Random Underrated Sci-Fi Movies Set In A Lawless Post-Apocalyptic Frontier (19 items)

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  (#1) Children of Men

  • Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, Danny Huston, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Peter Mullan, Pam Ferris, Maria McErlane, Michael Haughey, Paul Sharma, Philippa Urquhart, Oana Pellea, Ed Westwick

  Children of Men takes place in a world emotionally and physically ravaged by two decades of worldwide infertility. The last generation has been born, and when they all perish, so too will the human race. Hope has left mankind, and the youngest person in the world is treated like a celebrity. The film follows Theo Faron, a civil servant played by Clive Owen, who works to keep a surprising refugee safe from harm.

  This movie is a perfect example of extraordinary filmmaking that hardly anyone bothered to see. It was produced on a budget of $76 million and only pulled in $70 million at the worldwide box office. Children of Men won the Best Science Fiction Film award at the Saturn Awards and two of the three BAFTA Awards it was nominated for, including Best Cinematography and Best Production Design. It was also nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing.
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  (#2) The Book of Eli

  • Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals, Evan Jones, Joe Pingue, Frances de la Tour, Michael Gambon, Tom Waits, Chris Browning, Richard Cetrone, Lateef Crowder, Keith Davis, Don Theerathada, Thom Williams

  The Book of Eli stars Denzel Washington as the titular Eli, a nomad who traverses a post-apocalyptic United States in search of a safe haven for his mysterious book. It features a desert punk aesthetic, superbly choreographed fight scenes, and a moving performance from Washington.

  In terms of ticket sales, The Book of Eli didn't do too badly, taking in a little over $157 million at the worldwide box office. Unfortunately, the film cost as much to produce and market, so it was seen as a box-office failure. The film did better in the home media market, and some call it a cult classic.
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  (#3) Doomsday

  • Rhona Mitra, Malcolm McDowell, Bob Hoskins, Adrian Lester, Alexander Siddig, David O'Hara, Sean Pertwee, Nathalie Boltt, Nora Jane Noone, Darren Morfitt, Martin Compston, MyAnna Buring, Rick Warden, Chris Robson, Jeremy Crutchley

  In the post-apocalyptic world of Doomsday, the country of Scotland has been quarantined from the rest of the world following the outbreak of a dangerous virus. When the same virus appears in London, a team is sent into the lawless apocalypse that Scotland has become to try and find a cure. They find two types of survivors - marauders and medieval knights - making their mission far from easy.

  Doomsday draws inspiration from similar movies like Escape from New York, The Omega Man, 28 Days Later, and other post-apocalyptic films, but manages to distinguish itself with a well-written screenplay and the talented direction of Neil Marshall. The film had a sizable budget of £17 million ($22.1 million), but only managed to pull in $22.4 million at the global box office. The film was welcomed by the country of Scotland, which paid £300,000 into the budget in the hopes it would increase tourism.
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  (#4) Monsters

  • Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able, Mario Zuniga Benavides, Annalee Jefferies, Justin Hall, Ricky Catter, Paul Archer, Stan Wong

  Monsters is set in a world infested with an invasive species of alien following a downed NASA probe in Mexico. Following that event, giant tentacled beasts reign supreme, and push the surviving humans into a lawless post-apocalyptic society. The film follows an American photojournalist played by Scoot McNairy, who is tasked with escorting his boss's daughter through the "Infected Zone" back into the United States.

  Monsters is an intelligent, well-crafted film, and it was only made for $500,000. While that's a lot of money to the average person, it's nothing in terms of a major motion picture - much less one requiring giant tentacled monsters. To get around the impossibly low amount of money writer/director Gareth Edwards had at his disposal, he did all of the visual effects work himself, using off-the-shelf Adobe software. He barely slept through the whole project, but managed to deliver a film perfectly themed to the genre.
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  (#5) Stake Land

  • Nick Damici, Connor Paolo, Danielle Harris, Kelly McGillis, Sean Nelson, Michael Cerveris, Bonnie Dennison, Chance Kelly, Adam Scarimbolo, Marianne Hagan, Stuart Rudin

  Following a global pandemic of vampirism, the remaining humans of the world find that they have to hide or hunt the demonic monsters that have spread across the globe. Cities are little more than tombs, and the remaining people hide out in rural communities. The film follows the adventures of a young man who is taken under the wing of a vampire hunter known only as "Mister." The two battle for survival in a world full of monsters while trying to find a safe place to call home.

  Critics gave the film high marks, and it has received a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 66% on Metacritic. Stake Land was shown at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Midnight Madness Cadillac People's Choice Award. Despite not receiving more widespread viewing, the film did well enough to warrant the production of a sequel, which was released on Syfy in 2016.
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  (#6) A Boy and His Dog

  • Don Johnson, Susanne Benton, Jason Robards, Alvy Moore, Helene Winston, Charles McGraw, Tim McIntire

  While the title may lead people to think this film is a fun Disney romp about a young man and his best buddy, it's not the cheery film one might expect. Based on a story by author Harlan Ellison, the film stars a young Don Johnson as the titular boy named Vic, who travels the post-apocalyptic wasteland that is the remains of the Southwestern United States. Accompanying him is his dog, Blood, who is telepathic and helps Vic find food and other things that interest him.

