The difficulty of making a clean list of notable post-apocalyptic movies

I’ve been a fan of post-apocalyptic movies since seeing the original “Planet of the Apes” movie as a child. And back in 2019, I started to compile a list of such movies. But it hasn’t been easy.
The main reason why is the different ways that people define post-apocalyptic settings.
Many lists you find on Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and Letterboxd are cluttered with movies that take place before or during apocalyptic events. They also add movies that occur in dystopian futures where there may have been a world war or other cataclysm many years before but society has recovered to a large degree.
I think of post-apocalyptic movies as those depicting people struggling to survive after Earth has been devastated by world-altering events. That includes environmental disasters, nuclear war, pandemics, alien invasions, flesh-eating zombies and more.
With some movies, it is hard to tell if the events are isolated to a region or are worldwide in nature.
On my list, I leave out movies that take place in space or in post-apocalyptic settings on other planets. I also ignore those that take place in fantasy worlds.
I focus on full-length, live-action movies. So I don’t include short films or animated movies.
A list of post-apocalyptic movies would be easier to compile if it focused solely on U.S. theatrical films. But with the rise of streaming video services, consumers have access to many more productions. That includes made-for-TV movies, international films and those produced for streaming services like Netflix.
A lot of those movies are little-seen or poorly reviewed. Some cheapo productions, mostly rip-offs of the Mad Max franchise, have their cult followings. But many are just plain awful.
My main list of notable post-apocalyptic movies currently includes 250 titles. (See below.) Even among those, some are questionable. I focused on those notable enough to have reviews on Rotten Tomatoes or Wikipedia pages.
However, I’ve tallied 556 other movies that didn’t meet my qualifications of post-apocalyptic cinema. A lot of those are junky films that clutter up Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services.

Related articles:

The complete post-apocalyptic movie list (Updated Dec. 3, 2025)

Photos: A selection of little-known post-apocalyptic movies: “Road Wars - Max Fury” (2024), “Mad Sheila” (2016, China) and “Apocalypse Z - The Beginning of the End” (2024, Spain).

2025 was a quiet year for post-apocalyptic movies

Movies set on a post-apocalyptic Earth have been a popular subgenre, but this was a quiet year for such films. But things look to pick up next year.
Last year brought new movies in the “Mad Max,” “Planet of the Apes” and “A Quiet Place” franchises.
The biggest film in the subgenre this year was “28 Years Later,” the latest in the U.K. zombie franchise. It was met with generally positive reviews, garnering 89% favorable ratings from review site Rotten Tomatoes.
A spin-off movie, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” is scheduled to hit theaters on Jan. 16.
Also coming out in early 2026 is “Greenland 2: Migration.” It will be in theaters on Jan. 9. The first movie in the asteroid-apocalypse franchise, “Greenland,” came out in 2021. Stars Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin return for the new film.
In addition to those sequels, Daisy Ridley will star in a zombie survival thriller called “We Bury the Dead.” It’s due to hit theaters on Jan. 2.
Still to come this year is “The Great Flood,” which will premiere on Netflix on Dec. 19. The South Korean sci-fi disaster film unfolds as a catastrophic flood submerges the world.
What follows is a list of post-apocalyptic movies from 2024 and 2025 year to date, with their Rotten Tomatoes scores.

Recent post-apocalyptic movies

Arcadian (2024), 78% positive revenues, Certified Fresh
Azrael (2024), 71%
Badland Hunters (2024, South Korea), 67%
Breathe (2024), 14%
Die Alone (2024), 81%
Elevation (2024), 55%
The End (2024), 56%
Furiosa; A Mad Max Saga (2024), 90%, Certified Fresh
Humane (2024), 72%
Kalki 2898 AD (2024, India), 77%
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), 80%, Certified Fresh
Outside (2024, Philippines), 80%
Parvulos (2024, Mexico), aka “Párvulos: Children of the Apocalypse,” 88%
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024), 86%, Certified Fresh
Werewolves (2024), 49%
28 Years Later (2025), 89%, Certified Fresh
40 Acres (2025), 89%, Certified Fresh
Afterburn (2025), 0%

Related articles:

Big-budget post-apocalyptic movies returning to cinemas this summer (March 31, 2024)

Animal attack movies continue to excite audiences

Moviegoers enjoy a good animal attack movie, with shark attack movies the overwhelming favorite.
It’s a popular subgenre of action and horror movies. Sometimes they are combined with other genres such as war and crime dramas. Other times, they have a darkly humorous tone.
Upcoming animal attack movies include “Anaconda,” an action comedy about a giant killer snake, of course. It’s a remake/homage to the original “Anaconda” (1997), which starred Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Eric Stoltz and Jon Voight. The new version will be in theaters on Dec. 25.
Meanwhile, “Primate,” about a killer chimpanzee, is due out on Jan. 9.
What follows is a list of animal attack movies from the past three years. I also included the type of animal involved as well as the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes critics score.
I left off those with supernatural, sci-fi or fantasy aspects, such as bringing back extinct animals like megalodons and dinosaurs.

Recent animal attack movies and miniseries:

The Bayou (2025), alligators, no consensus
Beast of War (2025), great white shark, 90% positive reviews
A Breed Apart (2025), wild dogs, 18%
Cocaine Bear (2023), black bear, 65%
Coyotes (2025), coyotes, 59%
Dangerous Animals (2025), sharks, 87%
Deep Fear (2023), sharks, no consensus
The Flood (2023), alligators, 37%
Infested (2024), spiders, 95%
Into the Deep (2025), sharks, 27%
The Last Breath (2024), sharks, 31%
No Way Up (2024), sharks, 36%
Out Come the Wolves (2024), wolves, 64%
Something in the Water (2024), sharks, 46%
The Swarm (2023), orcas and other sea creatures, 70%
Under Paris (2024), sharks, 64%

Earlier articles:

Animal attack movies are popular summer fare (June 30, 2024)

Animal attack movies are a staple of summer cinema (Aug. 28, 2022)

Photos: Movie posters for “Coyotes,” “Anaconda” and “Primate.”

