The 7 Best Post-apocalyptic Thrillers, Ranked

Fear is a fundamental aspect of everyday life, holding significant sway over every tiny action we make and every little experience we open ourselves up to.

Whether you’re terrified of swimming in the open ocean or maintain pre-existing phobias to birds, snakes, or clowns, almost everyone has a serious fear lurking somewhere in the back of their mind. 

While everyone contends with individual fears in life, one universal fear almost everyone can relate to is the imminent end of the world as we know it. Whether watching Earth suffer through a devastating nuclear war, a rampant zombie apocalypse, or an unexpected invasion from beyond the stars, almost every viewer expresses panic and anxiety at the idea of an apocalyptic event destroying civilization. 

Playing off these relatable fears in a nuanced and often entertaining fashion, numerous films have explored what a post-apocalyptic landscape might look like in the immediate future. From atmospheric sci-fi horror films to rip-roaring Australian action films, here are some of the greatest post-apocalyptic films we’ve seen to date, ranked in order from worst to best.

A Quiet Place (2018)

Paramount Pictures

In a genre loaded with zombies, natural disasters, and/or leather-clad bikers, A Quiet Place offers a surprisingly fresh take on the tried-and-true post-apocalyptic thriller narrative. Incorporating sound-sensitive alien monsters who use their acute hearing to prey on human survivors, A Quiet Place’s unique emphasis on sound truly immerses viewers in the world of John Krasinski’s nightmarish setting. Taking the time to showcase the dangers that can come from a loud clatter, a baby’s cry, or a noisy toy unexpectedly springing to life, A Quiet Place is an utterly terrific sci-fi horror that will have you holding your breath every time you hear the smallest sound imaginable.

Zombieland (2009)

Sony Pictures

Admittedly, Zombieland more accurately fits into the classification of a comedy than it does a traditional thriller. Yet even with its overwhelming sense of humor and outlandish comedic performances, there’s a biting edge to Zombieland’s horror-centric elements, as seen with the ravenous zombies shadowing the main protagonists throughout. Dark in all the right places without losing its agreeable comedic style, Zombieland is the perfect zombie film for the modern era, cleverly mixing laughs with plenty of unpredictable scares. 

This Is the End (2013)

Sony Pictures

As with the above-mentioned Zombieland, This Is the End can be more clearly defined as a comedy than an outright thriller – but it’s also hard to ignore the movie’s clear adherence to previous post-apocalyptic survival films. An inventive dark comedy with a metaware flare to it, This Is the End poses the tantalizing question: What if our favorite Hollywood actors were forced to brave the end of the world? Battling low resources, embittered infighting, and mysterious Biblical monsters, This Is the End is quite possibly the most original apocalyptic comedy film you’ll ever have the pleasure of watching.

Snowpiercer (2013)

CJ Entertainment

Not every post-apocalyptic movie needs to be set in a desolate wasteland. In fact, in the case of a movie like Snowpiercer, a relatively smaller setting can have a more dramatic impact, ushering in an increasingly claustrophobic tone in the span of its two-hour runtime. Adapted by the Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho of Parasite fame, Snowpiercer boasts a hellish narrative that’s equal parts dystopian as it is distinctly apocalyptic. Between its spectacular action, riveting story, and international ensemble cast, it’s an action film capable of being enjoyed again and again and again, serving as one of the director’s strongest efforts to date.

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

United Film Distribution Company

A serious argument can be made that Night of the Living Dead or even Day of the Dead deserves to be singled out as George Romero’s greatest achievement as a filmmaker. While it’s impossible to take anything away from these two respective films, Dawn of the Dead might very well be Romero’s magnum opus, serving as his ultimate contribution to the zombie genre he helped create. Jumping ahead from the initial days of the zombie apocalypse to the frightening future that humanity has adapted to, Dawn of the Dead delivers a wondrously thought-provoking take on the conventional zombie film, leaving little reason to wonder about its continued cult status today.

28 Days Later (2002)

Fox Searchlight

It’s a matter of individual taste and preference regarding which is better: 28 Days Later or its equally thrilling sequel, 28 Weeks Later. As fantastic as each film is in its own right, though, there’s something positive to be said about the original entry in the series. Breathing fresh life into the long deceased zombie genre, 28 Days Later made the shambling hordes of the undead seem suddenly terrifying again. With dangers lurking around every corner, 28 Days Later comes packed to the brim with twists, turns, and surprises left and right, hooking audiences’ attention from its electric start to its haunting conclusion.

The Mad Max Series

Mad Max / Mad Max: Fury Road

It’s certainly no accident that most people instantly think of Mad Max when they hear the words “post-apocalyptic.” Setting the standard look and feel of the genre for the 50 years that followed, every entry in the Mad Max franchise has helped shape audiences’ collective understanding of the post-apocalyptic genre, influencing everything from Fallout and Borderlands to Terminator and Waterworld. With literally every film in the franchise worth watching for one reason or another, the Mad Max series continues to hold our attention in a way few film series can, delighting viewers with its massive universe of vengeful police officers, grizzled road warriors, fanatical cult leaders, and souped-up muscle cars roaming the Australian Outback.