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Don’t be shocked if dystopian movies, zombie apocalypses, or ancient evils calling from beneath the Earth catch your attention. Enthusiasts of sci-fi and fantasy will revel in these riveting end of the world movies, brimming with enthralling drama, pulse-pounding action, and intriguing plot twists. Explore a diverse variety of apocalyptic scenarios, from zombie outbreaks to nuclear catastrophes. Aligning with your worst fears and fantasies, here’s our list of the top 25 end of the world movies on Netflix.
Thankfully, this cinematic compilation spans across genres and origins, ensuring an enriching experience for every viewer seeking to explore the thrilling realms of the unknown. So, prepare yourself for a wild ride with the top 25 end of the world movies on Netflix.
1. How It Ends (2018)
In the novel How It Ends, a young couple tries to get back together in a crumbling modern society. Cameron and Samantha, his pregnant wife, must travel across the nation to see their parents after a catastrophic event. However, to keep them alive, Cameron is forced to enter uncharted territory when his car runs out of fuel in the middle of nowhere. What happens if he fails?
| Director: | David M. Rosenthal |
| Writer: | Brooks McLaren |
| Cast: | Theo James, Kat Graham, Nancy Sorel, Nicole Ari Parker, Forest Whitaker |
| IMDb Ratings: | 5.0/10 |
2. What Happened to Monday (2017)
The septuplets, who are teenagers, are sent to a remote “rehabilitation camp” after getting into legal trouble. They look into their brother’s mysterious disappearance after he was sent to the camp three years prior due to their rebellious nature. The seven teenagers must uncover government secrets that endanger their lives to change the world by exposing violations of human rights. It is one of the favourite end of the world movies among teens.
| Director: | Tommy Wirkola |
| Writer: | Max Botkin, Kerry Williamson |
| Cast: | Noomi Rapace, Gless Close, Willem Dafoe, Marwan Kenzari, Christian Rubeck, Pal Sverre Hagen |
| IMDb Ratings: | 6.8/10 |
3. IO (2019)
After appearing in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Margaret Qualley shot to fame. She is now well-known for her work on Netflix. Qualley plays Sam Welden, a scientist who continues to reside on Earth even after it has been declared uninhabitable, in this film. Welden is adamant that she will make Earth the ideal place to live once more even though the majority of humans have left the planet and are currently residing on Jupiter’s moon Io. She makes a radio transmission, and Micah then comes to see her. He informs her that there is no hope left and that she should prepare to leave the planet soon. The movie’s opening is very intriguing, but much more could have been shown. Although the movie’s plot has some holes in it, Mackie and Qualley gave their best in this one.
| Director: | Jonathan Helpers |
| Writer: | Charles Spano, Will Basanta, Clay Jeter |
| Cast: | Teagan Johnson, Justin Andrew Jamieson, Emma Fitzgerald, and others |
| IMDb Ratings: | 4.7/10 |
4. Cargo (2017)
Australia was in a panic when the zombie apocalypse occurred. Everyone had the virus, which had made them into zombies. Greg Hammond is the main character of this survival tale as he tries to stay alive with his daughter after being bitten. Along with other survivors, he battles various bands of hungry, roving corpses. His main objective is to live for his daughter.
| Director: | Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke |
| Writer: | Yolanda Ramke |
| Cast: | Martin Freeman, Simone Landers, Marlee Jane McPherson-Dobbins, Susie Porter, Bruce R. Carter |
| IMDb Ratings: | 6.3/10 |
5. I Am Mother (2019)
Rebuilt from scratch after a fatal virus wipes out most of humanity, In-Ah is the only survivor. Chori adopts her, a robot caregiver programmed to teach and protect her. Life on their idyllic homestead is blissful until an intruder leaves In-Ah badly wounded and unable to conceive. With humanity’s survival in peril, Chori sets out to find another survivor, facing dangers of all kinds along the way.
| Director: | Grant Sputore |
| Writer: | Michael Lloyd Green, Grant Sputore |
| Cast: | Luke Hawker, Rose Byrne, Tahlia Sturzaker, Clara Rugaard, Hilary Swank |
| IMDb Ratings: | 6.7/10 |
6. Bird Box (2018)
It is safe to say that one of the most popular Netflix releases is Bird Box. We first see Malorie (who is pregnant) and her sister heading to the hospital at the beginning of the film. They are exposed to stories of people who have committed suicide during this visit. Malorie’s sister also sees something and commits suicide as they are both returning home. We are witnessing hundreds of suicides as this epidemic spreads widely. This depicts Malorie with her son Tom and another woman’s daughter. With the blindfold on, they can be seen attempting to go about their daily lives. Malorie and the kids head down the river to search for a safe place when the rebels arrive and Tom commits suicide. The narration in this film, along with Sandra Bullock’s powerful performance, keeps the audience firmly in place.
