10 Best Post-Apocalyptic Movies Since 2010

The post-apocalyptic genre is one of the biggest and most diverse genres in film. There are countless movies that explore the end of the world, whether it be at the hand of humanity’s greed, a deadly plague, or some unknown force. However, the way the world ends is rarely the point of post-apocalyptic media. Rather, the way that life endures in the face of so much adversity is typically the generated subject of these stories.

Post-apocalyptic films have been popular for decades, but they’ve really boomed since the dawn of the 2010s. There have been tons of great post-apocalyptic movies released during this time, some of which (e.g. The Hunger Games, Interstellar, etc.) have redefined what the genre is capable of.

10 The Hunger Games Is a Stellar Adaptation of Young Adult Fiction

The Hunger Games is one of the most popular film franchises in recent memory. The book series quite literally redefined young adult fiction, and the movies furthered that boom. The franchise was almost single-handedly responsible for the huge surge in post-apocalyptic stories during the 2010s.

The Hunger Games is the first movie in the series and is quite the doozy. It follows Katniss, a young woman living in the poorest “district” trying to scratch out a life. After a mysterious cataclysm and war, the ruling elites force two teenagers from each district to fight to the death in an arena for everyone to watch. Katniss, of course, is drafted into these “games,” and the film follows her struggle to win.

9 Love and Monsters Shows that Love can Survive the End of the World

Love and Monsters deserved to be much more popular than it was. Originally intended for theatrical release, the COVID-19 pandemic saw the film moved to streaming, preventing it from reaching many fans who would have seen it. Love and Monsters is a hidden gem, and it possesses all the heart, humor, and fun that one expects from a romantic comedy, with the trappings and action of a post-apocalyptic story as well.

Love and Monsters follows Joel Dawson, a survivor of a monster plague. Discontent with simply hiding underground, Joel sets off on a cross-country journey to find his estranged ex-girlfriend Aimee. Joel is played by Dylan O’Brien, who oozes charm in the role. The film has tons of heart-warming moments, great creature design, and a cute dog to take the edge off its most intense scenes.

8 Interstellar Is One of the Most Well-Made Movies of All-Time

While most people would consider Interstellar a well-grounded sci-fi movie, it is definitely post-apocalyptic too. The entire Earth is on the verge of an ecological collapse, which prompts the missions into space that are depicted throughout the film. With a star-studded cast, unbeatable score, and an intricate story, the Oscar-winning film is a crowd-pleaser.

Interstellar stars Matthew McConaughey as Joseph Cooper, a pilot who is hand-selected to fly a one-way mission to search for a new planet to colonize. The film mostly follows the team’s adventures in space, but Earth’s imminent doom hangs over the entire film. This is definitely a different take on a post-apocalyptic movie, but it is one worth watching.

7 Snowpiercer Places Humanity’s Hope for Survival on a Single Train

Snowpiercer is an extremely underrated film. Despite the movie’s amazing cast and production team, it is often forgotten when talking about the best films of the 2010s. The post-apocalypse tale has a unique concept and setting, and it thoroughly delves into the traditional themes and expectations of the genre, resulting in a fast-paced, snow-bound romp.

Snowpiercer follows Curtis Everett, a passenger on the Snowpiercer train. This vehicle holds the remnants of humanity after the entire Earth freezes over, but because of this, it becomes a microcosm for the worst parts of humanity. Curtis leads a revolt against the ruling class on the train, and during his journey, he comes face to face with the corruption and greed of his world.

6 The Book of Eli Balances a Fantastic Cast with Better Action

The Book of Eli has a pretty stereotypical post-apocalypse setting, but its story sets it apart. The film stars Denzel Washington as the titular Eli, a wanderer who is journeying across America. The film follows Eli on his journey across the post-apocalyptic wasteland until he is waylaid by Carnegie, a warlord looking for a copy of the Bible.

Carnegie, played by Gary Oldman, is a fantastic villain, and he makes for the perfect foil to Denzel Washington’s Eli. The two men eventually break into open conflict, and Carnegie brings the entire weight of his forces against the talented warrior, Eli. This creates some awesome action sequences and sets up an incredible twist in the movie’s final moments.

5 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Successfully Rebooted a Legendary Franchise

The Planet of the Apes franchise is one of the longest-running franchises in the history of film. As the name suggests, these movies are about a planet (eventually revealed to be Earth) where a society of hyperintelligent apes rule over humans. After debuting in 1968, the franchise went through several incarnations until completely rebooting in 2014 with Dawon of the Planet of the Apes.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the second film in the reboot franchise, and it is the first modern entry in the series that delivers on its premise. At the film’s opening, a majority of humanity has been killed off, and apes are beginning to take control of the world. Any long-time fans of the franchise will appreciate the reboot films, but even by these standards, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a cut above the rest.

4 Edge of Tomorrow Gives Its Protagonist the Key to Defeating Earth’s Invaders

Edge of Tomorrow is one of Tom Cruise’s best films, yet it rarely receives the respect that it deserves. Already a decade old, it’s chock-full of bombastic action and sci-fi goodness. At the film’s onset, humanity has been fighting a war against nigh-unbeatable aliens for years, losing more and more of the planet.

Edge of Tomorrow follows William Cage, a public affairs officer who gets demoted and shipped to the front lines in a losing war against aliens. During his first engagement, Cage is bathed in the blood of one of these aliens while dying, which causes him to awaken the previous morning with his memories intact. Cage realizes he needs to use his power to survive the battle and win the war.

3 Warm Bodies Subverts the Expectations of Most Zombie Films

By nature, zombie films are generally pretty dark; humanity is devastated, the dead are walking, and there isn’t much time for fun. However, Warm Bodiesisn’t like most zombie movies. Starring Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer, the film follows a zombie who falls in love with a human girl. While it is a silly premise, the result is pretty touching.

Warm Bodies is a zombie film with a lot of heart. Nicholas Hoult’s character, R, is an undead monster, who starts feeling human emotion again when he sees the beautiful Julie. R’s return to humanity sets all the zombies on a similar path, and the characters need to navigate this change in their world and their love lives.

2 A Quiet Place Forces Its Characters to Operate in Silence

A Quiet Place is one of the most inventive horror movies out there. The whole film is predicated on tense silence, due to the nature of the monsters that haunt the characters. This results in an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, set in a uniquely quiet apocalypse. While regular life has ended, there are still pockets of humanity.

A Quiet Place is a master class in terms of tension and storytelling. The film cannot rely on traditional dialogue, so it uses contextual clue and sign language in order to convey most of the information to the audience, and to great effect. The film is eerily silent, which only plays up just how stressful and horrific this world is.

1 Mad Max: Fury Road Brings a Popular 70s Film to Modern Audiences

Mad Max: Fury Road is a reinvention of the Mad Max franchise. While the series made its name as a slightly campy, super brutal post-apocalyptic series, Fury Road elevated the form. While the 2015 film definitely has its fair share of camp and brutality, it turns the concept into an art form.

The film follows the titular Max, who’s been captured by the warlord Immortan Joe. Joe’s wives are attempting to flee, helped by the enigmatic Furiosa. Max winds up involved with the group and is forced to help them escape the warlord. The result is an epic (and incredibly long) car chase across the desert that is one of the coolest sequences ever put on film, cementing it as one of the best post-apocalypse movies of all time.