Film has always wanted to capture the future.  So why not give into the pessimists view that the world is going to end (as soon as tomorrow) sometimes because it just is, or because we’ve been horrible to it.  So here are my Top Ten End of the World Films.

So here’s the one rule for this list.  A movie is only allowed to be on this list if the world has ended in some way or fashion.  Life as we know it now has ended and a deep dark depression has raged over the world or it is about the world ending and it actually happens.  If the movie is about the world ending (and then eventually our protagonists save it) it does not count and is disqualified.

Before I begin, just for reference, last year’s The Road is not on this list for the single reason that I have yet to see it.  However, based on the book it would be high on this list.

TEN – Akira (1988)

In a future where the Japanese government is researching the psychic powers of a small group of talented children and one in particular (Akira) has caused a huge explosion year before we watch as a biker gang search for answers as to what the government is doing to their friend (Testuo).

NINE – Knowing (2009)

A child begins to hear voices and is compelled to write down a list of, seemingly, random numbers.  Eventually a mathematician takes a long hard look and notices that these dates are predictions for disasters in the world, and the numbers end.  We watch as he tries to change these events that soon enough he learns he cant and watches the world come to crumbling end.

EIGHT – 2012 (2009)

I don’t care what people want to say to me this movie was fun.  It knew that it wasn’t going to make you cry or hate anyone but you were going to watch the world end in the biggest and prettiest way.  Roland Emmerich has been ending the world throughout his career as a director and I hope this is him saying that he’s done with it, because this is his best film (in this genre) and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

SEVEN – Equilibrium (2002)

After WWIII emotion has been outlawed.  It is required that all residents of this haven must take this drug on command each day to suppress all emotions.  The Grammaton Clerics are the uber-police who enforce all the ‘feeling’ laws, including the possession of certain content (mostly art).

SIX – 28 Days Later (2002)

The disease known as RAGE has been let out and the entire world’s population (or most of it) has been infected.  You wake up in a hospital bed (28 Days Later) to see the streets of London empty and are lucky enough to find a couple of survivors and decide to head out to the countryside in search of a safe zone where you can live free of the zombie-like infected city.

FIVE – Zombieland (2009)

Yes, Zombies are real.  And of all of the students of his graduating year it’s the neurotic gamer who survived.  He has survived thanks to his simple rules (like “Always check the back seat” or “limber up”).  Eventually he teams up with one of the craziest zombie killers that he can find Tennessee and they move along their way across the country to try and survive, find family, and the last twinkie.

FOUR – Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Returning to the zombie-apocalypse again, and we also return to England.  Shaun is noticing that people are becoming more and more… bitey.  Eventually he tools up with his best friend to go save his mum and his girlfriend (that just dumped him).  Along with all the british pop humour you can handle in a proper Zombie spoof film the world has ended, and you will be having a laugh.

THREE – Children of Men (2006)

The entire world has become infertile.  So the people of the world has decided since we can’t continue our species its time we just role over and wait it out.  The film is dreary and depressing while at the same time giving hope since we have our protagonist carrying the first pregnant woman across check points trying to get her to the one group of people who might be able to help.  It’s the end of the world in jolly old England and the youngest person is 18 yrs old.

TWO – WALL E (2008)

After years of pollution Earth has finally become unlivable.  We decide to fly off into space and leave a set of robots to do the cleaning up.  Wall E however has grown a personality during his time on earth and when he’s not compacting trash into skyscrapers he’s busy trying to figure out what all this junk was used for.  The end of the world was never this beautiful or romantic and only Pixar could do it this way and make one of the best films of the decade.

ONE – The Matrix (1999)

The world as we know it, is as we know it.  Except that’s only because we don’t know what the world really is.  This world is only the illusion to keep us in line and continue to produce electricity for the machines in the real world.  This cyber universe has taken over our minds.  It was the best science-fiction (and most influential action) film of the decade, until it passed that chronological border and became older than ten years, so now it is the best science-fiction film of the last two decades as far as I’m concerned and the best film in which the world has ended and I still await the next Wachowski film.