Summary

• Since the end of 2018, Netflix has released eight apocalyptic movies.
• Some, like 2023's Leave The World Behind, have been a qualified success.
• However, others, like IO, have failed to deliver on their intriguing premise.

While Netflix is now a major movie producer across all genres, the streaming service seems to have a particular fixation with apocalyptic movies. Since the release of Bird Box in late 2018, the platform has produced no less than eight original movies centered around the apocalypse or apocalyptic events. Considering the scale of production needed to realistically bring such environments to life, compared to other more economical genres like romantic comedy, this number of movies about the end of the world might strike some as surprisingly high.

With so many different films from the past few years to choose from, genre aficionados are somewhat spoiled for choice. However, when comparing all eight side-by-side, it's clear that some stand up better than others. While hits like Sandra Bullock's Bird Box and Army of the Dead have broken into the mainstream and even started their own franchises, others, such as the anime Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, have been less successful. To help viewers decide how they should their time, here are all eight of Netflix's recent apocalypse movies, ranked worst to best.

8 Awake (2021)

A sci-fi thriller that sent audiences to sleep

Despite a potentially intriguing premise and strong acting pedigree, including the likes of Gina Rodriguez and Jennifer Jason Leigh, the 2021 thriller Awake is undoubtedly the least successful recent Netflix apocalypse movie. The film imagines a world where no one can go to sleep, sending the population into a panic and causing sleep deprivation. While lack of sleep and the resulting paranoia could make for a gripping movie, Awake was criticized for its ponderous pacing and superficial approach to the premise. However, despite a paltry 24% on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie did find an audience and was number 1 on Netflix in the days following its release.

7 IO (2019)

Ambitious and experimental movie that couldn't deliver

Like many post-apocalyptic science fiction movies, IO is not short of big ideas. The movie imagines an alternate present day in which Earth's atmosphere has become toxic. This forces most of the population to survive instead on Io, a moon of Jupiter. Instead of seeking easy wins with spectacular action set-pieces, IO is a deliberately contemplative movie that feels undeniably stylish in places. However, critics almost unanimously agreed that the plotting was ponderously slow, ruining the message of the story. It currently sits at 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an even worse audience score of 19%.

6 Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (2023)

A squandered Japanese adaptation

Based on a popular Japanese manga series, Zom 100 frustratingly fails to deliver on what could be a wacky and entertaining premise. A more irreverent example of the zombie apocalypse sub-genre, Zom 100 centers on a frustrated office worker who sees the world's end as an opportunity to finally start living life to its fullest. A blend of comedy, drama, and horror, Zom 100 is a live-action remake that consistently struggles to juggle all its disparate components. However, the concept is inventive enough that many viewers found it worth watching.

5 Bird Box Barcelona (2023)

Spin-off installment of the Sandra Bullock original

Following the worldwide success of the original Sandra Bullock horror movie, Bird Box Barcelona moves the action – unsurprisingly – to Catalonia. Sticking with the same premise, where a mysterious entity causes anyone who looks at it to take their lives, Bird Box Barcelona adds some interesting new elements to the franchise's lore. However, critics felt that the film was significantly less suspenseful than its predecessor, for all its potentially intriguing ideas. Indicative of this is Bird Box Barcelona's Rotten Tomatoes score of 51% – significantly worse than the original.

4 Army of the Dead (2021)

Zack Snyder's stylish but flawed return to the zombie genre

Considering that his 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake both revitalized the zombie genre and laid the foundations for his career, expectations were high ahead of Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. While the finished movie may not have quite lived up to the hype, it is certainly a worthy addition to Netflix's roster of apocalyptic movies. The gently comedic heist romp stars a gang of thieves tasked with breaking into a Las Vegas casino vault. The only obstacle is the horde of zombies that have taken over the city. While its script occasionally falls flat, Army of the Dead delivers suitably pulpy visuals and is widely regarded as a return to form for Snyder.

3 Bird Box

A scary, but somewhat derivative thriller

Set in a world where seeing your enemy can cause you to die, Bird Box's greatest strength is also its main weakness. The film's core conceit, which requires star Sandra Bullock to travel blindfolded, means that this 2018 horror hit certainly delivers on tension. However, with its emphasis on the body's senses, some critics felt that Bird Box was essentially a retread of an earlier (and more effective) genre release, A Quiet Place. Nevertheless, the movie was generally well-received and proved extremely popular with audiences. Netflix figures suggest that 45 million households watched the film within the first week of release – claimed to be the platform's best-ever performance for an original movie.

2 Don't Look Up (2021)

A frustrated rallying cry against the climate crisis