12 Best 'End Of The World' Movies Ranked

Humanity is fascinated by the end of the world — why else would we make so many movies about it? From "Dawn of the Dead" to "The Day After Tomorrow," we love watching the world be destroyed on the big screen. Cinema has given us countless visions of what a global apocalypse might look like, from something as small as ships running aground to a cataclysm as huge as nuclear war.

If you're looking to have an end-of-the-world marathon, these are the best movies to watch. While we could also talk about the best post-apocalyptic movies of all time, here we just want to focus on movies that are specifically about the world ending. Any movie where the world has already ended doesn't count. The films below run the gamut from Korean horror movies to stoner comedies, but the only thing these movies all have in common is that the characters must face the end of life on Earth as we know it.

Most end-of-the-world movies have a ticking timer for doomsday, giving the characters only a few days before the apocalypse. Yet "Don't Look Up" gives the world a whole six months to prepare for its impending demise — and that's still not enough. In this 2021 Netflix film, astronomers Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) discover that a comet is on a collision course with our planet, and there is a 100% chance that it will wipe out all life on Earth. Yet when they try to warn the world of its impending doom, the politicians refuse to believe it, the morning news would rather cover Celebrity Dance-Off, and the general public is mostly indifferent to the fact that the world is ending.

"Don't Look Up" (which scored some surprise Oscar nominations) makes excellent use of its star-studded ensemble. In particular, Mark Rylance is terrific playing a tech mogul who is so off-putting that you can't decide whether he is shrewdly playing dumb to advance his agenda or is just plain dumb. The movie is so funny precisely because it hits so close to home. Even though the comet doesn't strike until the end of the movie, "Don't Look Up" draws tension from watching the world unravel long before the comet even arrives.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep

Director: Adam McKay

Runtime: 2h 18m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 56%

The 2011 film "Melancholia" starts out as a straightforward drama about a depressed newlywed going through the motions at her wedding, but it soon evolves into something more disturbing. In the aftermath of her wedding, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) turns her eyes skyward, where a mysterious planet named Melancholia is passing dangerously close to Earth. Scientists keep saying that Melancholia will not collide with Earth, but then why does the ominous blue planet keep growing larger in the sky? While Justine's loved ones obsess over their impending doom or try to deny it, Justine is strangely okay with it; in fact, she welcomes it.

Kirsten Dunst is outstanding here, switching seamlessly from a laughing bride to a woman too depressed to get out of bed to a heroine who embraces death with open arms. The wedding scenes (and the ensuing family drama) are compelling, while the scenes with the approaching planet are positively hypnotic. Although the film's pacing can be a little slow sometimes, "Melancholia" perfectly nails the feelings of overwhelming dread and numbness that depression (or the end of the world) can bring.

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgard

Director: Lars Von Trier

Runtime: 2h 10m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Ever wondered how your favorite Hollywood celebrities would handle the end of the world? Not very well, according to "This Is The End." When Seth Rogen (as himself) and Jay Baruchel (as himself) attend a party hosted by James Franco (as himself), the bash is soon interrupted by a sinkhole that leads straight to hell. In light of this doomsday development, the actors decide to hang out in Franco's mansion and wait for rescue. Whether goofing off with a prop gun or fighting over the last Milky Way bar, these A-listers are woefully unprepared to survive the apocalypse.

"This Is the End" pairs stoner comedy with end-of-the-world movie tropes to great effect. All these actors are unafraid to play exaggerated parodies of themselves, with Danny McBride and Michael Cera especially hilarious. Through all the apocalyptic mayhem, Jay Baruchel gives the audience a steady emotional anchor. If you've always wanted to see Rihanna get sucked down a sinkhole, or watch Emma Watson take an ax to Seth Rogen, then this 2013 movie is a must-see.

Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco

Director: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

Runtime: 1h 47m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

In this 2023 film, the end of the world doesn't involve comets or nuclear bombs. Instead, the end comes quietly. An oil tanker runs aground on the beach in broad daylight. Pamphlets start falling from the sky. Self-driving cars form a gigantic pileup on a barren road. Amongst all these signs that the end is nigh, two families take shelter in a summer house and brace themselves for what appears to be societal collapse.

Even if this Netflix movie left Rotten Tomatoes critics and audiences divided, there is plenty to love about "Leave the World Behind." The movie is taut with suspense, whether it's the tension between the characters holed up inside or the growing unease about what is unfolding outside. The film boasts plenty of top-notch performances, especially Mahershala Ali's R&B-loving father and Kevin Bacon's cagey doomsday prepper. 