| Director: | Susanne Bier |
| Writer: | Sandra Bullock, Susanne Bier, Josh Malerman, Eric Heisserer, Chris Morgan and others |
| Cast: | Sandra Bullock, Danielle Macdonald, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Rel Howery, and others |
| IMDb Ratings: | 6.6/10 |
7. Awake (2021)
Consider a world devoid of electronics. not using computers. without mobile devices. the most crucial of all, without wifi! That is the environment that John and Anne discover themselves in after the planet is struck by a worldwide atomic blast that interferes with all systems, including those that control sleep cycles. In a stunning work of dystopian fiction that will keep you interested until the very end, learn more about a former soldier and his daughter. Discover the latest narrative in this new end of the world movies.
| Director: | Mark Raso |
| Writer: | Joseph Raso, Mark Raso, Gregory Poirier |
| Cast: | Gina Rodriguez, Ariana Greenblatt, Lucius Hoyos, Shamier Anderson, Jennifer Jason Leigh |
| IMDb Ratings: | 4.9/10 |
8. Don’t Look Up (2021)
In the suspenseful thriller Don’t Look Up, starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Jennifer Lawrence, the audience is riveted to their seats right up to the very last frame. Dr Randall Mindy and Kate Dibiasky, two inexperienced astronomers, are the subjects of the film. They unexpectedly learn that a comet that can destroy Earth is approaching very quickly. Due to their lack of status and rank, nobody initially pays attention to them or believes in them. The movie then depicts how these two go on a protracted media tour in the hopes that someone will take them seriously. It is yet another addition to best end of the world movies.
| Director: | Adam McKay, Jennifer Lawrence, and others |
| Writer: | Adam McKay, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and others |
| Cast: | Leonardo DiCaprio, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, and others |
| IMDb Ratings: | 7.2/10 |
9. Ravenous (2017)
This Netflix original movie follows a group of strangers who must defend themselves against cannibalism when their plane crashes. As they desperately seek out other surviving humans, they discover that this so-called “Ravenous Disease†turns people into aggressive, flesh-eating creatures. As the body count rises and supplies dwindle, these survivors realize they’ll have to do anything – and everything – they can to take care of themselves and survive.
| Director: | Robin Aubert |
| Writer: | Robin Aubert |
| Cast: | Marc-Andre Grondin, Monia Chokri, Charlotte St-Martin, Michelin Lanctot, Marie-Ginette Guay |
| IMDb Ratings: | 5.8/10 |
10. The Midnight Sky (2020)
The majority of the world’s population perishes in The Midnight Sky due to an unknown disaster that irradiates the planet’s surface. People frequently turn to move when faced with such circumstances, but in The Midnight Sky, Augustine Lofthouse was the target of the search. On the Arctic base, he is the only person who is still alive. He is ill and believes that getting better will bring about impending doom. Soon, Lofthouse can how Aether will soon return to Earth. This crew believes they have lost contact and are unaware of the current events on Earth. Therefore, it is the crew’s must and saves the human race. Those who haven’t watched The Midnight Sky should do so immediately because it’s unquestionably one of the best disaster films available on Netflix.
| Director: | George Clooney |
| Writer: | Mark L. Smith |
| Cast: | George Clooney, Felicity Jones, Caoilinn Springall, Kyle Chandler, and others |
| IMDb Ratings: | 5.7/10 |
11. The Wandering Earth (2019)
Based on a Liu Cixin novel, The Wandering Earth is the third-highest-grossing movie in Chinese history. Additionally, he is the nation’s first Hugo Award winner. The year 2061, when the Sun is dying, is the setting for the film. The world is attempting to bring Earth and its neighbouring solar system together due to the dying Sun. The human population lives in underground cities to survive this slow-moving journey on the planet, but even after this, things are still not going well. Jupiter’s gravitational pull increases the possibility of Earth being sucked into its orbit. A rescue team is formed to prevent this from happening, and they must prevent these planets from exploding. Their mission is to divert these planets from colliding. A good disaster movie that discusses an extinction-level event is The Wandering Earth.
| Director: | Frant Gwo |
| Writer: | Frant Gwo, Junce Ye, Gong Geer, and others |
| Cast: | Angel Zhao, Jingjing Qu, Mike Sui, and others |
| IMDb Ratings: | 5.9/10 |
12. Cadaver (2020)
A three-person family is forced to face the horrors of the outside world after a nuclear disaster close to Washington, D.C., while chaos reigns, to make their way to safety. Their only source of guidance is a mysterious radio beacon that is beaming out in the woods because they have no functioning cars, cell phones, or maps. They run into hostile cannibals, scared prostitutes, crazy cultists, and psychotic hotel survivors along the way.