Netflix House first impressions: It could work.

I was skeptical when I learned that Netflix was planning to open physical attractions in shopping malls. But after visiting the internet television network’s first Netflix House last week in suburban Philadelphia, it changed my mind. I now think it could work.
Netflix House Philadelphia is located in a former Lord & Taylor department store in King of Prussia, Pa. The store had been vacant since 2021. It is free to enter and explore the gift shop, dine at the Netflix Bites restaurant, and to take selfies in Netflix photo op areas.
It also has premium immersive experiences and games based on Netflix shows like “Wednesday” and “Stranger Things.” They range from escape-room adventures and virtual reality sessions to mini-golf. I can see those as popular for birthday parties and corporate team building. Plus, it has a 229-seat movie theater for special screenings and events.
Netflix is planning to open three such attractions. The second Netflix House will open Dec. 11 in Dallas. A third will follow in 2027 in Las Vegas.
Netflix House Dallas will be located in a former Belk department store, which closed in 2020.
Given the tough retail climate today, there are many such vacant spaces in shopping malls nationwide. The mall owners likely gave Netflix a sweet deal to take over the space, both of which span 100,000 square feet over two floors.
Still, are these facilities part of Netflix’s marketing and promotions budget or does the company see them becoming a Dave & Buster’s-like franchise?
These attractions aren’t cheap to create and operate, so we shall see how the public responds. I think the locals will give them a try initially, but their staying power is an open question.

Photos: Netflix House Philadelphia in King of Prussia, Pa. (Netflix)

ICE, ICE, Baby: Sexy Halloween costume trends for 2025

Sexy law enforcement costumes look to be popular for Halloween this year, given the politicized focus on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency right now.
Halloween costume vendors Yandy, Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween are offering a riot of sexy cop outfits this year.
If female ICE agents and supporting law enforcement officers looked as good as these ladies, I’d have no problem being manhandled by them.
Also popular this year are Wizard of Oz-themed costumes because of the upcoming movie “Wicked: For Good.”
Topical costumes last year included take-offs on the movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and a sexy Ozempic weight-loss shot.
What follows are photos of some sexy cop costumes for Halloween. They include Lt. Ivana Misbehave, Sgt. Bustya and Officer Pat U Down.

Chicago Is Hot Dog City

No city loves its hot dogs as much as Chicago, “hog butcher for the world” as Carl Sandburg wrote in his poem “Chicago.” Though the go-to frank there is the Vienna Beef wiener.
On a recent trip back to Chicago, I visited two famous hot dog joints in the northern neighborhoods of Chicago: Superdawg Chicago in Norwood Park East and Wolfy’s in West Ridge.
In August, I stopped by another famous Chicagoland hot dog restaurant, Gene & June’s in River Grove, Ill.
The experience for each was unique but all of them offered delicious meals with their own twist on the Chicago-style hot dog.
The traditional Chicago-style hot dog features an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers and a dash of celery salt.
One of the quintessential downtown Chicago hot dog joints is The Weiners Circle in Lincoln Park. It’s known more for its sass and satirical promotions than its food. The late night crowd can get pretty rowdy, according to locals.
Chicago is known for other meaty fast-food delicacies as well including the Italian beef sandwich, Maxwell Street Polish sausage and the gyro sandwich.

Lunch today at the famous Gene & Jude’s hot dog stand in River Grove, Illinois. Delicious Vienna Beef franks and fresh-made fries. I got the double dog with fries and a Coke. pic.twitter.com/TRKUStn4l2

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) August 22, 2025

Yummy lunch today at @Superdawg in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Wz5xl9KhaT

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) October 3, 2025

Made a stop at popular Chicago-style hotdog restaurant Wolfy’s on the North Side. I wolfed down two Vienna Beef franks with all the fixings plus fries. pic.twitter.com/2sZwkwbQP4

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) October 5, 2025

Related article:

Ode to Chicago-style hot dogs (Aug. 31, 2025)

Note to Netflix: Keep the binge-watching option

One of the key innovations that Netflix introduced was “binge watching,” the ability to stream multiple episodes of a new TV show in one sitting. It replaced the legacy broadcast and cable TV model of releasing one new episode every week.
While some people might tolerate or even approve of the old model, I do not. Proponents of the traditional model say it allows a show to build buzz and anticipation for upcoming episodes. But with so many programming options out there, it’s easy to lose track of shows on a weekly release. I need a recap video to watch even new seasons of many shows.
Binge watching gives viewers the option of watching one or more episodes to satisfy their demand. It puts them in control. Weekly episode releases give all the control to the programmer and it seems stingy by today’s standards.
When services such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+ and HBO Max release a new series that I’m interested in, I’ll mark my calendar for when the full season will be available.
My suggestion to those services is to switch to the user-friendly binge-watching model and drop the old-school weekly release model.
According to a survey by Hub Entertainment Research, 64% of viewers prefer all episodes of a series to be released at once as opposed to one episode per week (36%).

Photo: Season five of the Apple TV+ series “Slow Horses” premiered on Sept. 24, 2025. But all six episodes won’t be available until Oct. 29. (Apple TV+)