As a horror enthusiast who’s spent countless nights huddled under blankets, I must say that the creators of these captivating shows and movies have truly outdone themselves. From the chilling premise of rain as a deadly virus carrier in “The Rain,” to the hilarious yet terrifying Mad Cow Disease-induced zombie outbreak in “Zombieland,” each story offers a unique twist on our worst fears.
Have you ever had the sensation that life seems like it’s straight out of a post-apocalyptic film or series? Instead of rushing off to construct an underground shelter, hoard canned goods, and learn survival skills, consider revisiting some top-notch dystopian movies and their TV show counterparts. Perhaps the reasons for societal collapse they depict resonate with you in any way.
Climate Change Experiment Gone Wrong (Snowpiercer)
In Bong Joon-ho’s 2014 film version of the French graphic novel “Snowpiercer,” a band of assorted travelers hops aboard a train that’s self-supporting, just as an attempt to fix climate change goes awry and makes the world outside a frozen wasteland. Seventeen years down the line, those who survived have established a social hierarchy within the train, but the downtrodden inhabitants of the rear carriages, under the guidance of Curtis (played by Chris Evans in one of his lesser-acknowledged roles), are determined to rise up against this system.
Global Outbreak Of Post-Fatal Reanimation (The Walking Dead)
It wasn’t until the post-credits scene in the final episode of the short-lived spin-off, “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” that we learned what triggered the “Walker Apocalypse” in AMC’s adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s popular comic book series. The second season unveiled an intriguing characteristic of the zombie virus, namely, that any survivors would inevitably reanimate upon death unless their brain was destroyed.
Flooded Earth (Waterworld)
In the movie “Waterworld”, extreme global warming results in the melting of the polar ice caps, leading to widespread flooding that appears to submerge the entire Earth. However, it’s not entirely clear if any land still exists. The film, released in 1994, features Kevin Costner as a sailor who ventures out on a mission to find the last remaining piece of dry ground in this chaotic, post-apocalyptic world that is often lawless and brutal.
Mystical Tree (Sweet Tooth)
As a gamer engrossed in the world of Sweet Tooth, I’ve journeyed through a tale spun from Jeff Lemire’s DC Vertigo comic book series. The story unfolds around a chilling virus outbreak, coinciding strangely with the birth of peculiar hybrid babies, half-human and half-animal, stirring mistrust among humans who point fingers at these unique beings as the pandemic’s cause. In the climactic finale of the Netflix fantasy series, it is shockingly revealed that a mystical tree, adorned with antlered branches, was brutally attacked by a human armed with an axe. This heinous act seems to have ignited the tree’s wrath against humanity, leading it to exact revenge by spawning animal-like beings to replace us.
Artificial Intelligence (The Terminator Movies)
Salvation,” is unique because it’s set entirely within the devastated dystopia, where an adult John Connor (portrayed by Christian Bale) leads the human rebellion.
Nuclear Disaster (Fallout)
The popular video game series, Fallout, along with its Amazon Prime series version, presents an exceptional portrayal of a world devastated by nuclear explosions, leaving some fortunate souls underground while others battle to survive on the surface. This story unfolds in a far-off future where microprocessors never existed, resulting in technological advancement being largely confined to the 1950s era.
Sound-Hunting Aliens (A Quiet Place)
In the “A Quiet Place” film series, we witness the persistent consequences of an alien invasion where silence is crucial for survival. These lethal beings, known as “Death Angels,” are not visible but possess exceptional hearing capabilities that render them menacing to anyone who utters the smallest sound.
Cordyceps (The Last Of Us)
Craig Zobel created one of the most critically-adored video game adaptations ever with his HBO series, which is based on the popular PlayStation game, “The Last of Us.” One intriguing aspect of this show’s approach to zombie stories is that the initial event – a Cordyceps fungus transforming humans into gruesome creatures – has a scientific basis.
Unknown, Psychologically Manipulative Phenomenon (Bird Box)
Though John Malerman’s book that sparked Bird Box came out long before A Quiet Place graced our screens in 2018, it’s no wonder people drew comparisons between the two. While the former isn’t about extraterrestrial invaders compelling silence, the protagonist, played by Sandra Bullock, and others find themselves in a chilling predicament – they must avoid seeing an ominous force that brings death or triggers psychological turmoil for some.
