Doomsday movies, also known as post-apocalyptic movies, have been around since about 1916 and have steadily gained a cult-like following. With over 100 films released between 2010 and 2019, you may be wondering where to start or which are the best. Lucky for you Friendspire is here to help by connecting you with reviews from your friends and local community along with curated recommendations on specific topics. The following five films are featured on their Best Doomsday Movies list and are arranged by rating, highest to lowest.
1. Independence Day
First, on the list with the highest rating of 8.2, Independence Day was released in 1996. Starring Will Smith and Bill Pullman among others, Independence Day begins when an alien spaceship begins orbiting around Earth while launching several smaller spaceships that immediately begin destroying large cities. After a failed counterattack lead by the United States, a plan is devised to enter the mothership in space on July 4th and deposit a nuclear weapon.
2. I Am Legend
In a close second, I Am Legend received an 8.1 rating by the community. Robert Neville, played by Will Smith, is a scientist who discovers an incurable man-made virus but cannot stop it from spreading worldwide. Living in New York City, Neville believes he is the only human survivor of the virus but he dutifully broadcasts radio messages every day searching for survivors. After three years he learns he is not the lone survivor after all. Released in late 2007, I Am Legend is available to watch on multiple popular platforms.
3. The Day After Tomorrow
Coming in third on the list, The Day After Tomorrow was released in 2004 and received a 7.4 rating from the community. This doomsday movie focuses on how the greenhouse effect is destroying the planet via hurricanes, tornados, tidal waves, floods, and the beginning of an ice age. Starring Dennis Quaid as paleoclimatologist Jack Hall, this film follows Hall’s efforts to warn the world while also get his son out of New York City before it’s too late. Although this is one of a few post-apocalyptic movies that received poor ratings from the major film reviewers it was clearly a hit with doomsday followers.
4. The Book of Eli
At number four, The Book of Eli is the most recently released movie on the list with a rating of 7.1. The community recommendations for this film are consistently above 6 which is pretty impressive. In this post-apocalyptic film a lone survivor, played by Denzel Washington, battles his way across the United States on the hunt for a book that will help him save mankind. The Book of Eli was released in 2010 and is available to watch on most of the popular video streaming platforms.
5. The Road
Last on the list but certainly not least, The Road was released in 2009. Starring Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee as a father and son duo that travel across the nation’s fire-ravaged landscape. Seeking refuge in the south from the bitter cold, the father and son team must travel through ash and grey snow under a dark sky to get there. With a community rating of 7.0, The Road has certainly earned its spot in the top five.
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