10 Apocalyptic/Dystopian Movies

A list I did for Simon over at the Four of Them blog.  It's a good site so I recommend you head over there.

Apocalyptic movies have run the gamut of mass destruction (the resume of Roland Emmerich) to sci-fi dystopias (any movie based off a Philip K. Dick book) to gritty darker human drams (The Road). Considering the wide range of films dealing with the end of the world can be difficult to whittle a list of favorites. I have managed to narrow down an eclectic list of ten. Many of my movies take place future dystopias than being explicitly about the end of the world. What you will not see on my list is The Road and Metropolis (I have seen neither). Neither can you find 2012 or any movie with Godzilla. I’ve also passed on The Omega Man (no urgency), Knowing (comparing 8 year olds to mating babies?), The Stand (tv movie) or I Am Legend (too reliant on CGI). Anyway feel free to disagree, but these are the ten I like.




10. Independence Day (1996)

Back before the White House was destroyed three times over and Will Smith was still known as the Fresh Prince, Roland Emmerich embarked on a “modest” quest to destroy the world. Of course this is the movie that set forth Emmerich’s path of self indulgent disaster porn movies, and allowed Michael Bay to embark on his brain dead PG-13 thrill fests. Yet, despite all my ribbing Independence Day is chock full of fun from Will Smith’s one liners, destruction of cities, Jeff Goldblum being brainy and Randy Quaid flying up a spaceship’s anus, Independence Day offered the best in the long line of nameless disaster movie of the last fifteen years.

9. Children of Men (2006)

Not quite the masterpiece many people attach to this dystopian tale where women no longer bare children. Regardless of the film’s stature, it still delivers a thrilling ride. Alfonso Cauron masterfully directs a story that is little more than a chase movie. His use of using a single-shot in several key action sequences help ratchet up the tension, which is needed since the majority of characters aren’t very well fleshed out. The strongest performance comes from the always reliable Chiwetel Ejiofor as a conflicted man that has lost hope in humanity, but also struggles work against a corrupt government. The movie rightfully ends on a more ambiguous note as the future of humanity still remains in question.

8. The Road Warrior (1981)

Like Independence Day, The Road Warrior isn’t as thematically deep as other movies on this list. It still presents a bleak vision of a post-apocalyptic wasteland of a future. Never having seen Mad Max I can’t compare it to the first, but by all accounts this is superior to the first movie. The Road Warrior is a thrilling action movie that once it kicks in rarely lets off the throttle. Also featuring memorable characters and exploring the need for human interaction, The Road Warrior is a superior post-apocalyptic movie. And any movie that has a kid throwing a lethal boomerang is cool in my book.

7. The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix has lost some of the luster it originally attained over ten years ago, mostly due to its lackluster sequels. However, the story it told isn’t as original or fresh as one might imagine, its storyline does parallel the Allegory of the Cave very closely. However, the enthusiasm coupled with groundbreaking effects created one of the most thrilling action movies from the past ten years (ok 11 years). Like many other action sci-fi movies The Matrix focused on a world controlled by machines, where the very essence of humanity is quickly being destroyed. Filled with imagery, a killer soundtrack and Keanu Reeves acting appropriately confused, The Matrix still stands as a crowning achievement.

6. Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Stanley Kubrick’s only foray into comedy, Dr. Strangelove is a master satire on the nuclear scare. A movie that could have easily aged is still hilariously and frighteningly relevant today. One hopes as the world crashes down that things don’t play out like they do in this movie. Distracting the audience from the threat of nuclear annihilation are great performances by George C. Scott, Slim Pickens, Sterling Hayden and Peter Sellers (three great performances really).

5. The Terminator (1984)

I’ve always found the original Terminator superior to its fun but overblown sequel. While the sequel does a great job of exploring the meaning of humanity, its premise isn’t as strong. The battle between man and machine was far more compelling in the first. Not to mention the emotional aspect of the first is greater than that of the sequels. The sequels are also less hopeful than The Terminator, which opens up a more hopeful future. Granted the movie’s set pieces are dated, but its emotional impact has not. That combined with terrific action sequences along with one of the 80’s most memorable villains makes The Terminator a must see.

4. Koyannisqatsi (1982)

I first watched Koyannisqatsi in my Freshman year of college. Walking into my campus’s small little “mini” theatre that generally featured just released movies on DVD. Having never heard of the movie and intrigued by its strange title, I entered the movie with little expectations and an open mind. What followed was a barrage of connected and disconnected strung together by different moods. As I continued to be entranced by the images on screen, a narrative unfolded about the disconnect between nature and technology and the potential dangerous outcomes of that. Koyannisqatsi translates to “life out of balance” in the Hopi language, an apt description for the filmmakers’ vision of the current world. As the images unfold the movie’s images and music describe a world out of control hurtling towards its destruction. I rather not comment too much on this movie as it really requires an individual viewing to connect with the images and devise one’s own meaning.

3. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

My personal favorite of George Romero’s Dead series, Dawn of the Dead chronicles how the world adjusts after the sky has fallen. Romero always manages to bring his movie above your average horror movie clichés by infusing his films with social commentary. Dawn of the Dead does this best by taking on consumerism, but also looks at small group dynamics and even the creation of the family unit. Whether it’s our small band of heroes surviving in a shopping mall or the group of marauding bikers Dawn of the Dead explores these groups with keen insight. That the movie delivers laughs and plenty of thrills certainly help the overall experience.

2. Brazil (1985)

No one has ever accused Terry Gilliam’s films of lacking vision or atmosphere. A movie very similar to Orwell’s 1984, Brazil presents a dystopian society that’s far more comical than Orwell imagined. Like 1984, Brazil relies on its bureaucratic protagonist to fuel the plot. Like many other stories on this list, humanity has abandoned much of our logical processes in the name of technology and other tangible objects, knowledge and wisdom are no longer sought. Humanity has reached the point where men and women are a slave to processes they know nothing about, thus very little now separates man from the machine. Also of note is Robert DeNiro’s terrific small role as an air-conditioning repairman.

1. Blade Runner (1982)

Perhaps my favorite pure Sci-Fi movie outside of 2001 (a strong argument could be made that belongs on this list), Blade Runner like Brazil features striking set design, varying themes and most importantly a terrific story. Blade Runner explores all the same ideas of humanity, while also ruminating on the nature of the value of life. At what point do we become human? Do our memories make us distinctly human? Are we human if someone else makes our memories? After all memories whether recalled or repressed shape our very perception of our identity. What about identity? Are humans the product of design like replicants or do we exercise free will? These themes are also explored in Dark City (another movie that could easily make this list). What makes Blade Runner stand above the rest of these movies is the Deckard’s (our protagonist) own journey to self-discovery. Is he a replicant or isn’t he? Does it matter? In the end Deckard chooses his own path, in the process he is reborn.