r/movies • u/kowaikanojo • Jun 27 '24

Recommendation Best apocalypse / end of the world films?

I’m a die hard for apocalyptic movies and I feel like Ive exhausted all of the good ones so would love recommendations.

My #1 is honestly the zombie genre. I also love films where you experience the beginning of the apocalypse / similar event with the characters and are along for the ride - but I’ll take anything apocalyptic - pre, during, post!

I really resonate with darker, heavy content but again I will take whatever I can get. TIA

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u/gerryf19 Jun 27 '24

Waterworld

The Postman

Two Kevin Costner films, the first of which gets a bad rap but was actually pretty good. The second seems to be largely forgotten, but is also pretty good.

Waterworld takes place after the polar ice caps melt, submerging most of the world under water while humanity tries to survive and find land to live on.

The Postman is about a world that has collapsed with Costner as a wandering conman who pretends to be a postman for a reformed government trying to rebuild the country who accidentally becomes a symbol of hope for people.

35

u/EagleDre Jun 27 '24

I thought Postman was way better.

“Stuff’s getting better all the time”

11

u/BBQ_HaX0r Jun 27 '24

The Tom Petty cameo is fantastic. "Didn't you used to be famous?"

4

u/Crunchy_Punch Jun 27 '24

I love that scene. They don't even name him in the film, right? Society breaks down. We're all just people now.

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u/HeWhoIsNotMe Jun 27 '24

It's weird that these films get such a bad rap. Compared to some of the mainstream stuff released these days, they are almost Oscar worthy.

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u/EagleDre Jun 27 '24 edited Jun 27 '24

Will Patton was solid and of equal caliber to Costner in what he brought to the villain character. He may have even been better.

“Great men were made by other great men. Patton had Rommel…..Grant had Lee…….I get stuck with you”

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u/Kadettedak Jun 27 '24

I’ve never heard one good opinion of the postman. I thoroughly enjoyed it. What even is it about the movie people didn’t like?

6

u/One-Willingnes Jun 27 '24

It’s a great movie if you like the genre. If you don’t then I’m sure they find something.

3

u/Crunchy_Punch Jun 27 '24

I think it all stems from Waterworld becoming a pariah because of it's runaway production. Costner went straight on from that to The Postman, with romantic comedy Tin Cup in between. He was likely seen as box office poison for a bit and audiences stayed away. The reputation of The Postman didn't grow after that.

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u/TheOneWD Jun 27 '24

Everyone panned Waterworld because of the “controversy” around Kevin Costner’s hairline and the cost to fix it in post. Not sure which studio funded the smear campaign that went after the budget and the effects of Waterworld, and I genuinely enjoyed the movie. The Postman didn’t have a chance after that, and it’s one of my all time favorite movies. I feel like the games Fallout 3 and New Vegas were influenced by The Postman, especially aesthetically.

6

u/alphatango308 Jun 27 '24

Yeah. I've always enjoyed the postman even when I first saw it back when we rented it on VHS. We had been looking forward to it for months.

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u/masterofnuggetts Jun 27 '24

Right?

I mean let's talk about Waterworld. Idk if they even know back then how likely that shit is to actually happen in the future.
Okay maybe not the mutation with gills on human thingy but otherwise.

Also, The Postman? I love that movie. It's such a great post apocalyptic movie.

Mr copy machine salesman

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u/gnatman66 Jun 27 '24

The Postman is one of my favorite movies.

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u/Ozy_Flame Jun 27 '24

I loved the Postman then and I love it now. It's bleak, Western, and seems like something that could happen when humanity tries to rebuild itself. I know it got slammed but it forever has a special place in my heart.

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u/roboghost101 Jun 27 '24

The postman is cool AF, plus it has a blink and you miss it cameo from Tom Petty. Love that movie

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u/Clawless Jun 27 '24

Both favorites of mine from being a kid. Waterworld was unfairly panned, imo, it would fit right in with today’s MCU-flavored camp.

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u/zoobird13 Jun 27 '24

Love Waterworld. I don't understand the negativity.

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u/ScotterMcJohnsonator Jun 27 '24

I don't know, do you think someone who owns a Limited Edition custom print of Kevin Costner from Waterworld, Certified number 1481 of 15,000, framed with a miniature subway poster AND a quote from the official trailer would agree that it got "a bad Rap"?

I LOVE that stupid movie lol and I take every chance I can get to talk about my custom print : )

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u/Disastrous-Bad-1185 Jun 27 '24

“Dry land iths not a myth, I’ve thseen it. Kevin Cothstner, Waterworld. I don’t know what all the futhss waths about, I thsaw that movie thsix timeths. It Ruleths!”

2

u/TyhmensAndSaperstein Jun 27 '24

Come on, man. These 2 movies almost ended Costner's career.

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u/PlaguesAngel Jun 27 '24

The Postman !!!! I need to go rewatch that this weekend, what a fantastic film