12 Apocalyptic Movies That Will Make You Want to Build a Bunker

1. These Final Hours (2013)

Starting our list is this chilling Australian flick. The concept is straightforward: The world is ending in a 12-hour fiery cataclysm, and everyone is going about their last hours in their unique ways. Our protagonist, James, played by Nathan Phillips, is initially self-serving but changes course after encountering a young girl in distress. Despite its modest budget and lesser-known cast, this film is a powerful portrayal of the human spirit. Its final gut-wrenching scene will surely have you considering that bunker blueprint.

2. Time of the Wolf (2003)

This French-Austrian-German drama is as grim as post-apocalyptic movies come. Directed by Michael Haneke and starring Isabelle Huppert, it tells the story of a family struggling to survive after an unspecified disaster. What sets this movie apart is its minimalistic, bleak style – there are no CGI effects, no grand narratives. Just raw, human struggle against despair and the loss of social order. Its daunting realism earned it a 67% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and trust us, you'll need more than popcorn to get through this one.

3. Melancholia (2011)

In Lars von Trier's Melancholia, the apocalypse is stunningly beautiful. The film focuses on two sisters, played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg, who react differently as a rogue planet hurtles towards Earth. This film is less about the physical end of the world and more about the psychological and emotional responses to imminent doom. Garnering an 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this is an apocalypse movie that will leave you emotionally rattled – to say the least.

4. Carriers (2009)

Before Chris Pine was steering the Starship Enterprise or swinging a lasso with Wonder Woman, he was in this grim, low-budget post-apocalyptic film. Pine and his co-stars (including Piper Perabo) navigate a world devastated by a highly infectious and deadly virus. Although it only grossed about $5.8 million worldwide, the tense atmosphere and harsh dilemmas faced by the characters might make you keep a hazmat suit handy.

5. Miracle Mile (1988)

In this under-the-radar film, Anthony Edwards plays a man who accidentally picks up a ringing payphone, only to hear a panicked voice warning of nuclear annihilation in just 70 minutes. The film turns into a frantic race against the clock as he tries to escape LA with his new love interest, played by Mare Winningham. Despite its meager box office earnings, Miracle Mile has since gained a cult following.

6. Right at Your Door (2006)

After multiple dirty bombs are detonated in Los Angeles, a man seals his house, only to have his wife return home seeking shelter. With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 69%, this movie is a tense exploration of the ethical and emotional challenges posed by such extreme survival scenarios. It'll have you rethinking your lock-the-door policy in the event of an apocalypse.

7. The Road (2009)

The Road, based on Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer-winning novel, paints a stark, desolate picture of post-apocalyptic survival. Viggo Mortensen plays an unnamed man traveling with his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) across a ravaged American landscape after an unspecified cataclysm. The film brilliantly depicts the desperate struggle for survival and the raw, bleak aspects of humanity that emerge. Its haunting atmosphere and performances earned it a solid 74% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its grim nature, the film managed a respectable global box office haul of $27.6 million.

8. Take Shelter (2011)

Michael Shannon gives an incredibly intense performance as a man plagued by apocalyptic visions in Take Shelter. As he grapples with whether these visions are prophetic or the onset of mental illness, he becomes increasingly obsessed with building a storm shelter, much to his family's distress. The film raked in just over $3 million globally, but Shannon's riveting performance combined with the film's slow-burning tension makes Take Shelter an unforgettable watch.

9. Children of Men (2006)

Alfonso Cuaron's dystopian masterpiece, Children of Men, takes place in a world where humanity is facing extinction due to inexplicable infertility. Clive Owen plays a disillusioned former activist who becomes the unlikely protector of the only pregnant woman on earth. This film is a brilliantly directed blend of social commentary and thrilling sequences, earning an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and a global box office of over $69 million.

10. The Mist (2007)

Based on a novella by Stephen King, The Mist is a horror film where the protagonists are trapped in a supermarket when a sinister, monster-filled mist envelops their town. The film, directed by Frank Darabont, also explores the horrors that people can inflict upon each other in desperate situations. While the box office gross of $57.3 million doesn't rival King's more famous adaptations, the shocking conclusion of this film will have you stocking your bunker with more than just canned goods.

11. The Quiet Earth (1985)

This New Zealand science fiction film centers on a man who awakens to find himself seemingly the only person left alive. The loneliness and strange phenomena that ensue form the backbone of this slow-burn apocalypse film. Despite only grossing $459,757 at the box office, its thought-provoking plot and eerie atmosphere, earning it an 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, makes the concept of total isolation seem terrifyingly real.

12. Threads (1984)

Threads is a British television movie that provides one of the most brutal depictions of nuclear war and its aftermath. The film interweaves the stories of two families before and after a nuclear strike on the UK. Despite its low-budget television roots, Threads is shockingly realistic and is considered by many as one of the most horrifying films ever made. After watching it, you'll find yourself not just planning a bunker, but possibly an entire underground city.