The best way to get a little closure to the calamity that has been 2020? Embrace the irony and stream Hive Life’s pick of doomsday movies!
We get it, this year has left much to be desired. With most of us still under lockdown, there might not be a lot of scope to have elaborate New Year’s Eve plans either. But what better way to welcome in the new year than to spend the last few weeks of 2020 bingeing on post-apocalyptic, doomsday movies? There’s chaos, there’s confusion but most importantly there’s resilience.
We’ve curated a special list of doomsday movies for you; zombies, virus outbreaks, a little bit of everything. So take your pick, kick back, and bid adieu to 2020 in true Terminator style – Hasta la Vista, baby.
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I Am Legend (2007)
With the pandemic at large, I Am Legend’s plot line might be a little too close to the bone, but Will Smith’s affable presence and inimitable charm makes this for one exciting ride. Who knows, watching Will’s character Neville go guns blazing at zombies might even provide some much needed respite from everything happening around you. As a result of a cancer-curing vaccine gone wrong, a virus wipes out 90% of the population while the remaining turn into vampire-like DarkSeekers. A negligible proportion of those alive are immune to the virus, yet live in fear of the mutants. As Neville races to find a functioning cure for the virus, the rest of the story follows how he keeps himself and his living companions alive.
Cargo (2017)
Another zombie apocalypse movie, but this time, it’s less on the action and more on the feels. When the place they called home becomes ravaged by virus-induced, cannibalistic zombies, a married couple with their baby in tow are in a race against time as they fight against all odds (read: zombies) to find some semblance of safety and hope for their newborn.
Cargo is a nail-biting watch that’s equal parts horrifying and heart-breaking as the family encounters some very close calls, and prepared to go to any extent to keep their baby alive when all else seems bleak. Our advice, have a box of tissues handy because this is going to be an emotional rollercoaster that will surely have you misty-eyed.
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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
As civilisation hits a dead-end, the world descends into mayhem. Furiosa (Charlize Thezron) and Max (Tom Hardy) are put in a do-or-die situation as they find themselves on the run from the dreaded Warlord and his slew of henchmen. High-octane sequences involving monster trucks, impressive CGI, violence and gore – this movie’s got it all. The franchise that defined the post-apocalyptic genre in many ways, Hardy and Thezron carry forward the Mad Max legacy, faithfully retaining the madness and frenzy storytelling their predecessors were known for while indulging in some delightful OTTness that makes Fury Road an exhilarating movie-watching experience.
Snowpiercer (2013)
A post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller helmed by Oscar-winning director, Bong Joon Ho, Snowpiercer boasts a stellar star cast that includes, Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer and Parasite-fame, Song Kang-Ho.
Following a failed attempt to stop global warming, the movie chronicles the last of humanity as they scramble to stay alive aboard the “Snowpiercer” as the world around them transforms into an uninhabitable, icy wasteland. Delving into themes like class divide and capitalism, Snowpiercer captures the grim reality of human nature when all hope is lost. Needless to say, it’s not casual viewing by any means. It’s chaotic, visceral and makes for such a visual spectacle, you can’t afford to miss it.
Like the film? Check out the new series adaptation which hit Netflix earlier this year!
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Bird Box (2018)
Perhaps one of the more polarising movies on this list, the film starring Sandra Bullock became Netflix’s most successful venture when the Bird Box challenge went viral, prompting an inundation of memes about the movie to take over social media.
The premise is simple – if you see demonic creatures, you die. When a host of mysterious, mass suicides take place across the globe, Malorie (Bullock), Boy, and Girl set off blindfolded to find their safe haven. We never really see said demons, but that doesn’t make the movie any less gripping. You root for the protagonists all the way as you watch them go through hell and back – it also helps that Boy and Girl are so inherently likeable. Spoiler alert. It’s a happy ending, well, as happy as doomsday movies can get.
