Earlier this week, This Guy counted down the best dystopian films to watch. Flicks dealing with a society gone wrong. Post-apocalyptic movies skip all the second chances and reboots, and dive right into what comes after. The rules are gone, the land is barren, and life becomes nasty, brutish, and short. These are This Chick’s Top 10 Post-Apocalyptic Films. So gear up, grab your biggest, baddest gun, and toughest armour and let’s fight our way through whatever fresh hell we live in.

 

10. Waterworld (1995)

The world has come to an end. The ice caps have melted and the entire planet is covered in endless ocean. The remaining survivors have been reduced to living on old boats or floating villages. To make matters even worse society has broken down and only one man remains with a sliver of decency. Enter Kevin Costner, a lone mariner who has to fight his way through a world filled with pirates, murderers, and the occasional dictator. For any fans scared of bottomless never-ending water this one may not be for you, but the rest of us, strap on your life jacket and enjoy this epic journey in search of Dry Land.

 

9. Reign of Fire (2002)

During construction in West London, a hidden cave is opened. For the first and last time in human history. Fast forward  20 years and people are endangered and dragons rule the world. Huge. Epic. Fire breathing. Dragons! Reign of Fire is a stellar change to the typical society gone mad, people-killing-each-other-over-water scenario. Christian Bale and Gerard Butler star in this twisted fairytale as they attempt to survive in a wasteland covered in ash. Add in a splash of shirtless McConaughey and his eager group of American soldiers, and you’ve got a pretty epic apocalyptic/monster movie. Grab your biggest battleaxe and jump (an inhumanly long distance) into the best dragon film This Chick’s ever seen.

 

8. The Book of Eli (2010)

A nuclear apocalypse leaves the world a desert wasteland, where only the strong are free and the weak are devoured. Enter Denzel Washington, a man on a mission, a book to save us all. Set in the former United States, the story follows Eli as he fights his way through this post apocalyptic, neo-western world filled only with hate, desire, and greed. This film depicts the very worst of humanity as well as the very best all while fighting bad guys in what can only be described as a post-apocalyptic old west. Looking for a great dark film that seamlessly blends two drastically different genres while also adding in splashes of bad ass theology? This is it!

 

7. Snowpiercer (2013)

A man-made ice age has begun and the only survivors on the planet live on a perpetual engine train called circling the globe. An invention made to save the richest of us after our own climate technology turned against us and froze the planet. Sounds epic and a little disturbing right? If you were thinking the remaining few would move beyond money and greed for the betterment of humanity, you are sadly mistaken. The train consists of three sections, the front, where the engine of life is, the second where the elite live in luxury and the back, where the “scum” and “moochers” live. Buckle up for this amazing fast paced film that shows just how dark the human desire to survive can be and our wiliness to kill when all other options are gone. It boasts pretty amazing visuals, with and without Chris Evans, great acting, a killer soundtrack, and lays claim to the title of most interesting movie about trains ever made.

 

6. A Boy and His Dog (1975)

A Boy and His Dog follows Vic, a 15 year-old boy born into a wasteland without ethics or morals. Vic only has three things he cares about in this empty world: his telepathic dog Blood, food, and lastly, and for this story the most important, locating women. Blood and Vic work together to seek out their two main objectives. Blood uses his telepathic senses paired with his animal instincts to help Vic survive in the dangerous world that once was Phoenix, Arizona. Vic and Blood eventually find a willing woman and their fate quickly descend down a dark rabbit hole, and the denizens of the underground are even crazier than the ones on the surface. Prepare yourself for this dark and disturbing, award-winning book adaptation of a world turned to dust and disarray.

 

5. WALL-E (2008)

In the distant future humans have destroyed the earth with excessive litter and made it uninhabitable. The obvious solution? Fly away on a giant spaceship and leave the tidying to the WALL-E trash compactors. Fast forward 700 years and only one robot remains, the one WALL-E we know and love. All hope for humanity’s return rests on this one little robot. One more issue? Humans have become complacent on their automated luxury ships and no longer have the desire to return to Earth, and there’s some slight bone loss as well! WALL-E puts a spin on post-apocalyptic films with its lighthearted nature and robot love story. Have tissues nearby and you’re ready to start this romantic, tear-jerking, apocalyptic masterpiece!

 

4. Planet of The Apes (1968)

Imagine a world where your biggest threat is no longer other humans but instead our distant cousins. Cousins who aren’t quite the same as those you avoid at the family reunion. The year is 3978 and humans are no longer the top of the food chain. We are hunted, caged, forced into slave labour, and used for breeding more workers! Welcome to the Planet of The Apes, where we follow Charleton Heston as he struggles to understand how the Earth become overrun by simians, and how to stop himself from  being sterilized! The only way out? Grab a big stick and fight for your life. Planet of the Apes is widely acclaimed as one of the best post-apocalyptic films of all time so of course This Chick would dig it! If you’re interested in a film that makes you question our entire existence as a species, then grab your best loin cloth and settle in for this gem!

 

3. The Omega Man (1971)

Worldwide biological warfare has happened, the world is mostly gone and there’s only one survivor. Or rather, one “survivor.” Charleton Heston deals with the world as it is now, as the only man immune to a massive plague that’s killed the world. Heston must come to accept his lonely existence in what used to be LA. To make matters worse? He’s hunted nightly by a group of mutants, whose sole mission in life is to wipe out the last remnants of the old world, which they blame for society’s downfall. This fan favourite has become a cult classic for any post-apocalyptic nut. So catch up on your vaccines and wander into this world filled with death and illness and maybe, just maybe, a few more monsters than you originally thought.

 

2. The Road (2009)

Welcome to a world ruined by an unforeseen global catastrophe that has caused a massive extinction event. The few survivors have turned rabid and resorted to murder, thievery, and cannibalism. This sounds like a perfect place to raise a child right? This film follows the life of a father and son as they try to survive a never-ending road filled with enemies. Travelling from town to town father and son are in search of shelter, food, and above all else, safety. The land has become so barren and toxic that hope seems a distant memory. Viggo Mortensen stars in this dark, bleak, twisted, and downright depressing Cormac McCarthy adaptation. Grab your fluffiest of blankets and largest bowl of snacks as you watch this film that makes you very thankful for the world we live in today.

 

1. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior / Mad Max: Fury Road (1981 and 2015)

Oh, what a day! What a lovely day! Mad Max Fury Road and The Road Warrior are This Chicks number one pick. These two films go so well together, I couldn’t separate them! Mad Max is all about a world gone mad! It’s all about fast cars and faster people chasing you! The apocalypse has come and gone, and the world of yesterday is long dead. The living fight for the last remaining resources, water and “guzzoline.” Mel Gibson and Tom Hardy rule the screen in both of these epic movies as they fight their way down the road, one bad guy at a time. Looking for a high intensity thrill ride with stellar acting? This series is for you. Car chases? Got ’em. Fight scenes? Always. Flaming llectric guitars, and BDSM outfits? Of course! Whether it be the apocalyptic wasteland from 1981 or the 2015’s Academy Award winning masterpiece, these movies will literally blow your your shit away. So strap in, hit the gas, and get Mad with this endless ride of pure destruction.