| Director: | Jarand Herdal |
| Writer: | Jarand Herdal |
| Cast: | Thorbjorn Harr, Maria Grazia Di Meo, Thomas Gullstad, Kingsford Siayor, Jonaton Rodriguez |
| IMDb Ratings: | 5.1/10 |
13. Alive (2020)
Korean filmmakers are now able to reach new audiences who can understand and appreciate their work thanks to the success of the film Parasite at the Oscars. Alive tells the tale of a video gamer who manages to stay alive in his apartment while Seoul is overrun by zombies.
| Director: | Il Cho |
| Writer: | Il Cho |
| Cast: | Yoo Ah-in, Park Shin-Hye, Jeon Bae-soo |
| IMDb Ratings: | 6.3/10 |
14. Pandora (2016)
Nobody even wants to give Pyun-Sub’s concerns about the nearby nuclear power plant any attention. The nuclear power plant sustains significant damage when an earthquake occurs. Jae- Hyeok and his coworkers will now have to prevent the occurrence of another nuclear disaster. Pandora is a movie that is both a thriller and an emotional experience.
| Director: | Park Jung-woo |
| Writer: | Park Jung-woo |
| Cast: | Kim Nam-Gil, Kim Joo Hyun, Moon Jeong-hee, Kim Young-Ae, and others |
| IMDb Ratings: | 6.7/10 |
15. Army of the Dead (2021)
Meet Army of the Dead’s motley crew of heroes. Army of the Dead brings together a group of mercenaries to attempt the biggest heist ever attempted, and it is jam-packed with zombie-slaying action and incredible suspense. With a rising death toll and no indication of salvation insight, they must fight the zombie horde outside of their perimeter. Before it’s too late, they go deeper into the city to pull off the heist of a lifetime. It is another best release among the new end of the world movies.
| Director: | Zack Snyder |
| Writer: | Zack Snyder, Shay Hatten, Joby Harold |
| Cast: | Dave bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Omari Hardwick, Theo Rossi. |
| IMDb Ratings: | 5.8/10 |
16. The Darkest Hour (2011)
A science fiction drama about bravery, selflessness, and unlikely heroes is called The Darkest Hour. Ordinary Moscow citizens take the initiative to save the world when an alien race attacks using their extraordinary hacking skills. These five people are the focus of the Netflix original film The Darkest Hour, which follows their battle to save the world. It is a perceptive, thrilling, and suspenseful look at what occurs when we least expect it.
| Director: | Chris Gorak |
| Writer: | Jon Spaihts, Leslie Bohem, M.T.Ahren |
| Cast: | Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella, Rachael Taylor, Joel Kinnaman |
| IMDb Ratings: | 4.9/10 |
17. I Am Legend (2007)
In a world overrun by mutant humans and vampire-like creatures brought on by a global pandemic, there are only a few hundred human survivors. Using his blood, Army virologist Robert Neville looks for a remedy for the virus, which might be the key to mutating them into peaceful humans. While defending the teenage girl he fled New York with from the same fate, he must fight the leader of the Darkseekers, Samantha, and her gang of vicious hybrids. I am legend is one of the best end of the world movies.
| Director: | Francis Lawrence |
| Writer: | Mark Protosevich, Akiva Goldsman, Richard Matheson |
| Cast: | Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Willow Smith |
| IMDb Ratings: | 7.2/10 |
18. The Bad Batch (2016)
The survivors are being decimated by the cannibals of Los Angeles five years after a nuclear war brought an advanced civilization to its knees. An account of a buzzard living alone in this wild world She is infused with a threatening hallucinogen by cannibals who have captured her, and she awakens in a completely different world. Will Arlen join the battle to free her from captivity?
| Director: | Ana Lily Amirpour |
| Writer: | Ana Lily Amirpour |
| Cast: | Suki Waterhouse, Jason Mamoa, Jayda Fink, Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey, Yolonda Ross |
| IMDb Ratings: | 5.3/10 |
19. Poseidon (2006)
The Poseidon Adventures, a book by Paul Gallico, is the inspiration for Poseidon. The movie failed to make an impression on critics and viewers. It featured celebrities like Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, and Richard Dreyfuss. This disaster film’s plot revolves around a luxury ship that becomes stranded on New Year’s Eve as an event has just started there. The water causes the ship to flip, and the ship begins to sink. The passengers must escape the vehicle as soon as possible to save their lives is a rare movie that received Razzie and Oscar nominations. Although the disaster movie failed to impress the viewers, the special effects were successful.
