World-ending apocalypses are inherently terrifying, but sometimes what comes after is even scarier. The remnants of humanity are left to pick up the pieces of a world torn apart by devastating catastrophe, with resources far scarcer than ever-present threats.
This week’s streaming picks belong to post-apocalyptic horror movies that explore life after the world as we know it has ended, where conditions are harsh and survival odds are low.
While the frequent recurring theme of post-apocalyptic movies highlights how humankind is its own worst enemy, these five titles take drastically different approaches. Some favor retro style, while others infuse their wastelands with a heaping helping of inhuman monsters.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Arcadian – AMC+, Shudder
For fifteen years since an unexplained global event decimated the population, Paul (Nicolas Cage) has raised his two sons, Joseph (Jaeden Martell, Y2K) and Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins, “Lost in Space”), to keep constant vigilance as they maintain their isolated, fortified farm. The family unit spends their days preparing for nightfall; they face unrelenting attacks every night from a mysterious, lethal threat. Playing like a cross between a poignant coming-of-age story and intense survival horror, Arcadian does just enough to set itself apart from similar fare. However, its ultimate appeal and magic lie in the inventive monster designs and the thrilling action set pieces they inspire.
Doomsday – Max
Neil Marshall’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller blends John Carpenter and George A. Romero with Mad Max for a far more entertaining feature than often given credit for. The plot follows an assembled team tasked with finding and retrieving a potential cure to a dangerous virus that ravaged Scotland, forcing the rest of the world to permanently close its borders in quarantine. In turn, the isolated country regressed into an inhospitable place filled with marauders, killers, and cannibals. Rhona Mitra makes for a formidable action hero, channeling Snake Plissken here as a stoic, take-charge type carving a path forward by any means necessary.
Screamers – freevee, the Roku Channel, Tubi
Based on Phillip K. Dick’s “Second Variety,” Peter Weller stars as Commander Joseph A. Hendricksson. The Alliance officer travels dangerous terrain to secure a truce between long-warring factions. However, peace negotiations don’t stand a chance, thanks to machines created as covert weapons turning sentient. Known as “Screamers,” the devices have evolved and are plotting to destroy both sides. Borrowing a page from The Thing, paranoia becomes the name of the game when the core party discovers that Screamers can look like anything or anyone. In this ’90s sci-fi creature feature that occasionally shows its dated seams, the antagonistic creatures often mimic humans as a lure to painful demises.
Stake Land – freevee, Hoopla, Kanopy, Peacock, Pluto TV, SCREAMBOX, Tubi, Vudu
A plague has devastated the world and turned the country into a ravaged land of vampires. A vampire hunter (co-writer Nick Damici) travels cross-country with an orphan (Connor Paolo) he rescued, searching for the fabled safe haven. They encounter survivors and endless death traps along their journey. Director Jim Mickle (“Sweet Tooth”) takes a standard setup and gives it a brooding, dark fantasy spin. The vampires are downright monstrous, and humans sometimes fare no better. Above all, it’s the characterization that makes this one unique.
Turbo Kid – Fandor, Peacock, Pluto TV, Prime Video, the Roku Channel, Tubi, Vudu
It’s 1997; the “future” is a dystopian wasteland. BMX bandit The Kid (Munro Chambers) scavenges the Wasteland to survive, and bumps into a strange girl, Apple (Laurence Labeouf), in his travels. They forge a deep and tight-knit bond that becomes threatened when tyrannical ruler Zeus and his henchmen kidnap her. The Kid faces one insanely bloody battle against Zeus for revenge and the pink-haired girl of his dreams. A retro genre mashup with an insanely catchy earworm score, Turbo Kid brings the gore and laughs in spades. Filmmakers François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell ground hyper violence and pastiche style with infectious heart, making for a gory crowd-pleaser.