims. Despite being released over 50 years ago, the film’s practical effects still hold up today, especially some of the gore, and they arguably look as good as some effects employed on contemporary zombie films. ‘Night of the Living Dead’ is not only a landmark post-apocalyptic movie but also had many effects on culture in the United States due to the casting of Duane Jones as the lead actor, the first African American to play the part of a hero in a horror film.
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s second collaboration is one of the more interesting, thought provoking science fiction movies of the 2000s, one that is extremely timely in 2025. ‘Sunshine’ takes place on a spaceship that is sent towards the dying sun to reignite it with a bomb, and if the crew members on board don’t complete their mission, then humanity is done for on Earth. The cast is full of future A-Listers and Oscar winners such as Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, and Michelle Yeoh, and it is easily one of Garland’s best scripts. The cinematography really emphasizes the tight atmosphere, and when you combine that with some horrifying sequences, ‘Sunshine’ is quite the thrilling ride.
5. ‘WALL-E’ (2008)
Arguably the greatest Pixar film of all time, and more importantly, the only one in the Criterion Collection, ‘WALL-E’ is a look at our collapsing world and the corporations that are to blame for it. It follows a WALL-E, small, self-aware robot whose job is to compact trash that’s been polluting the Earth for years and years, on an adventure through space onboard the ship of the company that ultimately led to the planet’s downfall, meeting various overweight travelers and a robot he falls in love with, EVE. With very little dialogue, the film is a departure from previous Pixar projects, with more adult themes and messages, some that definitely went over my head when I was a child seeing it in theaters for the very first time. It’s a look at what’s to come if we humans stay the same, stay as selfish as we are right now, taking the land we walk on, live on, and die on for granted every single day.
Computers have overtaken the world. Humans are slaves to the machine. We aren’t there yet, but with A.I. taking over the very basics of everyday life, we may be getting closer than people care to admit. ‘The Matrix’ is about Neo (Keanu Reeves), a master computer hacker, being recruited into a rebellion, led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) against the computers that now rule the world, believing that Neo may be “The One” to defeat them. The supporting cast includes Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano, each giving great performances as complex characters, masterfully written by The Wachowski Sisters. The dystopian, post-apocalyptic hellscape presented in ‘The Matrix’ holds up great for a movie released on the brink of 2000, and the action sequences are clearly influential on contemporary counterparts.
3. ‘28 Days Later’ (2002)
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland appearing twice on this list shows how good of a duo they are. ‘28 Days Later’ is one of the best post-apocalyptic, zombie, and horror movies of all time, and it might just be the scariest. It follows Jim (Cillian Murphy), a man who just awoke from a coma, finding out that a virus has infected all of London, and how he and other survivors (Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson) manage to stay alive, avoiding both the rage-filled zombies and other humans who are not as sane as them. The way ‘28 Days Later’ is shot on digital video could never be recreated today, nor could the streets of London be cleared out at dawn to get the perfect shot of a deserted city. What I’m trying to get at is there will never be a film like this (even if the upcoming sequels are really good), because it truly looks like it’s from the early 2000s, and no matter how hard someone may try, the feeling, the atmosphere, and the style can never be matched.
Quite possibly the most bleak movie in the past twenty years while also the most prescient, ‘Children of Men’ shows us why humanity’s greatest threat will always be… humans. Set in 2027, society is nearly collapsed and humans have been infertile for decades, except for one young, pregnant woman, Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), who is trying to escape the chaos with Theo (Clive Owen), a man thrown into this chaotic battle for the future of human race, trying to protect her from both the government and anarchists. Featuring one of the greatest one shots I have ever seen, ‘Children of Men’ has some of the most beautiful cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki) paired with Alfonso Cuarón’s best directorial work. The depiction of immigration, of refugees locked in cages, either shipped to a dystopian-like city, or just executed before they can even reach it, will be relevant for years to come. It’s almost like this film was a warning, but of course, no one listened.
1. ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)
For the record, ‘Furiosa’ or ‘The Road Warrior’ could easily take this spot, because both of them are excellent movies, but there needed to be some variation on this list. What more can be said about ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ that hasn’t been said before? It’s one of, if not the greatest, action movies of all time, putting all other Hollywood blockbusters to shame. Taking place in a drought-ridden wasteland (Australia) that only George Miller could create, we are immediately thrust into the world of Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) as he gets captured by the cult-like group of the Citadel, ruled by Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), ultimately teaming up with the rogue Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), attempting to save the lives of multiple young women and finding The Green Place. ‘Fury Road’ is extremely metal, never taking its foot off the gas throughout the entire runtime, but it also touches on extremely important themes related to forced marriage, feminism, and ecological collapse.
By Aidan Reidy
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I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Aidan Reidy is a writer who’s currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in motion pictures screenwriting at the University of Miami. He is passionate about the entertainment industry and enjoys watching most genres. He is interested in every aspect of filmmaking ranging from technical aspects like editing and sound mixing to acting and directing styles. Hollywood Insider’s commitment to substance-filled articles rather than gossip columns attracted him to the website, creating an enjoyable environment for him to write in and aligning with his personal values, as well.
Aidan Reidy is a writer who’s currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in motion pictures screenwriting at the University of Miami. He is passionate about the entertainment industry and enjoys watching most genres. He is interested in every aspect of filmmaking ranging from technical aspects like editing and sound mixing to acting and directing styles. Hollywood Insider’s commitment to substance-filled articles rather than gossip columns attracted him to the website, creating an enjoyable environment for him to write in and aligning with his personal values, as well.
Aidan Reidy is a writer who’s currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in motion pictures screenwriting at the University of Miami. He is passionate about the entertainment industry and enjoys watching most genres. He is interested in every aspect of filmmaking ranging from technical aspects like editing and sound mixing to acting and directing styles. Hollywood Insider’s commitment to substance-filled articles rather than gossip columns attracted him to the website, creating an enjoyable environment for him to write in and aligning with his personal values, as well.
