If you look at the news, it’s the end of the world as we know it, but it doesn’t have to be all bad. Apocalyptic films are rife with action, chaos, and danger around every corner, but at the heart of many is the idea of hope. How does this hope manifest? In many apocalyptic films, hope shows up in the form of civilization and the discovery of precious resources and life. It’s a light at the end of the tunnel, where, for a brief second, our protagonists are finally able to breathe.
Sometimes, this light is represented in the form of a connection. Whether platonic or romantic, making a connection with someone when your world is literally and metaphorically falling apart is enough to keep a person going. And while a lot of apocalyptic films don’t focus as much on romance as this romance lover would like (seriously, apocalyptic rom-coms? Get on it, Hollywood!), love and connection can be found in a number of films.
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From zombies to asteroid collisions and even one film where the sun completely burns out, these apocalyptic films will punch you in the feels and make you seek out your loved ones. Because at the end of the day, sometimes that’s all you have when the world implodes.
Warm Bodies (2013)
Director: Jonathan Levine
Writer: Jonathan Levine, Isaac Marion (novel)
As an adaptation of a novel that was loosely inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Warm Bodies is a relatively easy film to follow in its set-up. Starring Teresa Palmer as Julie and Nicholas Hoult as R, the two represent the battle between the living and the reanimated in lighter YA fashion. The romance that blossoms between the two as they navigate their circumstances is lovely, with Palmer and Hoult’s chemistry giving much for romance fans to sink into.
But the real spotlight of Warm Bodies is in R’s journey of self-discovery amidst a slew of steadily rotting bodies and the rapidly growing threat of the Bonies, former zombies who have given up on life and only desire to destroy. The more human R becomes, the more his life and love are threatened. Ultimately, this culminates in a race against time for R to save what truly matters to him, and that is Julie.
Of the entries on this list, Warm Bodies is the lightest topically and features the most straightforward happy ending, with love and humanity conquering all. If you prefer lighter fare, this is an entertaining movie to add to your watchlist.
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
Director: Lorena Scafaria
Writer: Lorena Scafaria
As apocalypse films go, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is one that takes some pretty wild swings. Not just in tone, starting with the slightly quirky title, but how the journey of the characters unfolds. When confronted with the reality that the world is likely ending, this comedic drama shows the varying ways in which people deal with the concept of the world ending. A lot of this is seen from Dodge’s (Steve Carell) perspective, and he sees a lot. From suicides to cheating to drug-filled end-of-the-world parties, how people process the news is a lot.
It isn’t until Dodge runs into a sobbing Penny (an incredibly delightful Keira Knightley) that he finds meaning. A romance slowly blossoms between the two as they try to get Penny back to England to reunite with her family. As the world falls apart around them, the two are able to rely on one another to help them process. It isn’t until they are finally about to depart that they realize how much they mean to each other, and sometimes that’s a part of the process.
When our worlds are falling apart, whether literally or figuratively, everything comes into focus. Our regrets, our love, and our hate are siphoned through our brains until we land on the things that are truly important. For Dodge and Penny, as soon as the timeline of inevitable destruction gets moved up, what is important comes into focus. Their connection and love for one another are all they need in their final moments. Despite its comedic advertising, the film is quite heavy. However, viewers will gain much from it long after the world fades to white.
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Last Sunrise (2019)
Director: Wen Ren
Writers: Min Yu, Li Yiqing, Mei Yangkang, Wen Ren
Similar to Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Last Sunrise focuses on two people who must try to survive the sudden disappearance of the sun. This indie film is arguably the least known entry on this list of apocalyptic films, and part of that is due to its indie status and the lack of distribution. However, its ambitious nature and unique take on an apocalyptic scenario (a solar energy-dependent society collapsing almost immediately after the sun’s disappearance) gives much to dive into.
The characters at the center of Last Sunrise are astronomer Sun Yang (Zhang Jue) and his neighbor, Chen Mu (Zhang Yue). We’re able to get a sense of who they are when the writing doesn’t dive too deep into character development through the actors’ performances. They don’t have much of a relationship prior to the events of the film, yet are brought together by urgent circumstances. Debates on humanity arise throughout their escape, with glimpses of character philosophy coming out in the process.
Their relationship and connection deliver hope when there is none. The sun’s disappearance signals a race against time that seems nigh impossible to win. The reality is that if this were to happen, the world would freeze much faster than the film depicts. Wen Ren’s ambiguous ending gives the audience hope that maybe, just maybe, these characters will survive the deep freeze fate looming large. Without the two characters to latch onto, however, the film itself likely would get lost in a sea of other apocalyptic disaster films.
Where to Watch: YouTube
#Alive (2020)
Director: Cho Il-hyung
Writer: Cho Il-hyung, Matt Naylor
#Alive is one of those apocalyptic films that came to resonate a little too hard during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Starring Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-hye, the film depicts a zombie apocalypse rapidly spreading throughout Korea, with sheltering in place quietly being one of the only ways to survive. Oh Joon-woo’s (Yoo Ah-in) trajectory throughout the film mirrors the shelter-in-place experience some of us experienced during COVID. Left with minimal supplies, a lack of survival skills, and burgeoning emotions, the isolation may kill him before the zombies do.
What ultimately saves him is the interference of Kim Yoo-bin (Park Shin-hye), a woman who lives in the apartment across from his. Her presence plants the spark of hope in his soul, giving him something to #StayAlive for. From here, the film itself also takes on a new life as they both try to figure out ways to meet and stay together. Despite being physically separated, they form a connection with the use of walkie-talkies, mirroring the ways many of us connected with one another under lockdowns.