Universal Loss Of Sight (See)
In the Apple TV+ series “See”, Jason Momoa plays the lead character, set in a future where a global pandemic wiped out most of humanity, leaving only a few million survivors whose descendants are born blind. As time passes, these people have developed a culture without sight, living in a more primitive and tribal society that has forgotten the concept of vision.
Depleting Resources And Economic Collapse (Mad Max Movies)
In the Mad Max movies, it isn’t directly explained what led Australia to transform into a desolate, fire-ridden wasteland covered in blood. However, George Miller’s iconic series provides hints scattered throughout. The original 1979 film portrays a future with heightened crime rates, while subsequent movies suggest the decline due to rapid depletion of natural resources and a broken economy.
Disappearance Of 2% Of Mankind (The Leftovers)
Picture this scenario: Suppose approximately 2% of Earth’s population inexplicably disappeared one day, leaving their possessions behind. The novel “The Leftovers” by Tom Perotta and the HBO series adapted from it do not delve into the causes but instead focus on how such an event would impact those who stayed behind.
Infertility (Children Of Men)
In the tumultuous future setting of the 2000s, as depicted by director Alfonso Cuarón in his film adaption of P.D. James’ novel, “Children of Men,” an intriguing predicament unfolds: all women have inexplicably lost their ability to bear children, leading humanity towards its last days. Yet, when a woman miraculously becomes pregnant for the first time in years, the protagonist, Theo Faron (portrayed by Clive Owen), is assigned the challenging mission of safeguarding her journey through a war-torn landscape and ensuring her safe arrival at sanctuary.
Extraterrestrial Infiltration (V)
In most alien invasion films, the hostile aliens make their intentions clear. However, in the beloved miniseries ‘V’, along with its sequels ‘V: The Final Battle’ and the 2009 remake, the aliens disguise themselves as humans, creating an interesting twist. While they initially gain mankind’s trust, it is later discovered that their true objectives involve draining Earth’s resources and feeding on humans.
Mutated Strain Of Ebola (28 Days Later)
28 Days Later stands out among zombie films for its lifelike portrayal because the infected are not undead, but rather living individuals who are far from thriving. In this 2003 thriller directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, a mutated strain of Ebola develops into an extremely contagious virus that causes people to transform instantly into mindless creatures driven by unquenchable rage. This results in a largely deserted London.
Technological Breakdown (Twisted Metal)
In the late ’90s, there was widespread concern that technology would collapse when we reached the year 2000, much like the cyber attack depicted in the game Twisted Metal. Peacock’s series adaptation of this video game franchise features Anthony Mackie as a courier navigating the treacherous territories outside the fortified cities where the world’s major urban areas now reside.
Darkseekers (I Am Legend)
One of Will Smith’s top films is the 2007 production titled “I Am Legend“. In this movie, he portrays Robert Neville, a character who thinks he’s the last human left on Earth following a virus he helped develop in an effort to conquer cancer. However, instead of curing the disease, it transformed infected individuals into night-dwelling creatures resembling zombies, commonly known as “Darkseekers”. These beings feed on immune survivors, leaving Dr. Neville to face a desolate planet all by himself.
Alien Invasion (Falling Skies)
The television series, Falling Skies, created by Steven Spielberg, presents the scenario following the arrival of extraterrestrials on Earth and the devastation of major cities, aiming to harvest a resource from our planet essential for their technology. Noah Wyle serves as the central character throughout the five-season run on TNT, portraying a former history professor who emerges as a key figure in humanity’s fightback against these invaders, after they assume leadership of mankind’s resistance.
Evil Robot (9)
As a fervent admirer, I found myself immersed in Director Shane Acker’s Tim Burton-produced masterpiece, the feature-length expansion of his 2009 animated short, 9. The narrative unfolds in a post-apocalyptic world, where humanity has ceased to exist and the sole inhabitants are nine sentient plush dolls. These creations were fashioned by a scientist who, under duress from an oppressive ruler, constructed the robotic device that would ultimately bring about mankind’s demise – the ominous B.R.A.I.N.
Vampires (The Strain)
Generally, in many tales about vampires, they tend to be solitary beings who strike only when it’s dark, choosing a limited number of victims. Contrastingly, Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse’s FX series The Strain, inspired by their book series, presents a different picture where vampires aim for global conquest, leaving behind a scant few untouched individuals who might be the key to restoring daylight again.
