Post-Apocalyptic Movies That Predicted The Future

There's a common hypothesis, whispered amongst starry-eyed directors and cinephiles alike, that films are collective dreams. And just like dreams, some films dip into the realm of prophecy, especially when they are explicitly concerned with looking forward into possible futures where humanity and the Earth are in dire straits. Post-apocalyptic films have a tendency to tap into primal and emerging fears regarding the extinction of our species, as well as the creeping guilt that we've sullied the planet we call home. And while some predictions are more dread-inducing and on-the-nose than others, the thrill of engaging with post-apocalyptic content is the hope that with knowledge comes the power to sidestep our potential downfall.

But, alas, movies don't always prevent us from sowing the seeds of our own destruction. Below you'll find a collection of cinematic post-apocalyptic scenarios that came true, in one form or another. There's depressing environmental devastation and malignant happy accidents, but all told, it probably won't hurt to pay close attention to these eerie cinematic soothsayers.

Beware: some spoilers ahead.

A staple of mid-1970s science fiction and a chilling vision of what the future may hold, "Logan's Run" is one of the most striking (and colorful) apocalyptic visions ever to grace the silver screen. Based on William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson's novel of the same name, the film takes place in the year 2274, long after the vast majority of humanity has perished. (In the film our demise is left ambiguous whereas in the book, the young systematically overthrow the old). What's left of humanity lives in a highly artificial sealed city. There, everyone who reaches the age of 30 is ritualistically euthanized to maintain the balance of the society's population and the available resources.

Given that terrifying expiry date, many citizens in "Logan's Run" dabble heavily in hedonism, which naturally includes an especially relaxed attitude towards casual sex. In one scene early in the film, Logan (Michael York) waltzes across his modular apartment to his floor-to-ceiling television known as "The Circuit." Using the remote, Logan tunes in and out (or "swipes," if you will) through an assortment of prospective sexual partners based on their appearance. He turns the dial, and a strapping, muscle-bound lad appears. Logan shakes his head in polite refusal, turns a knob on his remote, and the man vanishes. Next up is a beautiful woman (Jenny Agutter) who seems to strike Logan's fancy. She materializes right there in his living room, and the two get to chatting. Let's hope dating apps are the only thing "Logan's Run" predicts.

Don't pinch your nose just yet. There may come a time where a jet-black brick of cockroach jelly is a regular, acceptable protein source. In Bong Joon-Ho's 2013 film "Snowpiercer," a failed attempt to reverse the effects of global warming has kicked off a full-blown ice age. What's left of the human race is relegated to a massive, globe-circling train called the Snowpiercer which is segregated by economic class. In the back cabins, the poorest denizens consume rationed "protein bars," which our characters later learn are made up of pulverized cockroaches.

Insects are included in the diets of many cultures, which makes sense because they're a great source of protein. Indeed, if you think of entomophagy as a taboo, according to National Geographic, you might be in the minority. Eating insects has a variety of advantages, from food security to pest control. But push may have to come to shove before the West starts gobbling grubs, and by "shove" we mean the climate crisis. Insects consume 10 times less plant material than traditional livestock, and take up a fraction of the space and water usage required for cattle. They also breed a heck of a lot faster. All told, there's a growing push in the West towards eating insects as a response to the climate crisis. Heck, cricket protein powder is popping up left and right. So wipe that grimace off your face, Chris Evans, we've got a planet to save.

Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (who also authored the original manga of the same name), 1987's "Akira" takes place in the far-flung future of 2019. A devastating world war has flattened cities and led to the emergence of violent protests, corruption, and gang violence, not to mention mutated psychic teenagers with extra-sensory powers. Fittingly, the film itself has a keen apprehension of what the real 2019-2020 held for us. 

One of the most weirdly prescient moments occurs soon after the opening bike chase. As most of the characters are arrested (and one, somewhat ominously, is shepherded to a hospital), we're greeted by an enormous sign in front of a construction site teasing that Neo-Tokyo will host the 2020 Olympic games. For those who may have forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the global pandemic, real-life Tokyo was, in fact, selected to host the 2020 Olympics until they were postponed due to COVID-19. Turns out the graffiti under the sign in "Akira" — a resigned bid to "Just cancel it" – was also right on the money.

Based on Harlan Ellison's novella of the same name, 1975's "A Boy and His Dog" takes place in the post-nuclear wasteland of 2024. Our 18-year-old hero Vic (Don Johnson) wanders the irradiated southwestern United States in search of food and babes. He's accompanied by his wildly intelligent (and surprisingly well-read) telepathic dog, Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire). 

Now, sure, man's best friend isn't telepathic just yet. But with the push of a button, dogs are building their lexicon. If you've been on Instagram or TikTok lately, you may have encountered the growing number of "talking" canines, who use a collection of buttons programmed with pre-recorded words (also known as an augmentative and alternative communication device) to voice their every demand, whim, and passing thought. Whether social media superstar Bunny the talking dog will say things like "breeding is an ugly thing" or "war is hell" remains to be seen. But maybe it's just a matter of buying more buttons. Also, is anyone else creeped out by the fact that Blood is a sheep dog and Bunny is a sheepadoodle? Just us? Okay.

Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 film is a bit of a bummer, to put it mildly. Set in 2027, after nearly two decades of total human infertility, the world of "Children of Men" is a depressed police state on the verge of total collapse. The film follows Theo Faron (Clive Owen), an ex-activist who finds himself the reluctant protector of the first pregnant woman in eighteen years (Clare-Hope Ashitey). 

As the BBC astutely puts it, the decline in human fertility is nothing short of "jaw-dropping," with some countries expected to halve their populations by the end of the century. While thankfully sterility doesn't appear to have anything to do with it, scientists are predicting a global depopulation crash as a result of a variety of factors, including single parenthood, smaller family sizes, declines in religiosity, and women choosing to join the workforce. Arguably, many of these "causes" are a win from an environmental, human rights, and social perspective, though scientists are quick to point out that a lack of working-age human beings will have enormous social and economic consequences. Yikes.

Set in the aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse that obliterated the world and the rule of law with it, the "Mad Max" films are full of absolutely radical cars which serve as the wasteland's primary means of transportation (and combat). This vehicular focus has a great deal to do with how the world ended in the first place. As we learn in the third film in the franchise, 1985's "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome," the cataclysmic global war was instigated by depleted oil supplies. Given the original 1979 film was written in the shadow of the 1973 oil crisis, this angle makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately for us, the fear around peak oil – the "tipping point" where we reach the maximum rate of petroleum extraction — is very real. So if all those news stories about gas stations running out of precious "guzzolene" have you worried, maybe it's time to start assembling your fashion-forward post-apocalyptic outfit. Leather and shoulder pads are going to be in.

Sure, the much-maligned Pamela Anderson comic book adaptation is something of a black sheep on this list. But don't let the unintentionally goofy gait of "Barb Wire" fool you. If anything, we should have paid closer attention to this 1996 box-office bomb, which painted a grim but unfortunately on-the-nose vision of 2017 America as a tyrannical, chauvinistic nightmare torn apart by divisive politics. "Barb Wire" knew that emboldened Nazi sympathizers would be back in a big way in the mid-2010s. And while the U.S. has yet to break out into a second civil war, as per the film, the Capitol riots are pretty stark evidence of the rift within an increasingly divided America. If there is a plus side, in the world of "Barb Wire," calling women "babe" without their consent is not allowed unless you want to lose all your teeth in a hail of bullets. So hey, everything's on fire but there are some perks.