| Director: | Mike Vogel, Kevin Burns, Richard Dreyfuss, and others |
| Writer: | Wolfgang Petersen |
| Cast: | Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, and others |
| IMDb Ratings: | 5.7/10 |
20. The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
When a family vacation abruptly goes off the rails due to their father’s invention, a group of small-town siblings are forced to come together. Aliens use technology to boost a deck of cards that can do almost anything. Our anti-heroes are engaged in a massive government plot to exterminate all humankind. Get ready for the hilarious family adventure, one of the top end of the world Netflix movies, that critics have dubbed “one of the best robot go-rounds.”
| Director: | Michael Rianda, Jeff Rowe |
| Writer: | Michael Rianda, Jeff Rowe, Peter Szilagyi |
| Cast: | Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Michael Rianda, Eric Andre, Olivia Colman |
| IMDb Ratings: | 7.7/10 |
21. Mars Attacks! (1996)
In the movie Mars Attacks, alien invaders land on Earth! The newsreel that introduces the film features the President explaining the arrival of the Martians. The Martians then arrive and start causing havoc. They don’t seem to be attacking, though; instead, they appear more interested in giving gifts and flaunting their peculiar traits. However, they quickly kidnap the centre’s president and launch a more sinister assault.
| Director: | Tim Burton |
| Writer: | Len Brown, Woody Gelman, Wally Wood |
| Cast: | Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Annette Bening, Glenn Close |
| IMDb Ratings: | 6.4/10 |
22. Sturgill Simpson Presents Sound & Fury (2019)
In a far-off future, the story opens when humans are compelled to seek safety underground. The plot centres on a man who centres on the barren surface contrast. The movie takes you on a journey through a post-apocalyptic world unlike any other thanks to a variety of animation styles.
| Director: | Michael Arias, Masaru Matsumoto, Junpei Mizusaki |
| Writer: | Junpei Mizusaki, Sturgill Simpson |
| Cast: | Chiyuki Kanazawa |
| IMDb Ratings: | 6.4/10 |
23. No Tomorrow (2016)
Evie, a risk-averse quality assurance assessor at a business that opposes technology, anticipates getting promoted and getting a new job. However, Evie discovers she has more on her plate than just an approaching deadline when her new boss—a former classmate—asks her to look into several of system glitches. To fix them, she must collaborate with the hot but unpredictable Xavier. Their relationship quickly becomes complicated, and she will soon have to decide whether the risk is worthwhile.
| Director: | Stuart Gillard, Allan Arkush, Ami Canaan Mann, Anna Mastro, Jeff Melman, John Putch |
| Writer: | Corinne Brinkerhoff, Alexandre Machado, Fernanda Young |
| Cast: | Joshua Sasse, Tori Anderson, Jonathan Langdon, Sarayu Blue, Jesse Rath, Amy Pietz |
| IMDb Ratings: | 7.3/10 |
24. The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)
You’ll be a bundle of surprises like she is. Melanie may appear to be a typical young woman, but in a dystopian future where a virus has killed off all humans, she is one of most of the dangerous and mutated hybrids. In The Girl With All The Gifts, Melanie is now humanity’s last chance for survival, and only she can assist scientist Helen Justineau in finding the solution to halt the spread of this deadly infection.
| Director: | Colm McCarthy |
| Writer: | Mike Carey |
| Cast: | Sennia Nanua, Fisayo Akinade, Dominique Tipper, Paddy Considine, Anamaria Marinca |
| IMDb Ratings: | 6.6/10 |
25. Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017)
A small band of military personnel and survivalists seek refuge in an underground bunker when a virus spreads across the globe and turns everyone into zombies. They are aware that they must confront the undead virus and find a cure before it’s too late after spending years in isolation with no hope of rescue. Above ground, their only chance of survival depends on a former CDC virologist who is aware of the outbreak’s root cause and is determined to find a solution.
| Director: | Hector Hernandez Vicens |
| Writer: | Mark Tonderai, Lars Jacobson, George A. Romero |
| Cast: | Sophie Skelton, Jonathan Schaech, Jeff Gum, Marcus Vanco, Lillian Blankenship |
| IMDb Ratings: | 3.4/10 |
Wrap Up!
The best end of the world movies not only captivate our senses but also resonate with a profound message. Along with leaving us contemplating the myriad possibilities of humanity’s fate. These cinematic marvels of the genre end of the world movies on Netflix navigate diverse scenarios of global catastrophe. They offer glimpses into how mankind grapples with its impending doom. It often highlights the significance of human connections and the impact of scientific advancements.
From cataclysmic natural events to extraterrestrial invasions and deadly pandemics. The best and new end of the world movies offer a haunting exploration of worst-case scenarios, giving us a peek into the oblivion. We curated a list of the top 25 end of the world movies with characters battling for survival.
Each story is a testament to human resilience. Whether it’s monsters unleashed or long-lost heroes resurrected. The masterpieces promise to ignite your imagination and cater to a diverse audience with a shared fascination for apocalyptic narratives.
