Imagined world ending, either through natural causes or our actions as humans, is unnerving, yet movies provide us with the visual imagery needed to envision such an event.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the best-known end times movies. Here, John Connor and the T-800 work to defeat Skynet and save humanity from destruction.
2012
As 2012 approached, many believed it signaled the end of our planet. This movie chronicles one family’s struggle to make it through an apocalypse, featuring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Oliver Platt as they recount their story of survival from one chaotic world into the next one, hunted by violent scavengers but finding an ancient book may provide them with salvation.
Roland Emmerich’s disaster movie boasts of explosions and special effects galore but also boasts of a talented cast and morally ambiguous themes, striving to balance drama with humor as well as action-packed scenes.
Though the movie is entertaining, its story becomes repetitive quickly, and its characters fail to stand out much from one another. Furthermore, its plot seems drawn from various other movies, such as Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow; plus, too much emphasis is put on special effects, which causes it to seem unrealistic.
Roland Emmerich directed a movie about the Mayan prediction of 2012 that is worthy of Oscar consideration, featuring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as stars, among others. There are some amusing moments, yet overall, this film remains forgettable.
In this film, the end of the world is brought about by an infectious plague that turns humans into bloodthirsty vampires. This story follows one man and his son trying to survive in this terrifying new environment where violent scavengers hunt them, and they must deal with an unusual disease that transforms them all into vampires – making the film quite disturbing, with some strong language being used throughout.
This sequel to the iconic 1980s thriller Terminator presents John Connor fighting against T-X, an advanced type of terminator with the ability to change shape and destroy any opponent that stands in his way – ultimately culminating in an epic tale between humans and machines.
Melancholia
Lars Von Trier’s film offers another apocalyptic vision, but unlike Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay’s mindless action flicks, it focuses more on our response as humans to knowing of our imminent demise than sci-fi action alone. Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg deliver exceptional performances as Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg, respectively.
Melancholia follows two sisters (Juliette and Justine) as they struggle to accept their imminent deaths and come to terms with what will inevitably become of all those they hold dear – including themselves. Although complex and strange at times to watch, its exploration of depression proves very powerful and thought-provoking.
Melancholia shows us how many of its characters can go about living their lives despite knowing they will soon expire, suggesting there remains a powerful sense of life force within humanity even if we cannot necessarily feel it in ourselves at present.
Melancholia’s success lies in its focus on the personal and internal struggles of its protagonists. Unlike Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris, which sometimes falls into preachy philosophical discussions that become overbearing or pretentious when attempts at cerebrality become apparent, it stays away from this trap of preachiness altogether.
What makes this film so effective is its naturalistic approach; everything seems plausible as its setting and premise are portrayed without hero or heroine-type characters; they describe ordinary people dealing with extraordinary circumstances.
As this film isn’t an action flick, its unorthodox narrative style makes it all the more captivating – definitely worth watching but may not appeal to everyone – the pace can sometimes become slow and tedious, but if you have the stomach for it, I highly recommend watching as one of the finest judgment day films ever produced.
The Day After
Brandon Stoddard, executive vice president of ABC Motion Pictures, was inspired after viewing The China Syndrome to create a movie that explored what happens after nuclear warfare begins. For this project, he hired veteran television writer Edward Hume to be the screenwriter of The Day After.
The Day After is an acclaimed 1983 television film depicting the effects of an unexpected NATO-Russian military confrontation that escalates out of control, leading to attacks on rural American areas due to proximity to Soviet missile silos. First broadcast, this groundbreaking work made waves as one of television history’s most controversial and memorable movies ever. It stars Jason Robards (Dr. Russell Oakes), JoBeth Williams (Nancy Bauer), Steve Guttenberg (Stephen Klein), and John Lithgow (Joe Huxley).
Nicholas Meyer was chosen as its director; having just finished Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, he felt uncomfortable about directing an R-rated movie about nuclear war for television, fearing censors would dampen its impact and casting prominent actors would detract from its message.
Meyer was ultimately successful in creating The Day After and broadcast it for the first time in November 1983, after an extensive publicity campaign and cuts or cuts were implemented to reduce bloodshed and violence within its script. Numerous scenes had to be cut or edited out; one location, in particular, depicting a woman having nightmares about the nuclear holocaust, was even cut or edited out completely! Furthermore, several scenes had to be reshot due to excessive bloodshed within it.