  When it first came out, the film was both criticized as "a turkey" and lauded as "an offbeat, eccentric black comedy." It has since gained a major cult following, though its ostensibly saccharine title has kept it from receiving more widespread recognition.

  If you haven't seen it, you can find A Boy and His Dog for free on the Internet Archive, thanks to it having slipped into the public domain.
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  (#7) Oblivion

  • Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Melissa Leo, Zoe Bell, Abigail Lowe, David Madison

  Oblivion is set in the year 2077, after Earth has been devastated by a conflict with aliens that has pushed humanity to relocate to Titan. Jack Harper, played by Tom Cruise, is a technician who remains on the planet to ensure that his army of drones continue their fight against the scavengers. When Harper begins to see things that don't match up to his worldview, everything changes, and he learns that nothing in his life is what it seems.

  Oblivion had a lot going for it when it was released in 2013, but sometimes, even a movie with Tom Cruise doesn't perform as expected. That's not to say it didn't do well. The movie cost $120 million to produce and it earned $286.2 million, which isn't especially great when marketing costs are factored into the total. Still, it's an enticing film with a unique take on the post-apocalyptic movie genre.
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  (#8) Carriers

  • Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily VanCamp, Christopher Meloni, Kiernan Shipka, Ron McClary, Mark Moses

  Carriers is a post-apocalyptic body horror movie starring Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, and Emily VanCamp as four survivors constantly on the move to avoid infection. A viral pandemic has taken out most of the people in the world, and these lonely four are trying to wait it out so they can restart their lives in the ruins of the world.

  When it was released, Carriers received positive reviews, and now holds a 66% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It's an interesting story set in a chaotic atmosphere, but the film suffered an incredibly limited release, so not many people were able to see it when it came out.
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  (#9) The Quiet Earth

  • Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge, Pete Smith, Zac Wallace, Norman Fletcher, Tom Hyde

  The Quiet Earth is a 1985 post-apocalypse film loosely based on the novel of the same name. The film stars Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge, and Peter Smith as three people who have survived a cataclysmic disaster. The disaster came at the completion of "Project Flashlight," a research program meant to provide the world with a global energy grid. Instead, it erased nearly every living person on Earth.

  The movie didn't perform particularly well when it was first released, but it has gone on to achieve the status of a cult classic. Famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said it is one of his all-time favorite science fiction films, and fans have deemed it one of the all-time best films from New Zealand.
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  (#10) Finch

  • Tom Hanks, Caleb Landry Jones
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  (#11) The Rover

  • Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, David Field, Anthony Hayes, Gillian Jones, Susan Prior, Richard Green, Tawanda Manyimo, James Fallon

  The Rover is a dystopian film set in the Australian Outback one decade after the collapse of the global economy. The Outback has devolved into a lawless wasteland where crime and poverty are common. The movie stars Guy Pierce as Eric, a former Australian soldier who lost his family. Robert Pattinson plays Reynolds, a young American who lacks the skills and knowledge to protect himself, making him dependent on others for survival.

  The movie is a perfect example of one the critics loved, but nobody saw in theaters. The Rover managed to nab five AACTA nominations, winning two for Best Supporting Actress for Susan Prior and Best Sound. It cost $12 million to produce, and only managed to pull in $3.2 million at the global box office. The critics liked it for a reason, and anyone who enjoys this genre is bound to appreciate The Rover for the brilliant acting and storytelling.
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  (#12) Mother/Android

  • Chloë Grace Moretz, Algee Smith, Raúl Castillo, Owen Burke, Kate Avallone, Jared Reinfeldt
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  (#13) Into the Forest

  • Elliot Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael Eklund, Wendy Crewson, Bethany Brown, Jordana Largy

  If the power goes out for good, it's a safe bet that mankind will regress, and the results won't be pretty. That's the central message of Into the Forest, which takes place sometime in the near future following a continent-wide power outage and near-worldwide technological collapse. The story centers on two teenage sisters who live in a remote part of the Canadian wilderness, but danger lurks when strangers come calling.

  Into the Forest received positive reviews when it came out, and it holds a rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite a widespread appeal and consensus that the film is worth watching, it earned less than $40,000 at the box office due to its limited release. That's far less money than a typical Ellen Page or Evan Rachel Wood film is expected to earn.
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  (#14) The Survivalist

  • Martin McCann, Mia Goth, Olwen Fouéré, Andrew Simpson, Douglas Russell, Ryan McParland, Hussina Raja, Ciaran Flynn

  The Survivalist takes place after a severe drop occurs in the global population. Martin McCann plays the titular survivalist, a man who has adapted easily to a world where he needs to fend for himself. He's rough and tough, but when two women show up at his door, things change for the survivalist, who will have to adapt and overcome new threats now that he has new people in his life.