Unlike its sister film, Alone, starring Tyler Posey, #Alive ends without ambiguity. Through the power of connection, while trapped in isolation, the bond forged between our leads allows them to ultimately take the chance to get out and survive. Their existence confirms that not everything is lost, even in the darkest of circumstances.
Where to Watch: Netflix
Greenland (2020)
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Writer: Chris Sparling
Greenland (2020) was one of the more surprising disaster films of 2020, in large part due to its emphasis on focusing on the family in the story rather than giant CGI disaster sequences. That’s not to say giant CGI disaster sequences aren’t fun to watch. Sometimes they can be, but in the wake of the pandemic and the all-too-real human cost of widespread chaos at the time of Greenland’s (2020) release, the family element found within the film hit hard.
At its heart is the Garrity family trying to do everything they can to reach coveted shelter from this extinction event. John (Gerard Butler) and Allison (Morena Baccarin) are on the outs, but they are held together by the love of their diabetic son, Nathan. The Garrity family are selected by the Department of Homeland Security for emergency sheltering, but the path to keep the family together is riddled with conflict.
From the all-too-realistic ableism the family experiences with Nathan’s condition to human desperation leading to violence and more, it’s not long before you become invested in the Garrity family’s success. While Greenland (2020) could have ended either way, one thing is abundantly clear. By the film’s end, the Garrity family are in a better place, bonded together by these trials and reminded of what really matters when the world is ending.
Where to Watch: Prime Video
28 Days Later
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Alex Garland
28 Days Later is one of those apocalyptic films that have stood the test of time. From Alex Garland‘s script to the groundbreaking visuals of a completely barren London to the film’s performances, 28 Days Later stands out among the pack. Amidst the frenetic chaos of its zombie-riddled environment is the slowburn relationship built between main characters, Jim (Cillian Murphy) and Selena (Naomi Harris).
Jim and Selena are exciting characters. In the beginning, there’s a gender role reversal, with Selena embodied as Jim’s savior in a more traditionally masculine role. Jim, comparatively, is weak and unknowing, waking up into a world that is no longer familiar to him. As a result of his ignorance and physical weakness, Jim takes on a more traditional damsel-in-distress role. It’s an intriguing foundation to start their relationship on, but it offers an authentic starting point for the duo as they navigate this strange, intense London landscape.
Part of the appeal of apocalyptic films is seeing how people overcome the obstacles thrown at them and how the characters navigate the ebb and flow of humanity when civilization collapses. Jim and Selena battle this from beginning to end, finding themselves breaking down, building back up, and leaning on each other in the process. This brings out both the best and worst in them, and even some romance between the two.
Ultimately, it’s not the rabid zombies that hold the audience’s attention, though they are terrifyingly captivating. It’s the relationship between these all-too-human characters. Surviving is not easy, nor is it pretty. None of us know how we would react in an emergency situation and what it can bring out in us. In 28 Days Later, this learning process doesn’t tear these strangers apart. Instead, it brings them together and gets them through each scary new development they encounter.
Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+
Monsters (2010)
Director: Gareth Edwards
Writer: Gareth Edwards
Leaving arguably the most depressing entry for the end of this list is Gareth Edward’s Monsters (2010). It is one thing to endure the end of the world or an active disaster situation together. Still, it’s another to find romance only to – spoiler alert – have it violently taken away.
While that’s not the central focus of Monsters (2010), the human connection between Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) and Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able) is enough to land an entry on the list. Even without the human element, the film’s take on the alien invasion genre, with its anti-American imperialism themes, is much needed, even with its lack of subtlety.
Starting the film with the ending is a shocking choice that lets the audience know what they’re getting into before investing. It reveals the all-too-real collateral damage of disasters where the military gets involved, with civilian death tolls barely resonating when viewed from an impassive lens. Edwards makes sure to teach the audience who the couple at the heart of Monsters (2010) is and evokes a necessary empathy, something that is often lost when we watch the news or detach from circumstances we think don’t relate to us.
Over the course of Monsters (2010), the audience watches how Andrew and Samantha meet each other, grow and learn on their journey and ultimately fall in love. For the two, hope relies upon each other, reminding of the importance of that human connection. The relationship takes on a bittersweet tone, with the audience knowing how things end between the two long before their first kiss. The outcome of their relationship shown at the beginning takes away the hope that is generally present in disaster films. This brings up an important question: Without hope, how do we survive?
Monsters (2010) never answers this question, leaving the audience to mull over it instead. Through its nonlinear storytelling, the strength of its characters and performances, and the questions we’re left to contend with, this film is a necessary watch. However, if you’re not up for its more downer-like story, it can wait until you are ready.
Where to Watch: Prime Video
The power of human connection in apocalyptic films – final thoughts
Apocalyptic and disaster films are a source of entertainment and comfort in turbulent times. There’s a reason viewers clamored for these kinds of films during the pandemic. They provide a safe space for us to explore our fears and find control in an uncontrollable situation. Those that stand the test of time have something that we all need when things hit the fan—human connections.
Characters surviving and experiencing the end of the world together allow us to project ourselves into these moments. Through their trials, triumphs, and—if the circumstances go that way—their intimacy, we perhaps can learn something from them. These human connections instill hope when everything is falling apart, and when hope is fleeting, they remind the viewer of the importance of these human relationships.
Each of the films on this list reflects these all-too-necessary human connections. While not every film has a happy ending (such is life, after all), the characters onscreen show us what is possible. When everything is falling apart, these films and their characters remind us of what is important in the end. Without that essential human connection, where is hope? Without hope, all we are left with is despair.
Do you disagree with us? Do you have a recommendation that would be a perfect fit for this list? Let us know on Bluesky at @butwhytho.net.
