The best “end of the world” movies ever made

There’s something about end of the world movies that just seems to fascinate us – we all have moments where we fantasize about what we’d do in that situation, and how the world might end. So, unsurprisingly, it’s a subject that’s been explored many times through movies.

It feels like this would be quite a niche movie category, but depending on how broad your definition of “end of the world” is, there are LOTS of these movies – pretty much 1 big one every year.

Before we get into the guide, I want to make it clear that although I haven’t included any of the Roland Emmerich movies in this list (‘2012’, ‘Independence Day’, all that stuff), I do think those movies are lots of fun. I just think there are better movies that fit the description of “end of the world”.

Here are 4 of the best end of the world movies ever made, in our opinion:

Melancholia (2011)

‘Melancholia’ is, in our opinion, the most affecting “end of the world” movie that we’ve ever seen. Unlike many of the movies in this category, you won’t find explosions, aliens or tsunamis. Instead, ‘Melancholia’ focuses on the human response to being faced with the prospect of the end of the world – some people reject that it’s happening, some people want to be around their loved ones, some people want to get away from their loved ones. It’s very powerful, and very sad too. The end is quite terrifying in a very realistic way.

Civil War (2024)

Does this count? We think it does – ‘Civil War’ depicts a broken America, and certainly feels like an “end of the world” movie in the sense that the world (or at least, America) feels like it’s on the brink. This movie is a powerful look at war, and features some incredible performances (including a very disturbing, albeit brief appearance from Jesse Plemons). Kirsten Dunst features in this one again (what is it that she so loves about end of the world movies?), and she’s great.

Don’t Look Up (2021)

I remember watching ‘Don’t Look Up’ during the Covid lockdown, when it really did feel like the world was ending. The movie felt strangely prophetic – it follows a team of scientists trying to spread the message about a comet that is going to destroy the Earth, but who struggle to get their message heard as they come up against conspiracy theorists, the media, and memes. It’s no doubt a funny movie and definitely can be described as a comedy, but it also has a lot of very clever writing and a real message – after all, it’s written and directed by Adam McKay, the writer behind movies like ‘The Other Guys’ and ‘Moneyball’. Plus, the ending is genuinely quite affecting and had me and my wife in tears. Give it a watch if you want a slightly different take on the “end of the world” movie formula.

Greenland (2020)

This is another end of the world movie that came out during the Covid lockdown, which likely added to the experience. And it’s also another movie about a comet threatening to wipe out the Earth. The most surprising aspect of this movie to us was the excellent performance from Gerard Butler – he can be a bit hit and miss, but he absolutely nails it in this movie. We won’t get into the specifics of the plot, but this is a sad movie so be prepared for that.