Dragons (Reign Of Fire)
In many tales, dragons are linked to fictional realms devoid of contemporary technology. Yet, the movie “Reign of Fire,” featuring Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale, presents a chilling vision of a future where these giant, winged, fire-spitting creatures have nearly eradicated mankind.
Global Loss Of Electricity (Revolution)
Eric Kripke’s NBC show, titled Revolution, unfolds in a time when the world plunges into chaos following a global power outage. Unbeknownst to humanity at first, it was a sophisticated computer virus that led to the extinction of electricity.
A Combination Of Things (This Is The End)
2013’s apocalyptic comedy, “This Is The End,” primarily serves as a platform for celebrities like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Emma Watson to poke fun at themselves. Therefore, the narrative remains unscathed when creators Rogen (co-writer) and Goldberg (co-director) introduce numerous apocalyptic elements such as the Rapture, earthquakes, a sinkhole, and giant demons.
Virus Carried Through Precipitation (The Rain)
One outstanding horror TV series on Netflix hails from Denmark titled “The Rain“. In this show, the ordinary phenomenon known as “the rain” transforms into mankind’s greatest terror. This is because anyone who comes into contact with rainwater contracts a disease that proves fatal for many, but triggers peculiar symptoms in others.
Zombie Outbreak Via Mad Cow Disease (Zombieland)
In many top-tier zombie films, the creators skip over the explanation of why the dead rise and develop a taste for human flesh via bites. It’s only in a humorous horror film like 2009’s “Zombieland” that we discover the origin of the chaos – it turns out to be a mutated version of Mad Cow Disease, as explained by Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) through his voiceover narration.
Global Animal Attacks (Zoo)
In their 2012 novel, “Zoo,” authors James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge imagine a world where animals, devoid of human qualities like ego and ambition that have historically kept us dominant, develop a sudden desire to regain control of Earth. This intriguing concept was later translated into a brief CBS television series under the same title.
World War III (Equilibrium)
In Kurt Wimmer’s film Equilibrium, we are presented with a vision of a post-third World War society where feelings are legally suppressed and art is outlawed. The protagonist, John Preston, played by Christian Bale, serves in the maintenance of this oppressive regime. However, after missing his dose due to an emotional reaction, John finds himself joining forces with rebels to challenge his totalitarian state.
Overpopulation And High Pollution (Terra Nova)
In the context of a rapidly growing global population and deteriorating environment, an ordinary family seeks a fresh start in a new location. They discover their solution by journeying back to prehistoric times and joining Terra Nova, the self-titled colony from Fox’s brief sci-fi television series.
Vanishing Technology And Government (The Postman)
If you didn’t catch the introductory title that The Postman is set 16 years into the future, you might initially think this dystopian sci-fi movie is just another Western starring Kevin Costner. However, the exact reason for the apocalypse in the 1997 thriller remains unspecified. What’s clear is that its aftermath has resulted in the disappearance of modern technology, forcing people to travel via horse and the emergence of a new form of feudalism.
Deadly Exposure To Sunlight (Into The Night)
As a gamer, I found myself immersed in Netflix’s Belgian sci-fi series “Into the Night.” The unbearable radiation from the Sun turned out to be lethal for us humans, causing instant death for anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in its light. This catastrophic event left a group of airline passengers with no choice but to keep flying towards locations where the sun had not yet risen, hoping to find a safe haven before it was too late.
Nuclear Holocaust (The Book Of Eli)
In the barren world depicted in the 2010 film “The Book of Eli,” a catastrophic nuclear event led to the scarcity of many natural resources… and faith as well. Denzel Washington plays the central character, a wanderer on a journey to deliver the last surviving Bible to its intended recipients, if he can make it through the perilous post-apocalyptic terrain.
Monsterization (Sweet Home)
In Netflix’s live-action version of the webtoon Sweet Home, an alternate reality of South Korea is depicted, where a virus has wiped out humanity and transformed survivors into peculiar monsters through a process known as “monsterization.” The protagonist of this series, Cha Hyun-su (played by Song Kang), contracts this virus in Season 1, but manages to retain human traits during his transformation.
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2024-08-06 19:39