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In these times of isolation, streaming services can be our sanity's saving grace, and if you're anything like us, the pandemic has drawn you toward post-apocalyptic cinema. Perhaps it feels good to watch others in more distress and realize that things aren't that bad for us (yet). Or maybe bingeing on movies about the end of the world is just a form of research to prepare us for whatever comes next. Below, we've compiled a list of five of our favorites to keep you company as you hunker down.
Pontypool (2008)
A master class in being resourceful with the budget constraints that come with independent filmmaking, Pontypool is one of the more imaginative takes on the zombie genre. The always-scintillating Stephen McHattie drives the film as a Canadian shock jock whose on-air offenses have resulted in his banishment to the rural village of Pontypool, a boring outpost—that is, until the residents start literally tearing each other asunder. The DJ and his co-workers become trapped in the cramped radio station and do their best to warn listeners about the virus that has transformed people into zombies and, without giving too much away, its unusual transmission via the English language. iTunes, Shudder.
La Jetée (1962)
Despite not being widely celebrated outside of movie circles, this stunning 28-minute film by French New Wave icon Chris Marker is one of the most influential of all time. La Jetée inspired everyone from David Bowie to Francis Ford Coppola and serves as the basis for Terry Gilliam's mind-bending 12 Monkeys. The stunning short's narrative focuses on a man caught up in time-travel experiments in a post-World War III nuclear wasteland and the woman he becomes enthralled with during his expeditions into the past. Made up almost entirely of optically printed photographs that play out via a remarkably edited montage with zero dialogue, the gripping story is told through a stoic voice-over. No film education is complete without at least a couple of screenings. Amazon Prime, Criterion, iTunes.
Coherence (2013)
James Ward Byrkit's only feature as a director is an improvised thriller that zeroes in on the strange occurrences at a Los Angeles dinner party after a comet passes precariously close to Earth. Filmed at Byrkit's home, the guests become increasingly unnerved as they realize a house up the street is populated by their exact replicas. Coherence's cast of eight plays off of each other like a talented jazz band, spinning an enthralling tale of reality truly bending. Amazon Prime, Crackle, Google Play, iTunes, Kanopy, Vudu, YouTube.
Delicatessen (1991)
A startling mixture of the macabre and the whimsical that would go on to define much of co-director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's future work (Amélie, Alien: Resurrection, The City of Lost Children), Delicatessen is a French post-apocalyptic black comedy about an apartment building served by a bottom-floor deli whose le plat principal is human beings. The plot features an unemployed clown (French legend Dominique Pinon) lured to the ghastly building by the promise of a new job from the murderous landlord/butcher who intends to kill the ex-jester and serve him as dinner to the tenants. But before that can happen, Pinon's clown falls in love with the cannibalistic property owner's daughter, which, fortunately for him, complicates things. Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, YouTube.
Akira (1988)
You've walked by copies of this film in the aisles at Movie Madness, heard your nerdy film buff pals excitedly extoll its virtues, and even seen it referenced in pop culture—but you aren't into anime, so you've never seen Akira. Dear reader, these confined times are the perfect setting to rectify that and become fully immersed in Katsuhiro Otomo's cyberpunk epic populated by warring biker gangs in dystopian Neo-Tokyo. The film vibrates with so much kinetic energy and eye-popping beauty that its influence extends well beyond the world of cinema, inspiring designers and visual artists alike. Hulu, iTunes, Tubi, Vudu.