In film, there are many ways that the world can end. Zombies, disease, aliens, chaos, environmental factors — they all have one thing in common — destruction of the world as we know it. If you enjoy these movies and how characters must overcome their new worlds, whatever it may look like, make sure to check out our fifteen best end of the world movies on Netflix.
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15. The Last Days of American Crime (2020)
Our first selection is The Last Days of American Crime, where in a parallel future, the government has figured out a way to send out a mind-altering signal that will wipe out criminal behavior forever. Before they send out the signal though, two men and a woman set out to plot the heist of a lifetime before they will never be able to do it again.
IMDb score: 3.8
14. The Titan (2018)
It’s the near future in The Titan, where Earth’s resources are exhausted and humanity’s only hope to save themselves is by traveling to a distant planet. To get there, experiments into man’s genetic evolution in space are conducted to make sure the human race can survive the journey. The movie focuses on one military family who is relocated to participate in the study, specifically a husband and wife.
IMDb score: 4.8
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13. Awake (2021)
What if you lost the ability to sleep? Awake explores this phenomenon that also wipes out the world’s electronics and turns the entire population into an increasingly irrational and violent hoard. Jill, a former U.S. Army medic is one of these people, trying to protect her two kids, one of which may hold the key to the cure.
IMDb score: 4.9
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12. The First Purge (2018)
You’ve no doubt heard of the Purge movie franchise, and the 2018 film The First Purge shows how this horrific event all came about. To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, a group called the New Founding Fathers of America (aka NFFA) tested a theory that vents aggression and violence for one night in an isolated community.
IMDb score: 5.2
11. The Bad Batch (2016)
This end-of-the-world movie specifically focuses on a Texas wasteland fenced off from civilization, and how Arlen must navigate her way through treacherous landscapes and communities living there. One of these groups she gets captured by is a savage band of cannibals, led by the mysterious Miami Man. As she adjusts to their way of living, Arlen realizes that being “good” or “bad” mostly depends on who is standing next to you.
IMDb score: 5.2
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10. Rim of the World (2019)
Rim of the World is our next movie’s title, and the name of the summer camp where four misfit teenagers — Alex, ZhenZhen, Dariush, and Gabriel — are staying. Trouble comes quick though when aliens suddenly invade the planet. Alone in a campground that was once crowded with people, the kids are entrusted with a key that can stop the invasion and save the world.
IMDb score: 5.2
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9. The Silence (2019)
Based on the novel by Tim Lebbon, The Silence tells the story of a family trying to survive in a world terrorized by a primeval species that emerged from the pitch-darkness of underground cave systems to hunt humans with their acute hearing ability. As the family tries to seek refuge from the monsters, they unexpectedly find a cult that wants to exploit the daughter’s heightened abilities — ones she has after losing her hearing at thirteen.
IMDb score: 5.3
8. Bird Box Barcelona (2023)
You may recognize this next movie as a spin-off of the blockbuster horror film Bird Box that premiered in 2018. In Bird Box Barcelona, we see how the mysterious force that kills all who see it affects Sebastian and his young daughter Anna in Barcelona. As they forge an uneasy alliance with other survivors, a more sinister threat than the unseen creatures grows in the shadows.
IMDb score: 5.3
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7. Black Crab (2022)
Our seventh choice for the best end of the world movies on Netflix is a Swedish action thriller titled Black Crab. In a post-apocalyptic world, six soldiers are sent on a covert mission to transport a mysterious package across the frozen archipelago. The catch? They have no idea what dangers may lie ahead and if they can trust those out on the ice.
IMDb score: 5.7
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6. Extinction (2018)
Extinction brings to life the idea of an off-world invasion and a man who dreamt of the horrible things that were about to happen. After the attack occurs and the man realizes he isn’t paranoid, he now must protect the people he loves and find a hidden strength that can keep them safe.
IMDb score: 5.8
5. Anon (2018)
What if your private memories weren’t private anymore? In Anon, your private memories are recorded, bringing the crime rate almost to zero. But when Detective Sal Frieland tries to find the culprit of a series of murders, he stumbles upon a young woman known only as “The Girl.” With no identity or history, she is invisible to the cops and starts Frieland on a whole new crime — one that is quite dangerous.
IMDb score: 6.1
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4. Cargo (2018)
In this heartfelt twist on a zombie movie titled Cargo, Martin Freeman stars as a man who’s been infected by a violent pandemic, just trying to find a safe spot for his child. Traveling across rural Australia, he meets a diverse set of people trying to survive in these horrible conditions, all while he battles his changing nature.
IMDb score: 6.3
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3. Leave the World Behind (2023)
One of the newer films on our list Leave the World Behind is an interesting clash of racial bias and world-ending phenomenon that will keep you guessing on what is happening to the world. When a middle-age couple return to their holiday home which they rented out to another family, they bring news of an unprecedented blackout in the city and strange sonic booms that rock the land. As the world continues to change, the two families must bridge their differences in order to figure out what is really happening around them.
IMDb score: 6.5
2. Snowpiercer (2013)
The world is frozen over in Snowpiercer in 2031, and the only way to stay alive is by residing on a train that hurtles around the globe. Separated by classes in each car, we meet our main character Curtis (Chris Evans) who is a part of the lower-class citizens who must live in squalor at the back of the train. Determined to get to the front and spread the wealth, Curtis leads an uprising to battle their way through the train and finally earn some respect.
IMDb score: 7.1
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1. Don’t Look Up (2021)
Our last selection for the best end of the world movies on Netflix is titled Don’t Look Up, a somewhat hilarious and frightening view into trying to convince the world of a comet colliding with Earth. The catch? No one seems to care. It’s up to Kate (Jennifer Lawrence) and her professor Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) to embark on a media tour to raise alarm about the comet and save the world.
IMDb score: 7.2
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