Half of the country is drowning. Half of the country is burning. There are killer earthquakes in Mexico. Innocent people are being deported. And what’s more? There’s no sign of things stopping. If you’re at all like me, you don’t need science to tell you that the world is in peril—movies have already done it for you.
There are a ton of movies centered around “the end of the world.” And so, during this time of turmoil, we turn to them for some much needed levity, adventure, heart—and maybe a few survival techniques…
1. 2012: Remember when we were convinced the world would end back then? Ahh. Good times. We were all so sweet and naive then, not knowing all the hardships and struggle that would hit the world. Watch this movie and remember the good old days.
2. Day After Tomorrow: The entire Earth freezes over due to extreme weather patterns, leading to absolute and complete chaos. In terms of weather-based disaster, this one pretty much tells it exactly as it is. Bonus, Jake Gyllenhaal is in the movie, and man, he’s pretty enough to make the end of the world not seem so bad.
3. Independence Day: A classic story of America overcoming aliens trying to blow up the earth. If your patriotism needs a bit of a pick-me-up given the current state of things in the country, this movie will give you exactly what you need.
4. Shaun of the Dead: Shaun is about as prepared for the zombie apocalypse as any of us would be. Read that as: not at all. His plan is essentially what all of us choose in the face of an ending world, “Go to the bar, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over.”
5. Titanic: Okay, so this isn’t technically an apocalypse movie, but it is a disaster movie, and that’s close. There’s obviously the disaster that is the iceberg—and even more so, the disaster that is Rose not moving over on the stupid wardrobe… Plus, I’ll take any chance to include young Leo on a list.
6. Mad Max: This entire series focuses on the wasteland of Earth post-apocalypse. It’s weird, brutal and highly stylized, but if the end of the world means someone is going to play an electric guitar that shoots flames as they ride through the desert… I’m a little okay with it.
7. This is the End: Seth Rogan, Jay Buchanel, Jonah Hill, James Franco… all your favorite funny guys playing themselves as they try to deal with Judgment Day striking the planet. There’s demons, celebrity cameos, murder—and perhaps the best part, an axe-wielding Emma Watson. If that doesn’t interest you, well, it should.
8. Zombieland: When the world is in turmoil and everyone you know is a zombie, it’s good to remember the little things. Amusement parks. Family. Twinkies. This movie is a classic comedy zombie flick, and it features Emma Stone as a relative acting newcomer, so that alone makes this movie a must-watch.
9. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World: This one is perhaps the most touching apocalypse movie out there. With the imminent threat of an asteroid that is going to destroy Earth, Steve Carell’s character makes a journey to find his old crush, and finds love along the way (He also finds an adorable dog, who is reason enough to watch this movie).
10. Sharknado: There are a lot of horrible things happening as a result of all the hurricanes right now. But the silver lining? Sharks aren’t falling from the sky.
11. Wall-E: Even if this actually is the apocalypse, and all of humanity is forced to flee, at least one day we might be saved by some adorable Disney robots who will let us know that everything is still okay.