These stories are not the easiest of watch, but even when the credits roll, the questions they raise about humanity linger on.
1. "Daybreakers" (2009)
In 2009's "Daybreakers," the future is looking rather bleak, or should I say... dark? It's 2019, and a plague has transformed the majority of the world's population into vampires. Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) is a hematologist who's not too jazzed about the human-farming policies of his employer, Bromley Marks.
The vampiric corporation is running low on the red stuff, and humans are becoming an endangered delicacy. Dalton's encounter with a group of humans, including the fierce Audrey (Claudia Karvan) and the enigmatic Lionel "Elvis" Cormac (Willem Dafoe), propels him on a quest to develop a blood substitute. Only, his work uncovers something far more revolutionary – a potential cure for vampirism.
2. "The Road" (2009)
The world has gone to ruin, and what's left is ashen and bare. Amid this desolation, we follow a man (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who are simply known as "Man" and "Boy." They are on a journey toward the coast, clinging to the faint hope of finding a warmer climate and, potentially, a better life.
Their relationship is the heart of this story – a father's love manifesting as relentless protection in the face of cannibals, thieves, and the sheer collapse of humanity.
3. "Children of Men" (2006)
In the world of "Children of Men," human fertility is a thing of the past, and the youngest person on Earth has just died at 18, heralding the slow extinction of our species. Theo Faron (Clive Owen), a disillusioned bureaucrat, finds himself drawn into a chaotic fray when his ex-wife, Julian (Julianne Moore), recruits him to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman, Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), to safety.
The world is in disarray, with Britain one of the last functioning societies, now a police state that's harsh on refugees and dissent.
4. "Doomsday" (2008)
After a lethal virus forces the UK to wall off Scotland, the abandoned land regresses into tribal territories where survival is a deadly art form. Enter Major Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra), a tough-as-nails soldier with a robotic eye that's a multitasking marvel. She's tasked with leading a team back into the hot zone after the virus re-emerges in London. Their mission? To find a cure rumored to be within Scotland's quarantine borders.
The team encounters medieval knights, cannibalistic punks, and the tyrannical Sol (Craig Conway), who's not keen on sharing any medical miracles.
5. "Reign of Fire" (2002)
During construction in the English capital, a dormant dragon awakens, leading to a worldwide conflagration where the beasts reign supreme. Fast forward to a charred post-Apocalyptic future where Quinn Abercromby (Christian Bale), who witnessed the dragon's awakening as a child, leads a ragtag group of survivors.
They're doing their best to avoid becoming crispy critters, which involves a lot of duck and cover. Then, along comes Denton Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey), a dragon slayer from across the pond with a plan to take down the creatures. His arrival stokes the fires of hope and conflict.
6. "9" (2009)
"9" is an animated feature that stirs the post-apocalyptic pot with a splash of creativity and a dash of steampunk aesthetic. When humanity is wiped out, hope rests not with the living, but with nine stitchpunk creations – sentient rag dolls imbued with bits of a scientist's soul. Our eponymous hero, 9 (voiced by Elijah Wood), awakens in this ravaged world, meeting others of his kind, including the wary leader 1 (Christopher Plummer) and the inventive 2 (Martin Landau).
The plot thickens as 9 encourages his kindred figures to rise above hiding and fight for survival.
7. "Blindness" (2008)
When an unexplained phenomenon renders people blind, society crumbles under the weight of its new vulnerability. Amidst the chaos, a doctor's wife (Julianne Moore) retains her sight, keeping it a secret to help her husband (Mark Ruffalo) and a small group of blind individuals who are quarantined in an abandoned asylum.
As conditions degrade, the film plunges into the depths of human depravity but also shows the resilience of the spirit.
8. "Carriers" (2009)
"Carriers" is a road movie with a deadly twist. Four friends find themselves traversing a desolate America in an attempt to outdrive a viral pandemic. Chris Pine leads as Brian, whose survival philosophy is as ruthless as it is simple: avoid the infected at all costs.
This leads to moral quandaries and dramatic tension among the group, including his brother Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci), and their companions Bobby (Piper Perabo) and Kate (Emily VanCamp). As they head to a hoped-for sanctuary at a beach they remember from childhood, the cracks in their humanity begin to show.
9. "Tooth and Nail" (2007)
In the desolate backdrop of "Tooth and Nail," a band of survivors is holding onto hope after society collapses due to a fuel shortage. The survivors, who have taken refuge in an abandoned hospital, scavenge for food and resources in a world devoid of energy. But they are not alone. A savage group known as Rovers, and a cult called the Reapers, are hunting them.
The film's tension ramps up when the group rescues a girl from the Rovers, leading to an all-out war for survival.
10. "Southland Tales" (2006)
Set in a near-future Los Angeles on the brink of social, economic, and environmental disaster, this dark comedy follows an ensemble cast of characters, including an action star with amnesia (Dwayne Johnson), a porn star with entrepreneurial ambitions (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and a Hermosa Beach police officer (Seann William Scott).
The story weaves together these disparate lives amid a backdrop of looming nuclear attacks, an Orwellian government surveillance program, and an alternative fuel called Fluid Karma.