The Apocalypse Movies That Actually Terrify Us

The end of the world is nigh. Or so we've been told approximately 300 times, until Armageddon was narrowly avoided thanks to a rogue scientist/unlikely hero/band of rebels dreamed up by the incredibly paranoid/relentlessly hopeful people who make movies. With things like climate change looming, end-of-the-world stories just got a lot scarier.

Every fictional depiction of our demise serves a different purpose, from warning us of the idiocy of nuclear warfare (Dr. Strangelove) and scaring the crap out of us about the consequences of genetic engineering (every modern zombie movie), to cautioning us against environmental disasters and spinning any number of silly allegories in between. Or just having us imagine a life where wearing blind-folds 24/7 is the new norm.

Here, we gather up the best end-of-the-world stories to hit the screen, and take a shot at analyzing what the point of it all is. You know, other than showing us wicked explosions, fire-breathing demons, and zombie swarms.