Fallout’s delightful fun first season dropped all eight episodes on Prime Video at once, meaning if you started watching it when it arrived, you’ve no doubt reached the end—and are longingly pining for season two’s arrival. Since that is at least a year away, and probably longer, here are 10 movies to watch now that keep those violent, dystopian, post-nuclear war, “we survived... but are we really glad about that?” vibes going.
Harlan Ellison’s novella inspired this 1975 tale of a teen (Don Johnson), his telepathic canine companion (voiced by Tim McIntire), and their way of life in the post-nuclear war wastelands of the United States—circa 2024—which revolves around the kid finding food for the dog, and the dog sniffing out women for the kid to have his way with. If that sounds rough, know that this is a very dark comedy, and the title characters end up learning that age-old lesson about the post-apocalypse: no matter how bad you are, there’s always someone worse. Streaming free with ads on Freevee, Pluto TV, and Plex; avoid the Tubi version, which appears to be ripped directly from a VHS tape.
Thirty years after a nuclear holocaust destroyed civilization, a mysterious man (Denzel Washington) roams across the United States, kicking ass while carrying the last known copy of the Bible to safety. There are cannibals, bikers, rapists, a shopkeeper played by Tom Waits, a scrappy teen played by Mila Kunis, and a warlord played by Gary Oldman—as well as a twist you may or may not figure out amid all the dystopian tropes. Streaming free with ads on the Roku Channel.
In case you were wondering why “Ella Purnell in the post-apocalypse” felt so familiar while watching Fallout, well—it was probably because the star of Yellowjackets and Star Trek: Prodigy also had a key role in Zack Snyder’s high-energy 2021 Netflix zombie heist flick. There’s even a Las Vegas setting, potentially foreshadowing the events of Fallout season two. Streaming on Netflix.
Roger Zelazny’s novel informs this 1977 cult classic about soldiers at an Air Force missile base (including The A-Team’s George Peppard and Airwolf’s Jan-Michael Vincent) who survive a nuclear war with the Soviet Union—but must then deal with the unhinged aftermath, which includes horrific storms and being chased around by giant mutant scorpions. Since not all of the U.S. was destroyed, they set out on a road trip—which proves perilous, despite their heavily fortified vehicles—in search of friendlier surroundings. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel will always be the preferable way to experience The Road, but the 2009 John Hillcoat-directed adaptation has plenty to recommend about it—especially its cinematography (the post-apocalypse never looked so grimly gorgeous) and lead performance from Viggo Mortensen as a father guiding his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee, in one of his earliest roles) through their brutal, hellish world. Streaming on Starz.
The Day After—the 1983 ABC TV movie that was watched by millions and traumatized a generation—doesn’t appear to be streaming anywhere, but Threads, which came out a year later and is more or less the British equivalent, is streaming free with ads on Tubi. The scariest part about both titles is how realistic they feel. Yes, giant scorpions could happen, but the “mundane day gives way to mushroom clouds” scenario will always be more nightmarish.
Pollution—not nukes—is the civilization-decimating boogeyman in this apocalyptic tale from 1970, in which a family flee unrest and starvation in London hoping for peace in the country. En route, they encounter horrific violence—guns, motorcycle gangs, rapists... all the usual suspects. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
Ray Milland stars in this 1962 drama about a family whose weekend getaway saves them from being zapped when nuclear bombs drop on Los Angeles. Naturally, they still encounter plenty of chaos on the backroads, which are (of course) crawling with gun-toting, rape-happy bad guys—circumstances desperate enough to make even good people turn into killers. Watch on Prime Video with a ScreenPix subscription.
Harry Belafonte stars in this 1959 tale about a miner who manages to rescue himself after a cave-in, only to realize that during his time underground most of the population was irradiated out of existence. He heads to New York City where he finds not much in the way of human survivors, but does realize that racism has somehow managed to transcend the end of the world. Rent or buy on Prime Video.
Released in 1981, the second Mad Max movie finds George Miller’s post-apocalyptic anti-hero (Mel Gibson) and his dog (very A Boy and His Dog—and also, very Fallout) roaring around the post-apocalyptic Australian Outback. You can really pick any Mad Max movie you want to access maximum sci-fi dystopia vibes... but despite Gibson’s now-tarnished star, The Road Warrior is always a standout. Stream free with ads on Tubi.