  The Survivalist was made for £1 million ($1.3 million), and it shows. This isn't a movie about flashy futuristic cities or the dilapidated ruins of humanity's former glory; it's about a lone man who gets involved with a couple of ladies, and all hell breaks loose. With such a modest budget, you might think the film is of low quality, but thanks to the incredible acting of McCann, Olwen Fouéré, and Mia Goth, this movie stands as an impressive example of inexpensive storytelling in a genre often fraught with burdensome expenses. The film holds an impressive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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  (#15) No Blade of Grass

  • Jean Wallace, Nigel Davenport, Patrick Holt, Lynne Frederick, John Hamill, Anthony May, Ruth Kettlewell

  No Blade of Grass is a British/American post-apocalyptic film set in England. The film centers around the survivors of a plague that ended the majority of grass species in the world, including wheat, rice, and corn. The subsequent global famine wipes out most of the world population, and the survivors are left to try and survive in a world where very little grows.

  The film version of No Blade of Grass was adapted from the John Christopher novel The Death of Grass (1956). It's not very well known these days, having been released just over half a century ago, but it stands the test of time. The opening montage of the film predicts a future in which rampant pollution and other environmental factors give rise to a viral pandemic out of Asia, leading the world to ruin.
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  (#16) Quintet

  • Paul Newman, Bibi Andersson, Fernando Rey, Vittorio Gassman, Brigitte Fossey, Nina van Pallandt, David Langton, Craig Richard Nelson

  Quintet is a Robert Altman film starring Paul Newman, Bibi Andersson, Vittorio Gassman, Brigitte Fossey, and Nina Van Pallandt. The story is set during the dawn of a new ice age, which has left much of modern society under a vast deserted tundra. Newman plays Essex, a seal hunter traveling north to reunite with his brother, Francha.

  It's a bit surprising given the names behind it, but Quintet was a financial disaster that received mostly negative reviews. Despite this, it is often well-regarded as a cult classic by those who have seen it, and should definitely be watched by anyone who considers themselves a fan of the genre.
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  (#17) The Young Ones

  • Cliff Richard, Robert Morley, Richard O'Sullivan, Melvyn Hayes, Gerald Harper, Rita Webb, Robertson Hare, Sean Sullivan, Carole Gray, Annette Robertson, Teddy Green, The Shadows, Sonya Cordeau

  A severe drought has rendered water highly valuable, and the remaining population of the post-apocalyptic United States must fight to survive. The film follows a teenage boy who sets out into the dry landscape with the hope of helping to protect his family. It's a modern Western featuring robots, bandits, and everything in between.

  Young Ones received mixed reviews from critics when it was first released, with many praising its visually rich landscape but knocking it for being "narratively barren." It hasn't been out long enough to attain cult classic status, but it's a likely contender sometime in the near future. 
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  (#18) Time of the Wolf

  • Isabelle Huppert, Maurice Bénichou, Lucas Biscombe, Patrice Chéreau, Béatrice Dalle, Anaïs Demoustier, Daniel Duval, Olivier Gourmet, Rona Hartner, Florence Loiret-Caille, Brigitte Roüan, Hakim Taleb, Thierry van Werveke

  Time of the Wolf is a French post-apocalyptic dystopian film directed by Michael Haneke. The film is set in France sometime in the future and follows the story of a family of four trying to survive in a world in which potable water is scarce and livestock must be burned. 

  The movie wasn't given a wide release outside of France, which may be why most people outside of that country haven't had the chance to see it. Time of the Wolf was first screened at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, which was followed by a showing at the Sitges Film Festival, where it took home the prize for Best Screenplay. The film, which cost $10 million to make, earned less than $500,000 at the box office, but that was mostly due to its limited release.
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  (#19) The Bed-Sitting Room

  • Dudley Moore, Marty Feldman, Peter Cook, Spike Milligan, Ralph Richardson, Arthur Lowe, Roy Kinnear, Michael Hordern, Richard Warwick, Rita Tushingham, Harry Secombe

  The Bed Sitting Room is a British comedy film based on a play of the same name. In line with much of British humor, it is an absurdist and satirical black comedy about the post-apocalyptic world following an atomic conflict. The war lasted all of two minutes and 28 seconds, but it was more than enough to end the world. The Bed Sitting Room stars Ralph Richardson, Rita Tushingham, and Michael Hordern, and was directed by Richard Lester.

  The Bed Sitting Room was entered into the 19th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the C.I.D.A.L.C. Gandhi Award. The film has been described as both funny and frightening. While it was received favorably upon its release, it has fallen out of memory for most fans of the genre (seeing as it debuted more than 50 years ago), and hasn't gone on to attain the cinematic might of similar films like Planet of the Apes. The Bed Sitting Room maintains a 64% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

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