5 Best End Of The World Movies, Ranked

All things shall pass. Though it's unlikely to happen in our lifetime (hopefully), the Earth will eventually become lifeless — and what better way to fret over this matter than with a collection of films that focuses on the planet (or humanity's) demise. While it may be horrifying to think about, the five movies below each have their own unique take on the end of days, and they may just take your mind off the fact that our planet's oxygen levels will eventually drop.

Whether taking you far into the future to see an Earth inhabited by trash, or showing you suffering as the apocalypse nears, we tried to go with a variety of different sci-fi movies to really round out your options. Additionally, each movie on this list has positive critic and audience scores, and we did our best to tell you where each film is streaming, when available. If you're in the mood for something potentially bleak, this list will have you laughing, crying, or even bringing the kids along for the apocalypse.

Though MIT predicted society will collapse this century, and even if a supercomputer knows when all life on Earth will end, there's no reason you can't spend some time enjoying some of the best movies available on the subject of Earth's doomsday. While you don't need to watch any of these films from your emergency bunker, we've also got some of the best sci-fi films of 2025 if you're still in the mood for more content after watching everything on this list.

Having rain on your wedding day might seem like small potatoes after watching director Lars von Trier's 2011 film "Melancholia." The second film in his "depression trilogy" including 2009's "Antichrist" and 2013's "Nymphomaniac," "Melancholia" earned its spot on this list by taking a different perspective on the end of the world — focusing on themes of depression rather than the events leading up to the apocalypse.

A story in two parts, "Melancholia" begins by following Justine (Kirsten Dunst) on her wedding day, alongside her partner Michael (Alexander Skarsgård). Sad and lonely, Justine's mood spoils things for her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland). During this, a stray planet known as Melancholia is set to collide with Earth, bringing audiences to part two of the story, where Claire's anxiety over the events clashes with Justine's acceptance of what's to come.

Visually appealing and emotionally powerful, the film earned Dunst a Best Actress award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and the film also holds 36 award wins and 95 nominations besides. On Rotten Tomatoes, "Melencholia" holds a 79% Tomatometer score and a 67% Popcornmeter score. In a 2019 article from Miami Herald, Miami staff said about the film: "Von Trier has thought his conceit through, and his vision was thorough enough to attract a superb cast to him on his one-way joyride to hell." The film is currently available to rent or stream on Amazon Prime Video.

It would be a real missed opportunity to not include at least one zombie movie on an end-of-the-world film list, and George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" is a staple within the genre. We considered the first in the series, "Night of the Living Dead," to be one of the most essential zombie movies a horror fan needs to watch at least once, and its sequel continues the story of surviving the zombie apocalypse while maintaining very strong audience and critic scores.

"Dawn of the Dead" follows four survivors navigating a world overrun with the reanimated dead. As society begins to fall apart, TV station employees Stephen (David Emge) and Francine (Gaylen Ross) meet officers Roger (Scott H. Reiniger) and Peter (Ken Foree), and the group locates to a mall in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Hoping to stay there until the dust settles, the four realize it's only the start of their troubles.

The film currently holds a 92% Tomatometer score and a 90% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes. In a 1979 review available on RogerEbert.com, Roger Ebert said "'Dawn of the Dead' is one of the best horror films ever made — and, as an inescapable result, one of the most horrifying." As of this writing, the film is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.

If the idea of a nuclear apocalypse is funny to you, then you're already in the right mindset for Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film "Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb." Considered one of the funniest movies of all time, it's also on our list of the 100 movies everyone should see before they die. Along with being a movie about total destruction brought about by man, those who like alternate history movies will also find plenty to enjoy.

Set during an alternate version of the Cold War, "Dr. Strangelove" follows U.S. Air Force General Jack Ripper (Sterling Hayden) as he grows paranoid that the USSR is poisoning America's water supply. Without the consent of his superiors, he begins sending nuclear bombers to the Soviet Union, and it's up to a war room filled with politicians and military figures to do their best to stop the assault. The film stars Peter Sellers (in three different roles), George C. Scott, Slim Pickens, and Keenan Wynn, among others.

The film holds 14 award wins and 11 award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director nominations at the 1965 Academy Awards. "Dr. Strangelove" currently holds a 98% Tomatometer score and a 94% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes. In a 1964 review for Variety published online, critic Dave Kaufman said, "Nothing would seen [sic] to be farther apart than nuclear war and comedy, yet Kubrick's caper eloquently tackles a 'Fail-Safe' subject with a light touch." The film is currently available for rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

This one's for "The Office" fans who want to see another side of John Krasinski — though, 2018's "A Quiet Place" would still earn a spot on this list, regardless. Along with the film receiving largely positive reviews and it being Krasinski's breakout film as a director, we went with this flick not just for its horrifying premise. Its take on family drama also helps it stand out.

"A Quiet Place" follows the story of the Abbott family, with members being 89 days into the Earth being ravaged by a group of nearly invincible aliens. Doing their best to survive, the family learns how to live without sound, as even the slightest noise can attract the creatures and bring their demise. Throughout it all, Lee (Krasinski) and Evelyn (Blunt) do everything they can to fight and protect their children. Along with Blunt and Krasinski, "A Quiet Place" also stars Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, and Cade Woodward.

With 38 award wins and 129 award nominations, "A Quiet Place" took home the 2019 Critics Choice Award for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie, and the film holds a 96% Tomatometer score and a 83% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes. In a 2018 review for Firstpost, critic Swetha Ramakrishnan stated: "The vast potential of silence does the trick in 'A Quiet Place' — one of the most terrifying films in recent times for its execution of a unique brand of horror." The film is currently streaming on Paramount+, FXNOW, and YouTube TV, but don't be surprised if you need some all-time favorite "The Office" quotes to settle your nerves after.

If you're going to experience the end of the world, you may as well bring the whole family along. Even though 2008's "Wall-E" could also make our five best films about AI list, we actually considered it one of the best movies ever back in 2025. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios, who you may recognize for producing classics like 1995's "Toy Story" and 2001's "Monsters, Inc.," "Wall-E's" story of hyper-consumption and robotic love through an all-ages tale makes it hard to top.

Directed by Andrew Stanton — who also works on the "Toy Story" franchise — "Wall-E" follows the eponymous robot (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifer Earth-class), as it deals with being the last robot on an Earth destroyed by trash. Doing its best to clean the planet, the little robot eventually gets its own personality after spending 700 years cleaning the planet. It's then that it meets the more advanced robot EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator), and the two venture on a journey toward saving the Earth.

Along with boasting a 95% Tomatometer score and a 90% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, "Wall-E" also holds 96 award wins and 95 award nominations, including winning Best Animated Feature Film of the Year at the 2009 Academy Awards. In a 2008 review for The New Yorker, critic David Denby stated: "'Wall-E' is a classic, but it will never appeal to people who are happy with art only when it has as little bite as possible." The film is streaming on Disney+ or available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.