While it could be argued that not much happens in the movie, it is this eerie stillness — and the dread of what might happen — that makes it so powerful. The apocalypse shown in "Leave the World Behind" may be more mundane than your typical end-of-the-world film, but that's because it's meant to be more realistic, like something that could easily happen in real life. And that makes it 10 times scarier.

Starring: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke

Director: Sam Esmail

Runtime: 2h 20m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%

"A Quiet Place," the post-apocalyptic film that launched a horror franchise, is a masterpiece and one of the best PG-13 horror movies ever made. Yet the 2024 prequel, "A Quiet Place: Day One," which shows us the first days of the devastating alien invasion, is impressive in its own right.

Terminal cancer patient Sam (Lupita Nyong'o) has already resigned herself to dying when New York City is attacked by a bunch of deadly alien creatures that will kill anyone who makes the slightest noise. But while hordes of panicked people attempt to flee Manhattan, Sam makes her way uptown, hoping to taste one last slice of pizza from her favorite pizza shop before the end of the world.

"A Quiet Place: Day One" is one of the most sensitive horror movies you will ever encounter. It's deftly observed, from the surreal puppet show Sam watches before her world is uprooted to the layer of dust that coats every surface in New York City after the invasion. The film has the biggest budget in the franchise to date, and the destruction happens on a much larger scale. Yet the movie never loses the quieter, more personal touch that made the original film so special. Also, did we mention that Sam has an adorable kitty named Frodo? That alone should be reason enough to watch this movie.

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou

Director: Michael Sarnoski

Runtime: 1h 40m

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

Unlike most end-of-the-world movies, the 1998 Canadian film "Last Night" doesn't show the characters trying to prevent or survive the apocalypse. In fact, it never even explains why the world is ending exactly at midnight, leaving that detail up to audiences to decide. Instead, it treats the fate of the world as unavoidable, and follows multiple characters as they choose how they want to spend their last day on Earth. 

A gas company employee (David Cronenberg) decides to call each of his customers and assure them they will continue to have service until the world ends. A man named Craig (Callum Keith Rennie) sets out to fulfill his sexual bucket list. Meanwhile, a man named Patrick (Don McKellar) vows to die alone out of grief for his late wife. However, when he encounters a woman (Sandra Oh) trying to cross town to see her husband one last time, he discovers that maybe he doesn't need to spend his final moments by himself.

"Last Night" pulls off an incredible balancing act, finding surprising humor and hope in humanity's impending doom, without ever losing its sense of weight. No end-of-the-world movie is as gentle and dignified as this one.

Starring: Don McKellar, Sandra Oh, Callum Keith Rennie

Director: Don McKellar

Runtime: 1h 36m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

While "The Walking Dead" was at the height of its popularity in the United States, one Korean director decided to hop on the zombie train, delivering the incredible "Train to Busan." In this 2016 film, a man (Gong Yoo) is traveling on a high-speed train with his estranged daughter (Kim Su-an) when a zombie epidemic strikes. As mobs of zombies swarm the cities and start to breach the train, the characters try to reach the quarantine zone in the city of Busan, hoping that the last safe place hasn't been overrun by the undead.

"Train to Busan" is a movie with high stakes and an ever higher body count. The characters face tough choices as the zombies claim one train car after another. The writhing hordes of undead move in such a carefully choreographed way that it would be beautiful if it wasn't so disturbing. You won't want to miss a jaw-dropping stunt where dozens of zombies join together to form a human chain. This deceptively simple film works both as a redemption arc for a flawed father and a ruthless thriller that will leave you at the edge of your seat — and might make you terrified to ride a train ever again.

Starring: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-Mi, Ma Dong-Seok

Director: Yeon Sang-Ho

Runtime: 1h 58m

Rating: Not Rated

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

"Miracle Mile" is a blend of two genres that would ordinarily never mix: a rosy romcom and a tragic disaster movie. In this 1989 film, Harry's (Anthony Edwards) biggest worry is making sure his next date with Julie (Mare Winningham) goes well. Yet when Harry accidentally receives a phone call warning him that Los Angeles is the target of a nuclear missile strike and the whole city will be obliterated in an hour, his priorities instantly change. For the rest of the movie, Harry tries desperately to find the woman he loves and get her out of L.A. before the bombs fall.

Brimming with sincerity yet simmering with existential dread, "Miracle Mile" somehow manages to be simultaneously hopeful and harrowing. The movie is even more suspenseful because, right up until the end, audiences are left with the lingering doubt that maybe Harry is mistaken, and maybe the world really isn't ending. The two romantic leads have undeniable chemistry, and the colorful characters they meet along the way are equally endearing. From its surreal neon lighting to its ethereal score by Tangerine Dream, "Miracle Mile" offers a vision of the end of the world unlike any other.

Starring: Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham, John Agar

Director: Steve De Jarnatt

Runtime: 1h 27m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

What would you do if you wanted to protect your family from a dangerous storm, but nobody else believed you? In 2011's "Take Shelter," construction worker Curtis (Michael Shannon) keeps having visions of birds dropping from the sky and nightmares about apocalyptic storm clouds that rain motor oil. Convinced that a catastrophic storm is on its way and his family is in danger, Curtis becomes obsessed with building a storm shelter in his backyard, until his wife (Jessica Chastain) starts to seriously worry about him.

Michael Shannon gives one of the best performances of his career, perfectly capturing a man who is losing control but too afraid to ask for help. The movie completely immerses us in the hero's point of view, even as it casts doubt on whether we can really believe what he's seeing — which are visions of approaching doom that will send shivers down your spine. This thriller keeps it ambiguous whether Curtis is just cautious or losing his grip on reality, and it keeps you guessing right until the very end. But whether or not the storm is real, it doesn't matter. "Take Shelter" is still one of the most intense movies about bracing yourself for the end of the world, even if that end never comes.

Starring: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham

Director: Jeff Nichols

Runtime: 2h 4m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

In this 2002 thriller, Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up in a hospital bed to find the facility — and in fact most of London — devoid of normal human life. He does, however, have plenty of semi-human company: One bite from a person infected with the Rage Virus and he will become a raging homicidal monster too. With the help of three survivors (Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, and Megan Burns), Jim must stay alive in this dangerous world.

Director Danny Boyle elevates what could have been a straightforward zombie flick into a horror classic. The "Infected" are not technically zombies, if you want to split hairs, but that doesn't stop this movie from earning a spot among the best zombie movies of all time. "28 Days Later" gives us a glimpse of what the world would look like just a month after an apocalypse of this sort. From the barren streets of London to a church full of Infected, the film paints a haunting picture of the end of the world. 

The film is a masterclass of pacing, shifting seamlessly between eerie calm and wild panic. It also combines scenes of disturbing horror with moments of surprising beauty. We guarantee you that this is the only zombie movie that shows horses running free in the English countryside.

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Danny Boyle

Runtime: 1h 53m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

Who knew the end of the world could be so dang funny? In Stanley Kubrick's 1964 Cold War comedy, a batty U.S. general named Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) launches a nuclear strike against the Soviet Union, convinced that the Commies have an evil plan to poison Americans' precious bodily fluids. Back in the War Room, The President of the United States (Peter Sellers) and General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) scramble to do damage control before the world is catapulted into a devastating nuclear war. And all the while, a bomber carrying its deadly cargo marches onward, oblivious to the fate of the world in its hands.

"Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" is a comedy of errors with catastrophic consequences. Peter Sellers gives not one but three stellar performances, and he is totally unrecognizable in each role. When it's not side-splittingly hilarious, this film also makes in its own way for an intense thriller. As one of the best movies to imagine what World War 3 might look like, "Dr. Strangelove" cheerfully exposes how we are one misstep away from nuclear disaster. If you consider that this film came out so close on the heels of the Cuban Missile Crisis, it took a lot of guts for Kubrick to make a movie that hits so uncomfortably close to home.

Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Runtime: 1h 33m

Rating: PG

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

In this brilliant post-apocalyptic film, humanity doesn't go out with a bang, but with a whimper. 2006's "Children of Men" envisions a world that has been devastated by infertility; the last child was born more than a decade ago. Theo (Clive Owen) has already given up on his dying world, but when he meets a pregnant woman named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) — the first pregnant woman in 18 years — he will do anything to get her and her unborn child to safety.

"Children of Men" is not like any end-of-the-world movie you've seen before. The movie shows us a society where humankind knows it has no future. This is a dark world, but it is not without hope. "Children of Men" is a sci-fi movie that takes its time, lingering on small moments such as Kee taking shelter in a cow pen or Theo slipping on a pair of abandoned flip-flops. 

The film also has great acting across the board, especially a scene-stealing performance from Michael Caine. Plus, did we mention the cinematography is gorgeous? There's one long take of Theo moving through a war zone that lasts for six breathless minutes, and it deserves a spot among the greatest long takes of all time.

Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine

Director: Alfonso Cuaron

Runtime: 1h 49m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%