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For several decades, the theme of the apocalypse has not lost its relevance among filmmakers. For some reason, some people really like to fantasize about exactly how humanity will eventually be exterminated, turning their thoughts on this into a full-length film, while others like to watch it. What are the most popular doomsday scenarios embodied in movies? A space attack by extraterrestrial civilizations, a deadly virus, a zombie invasion and, of course, a nuclear war. This topic was very relevant during the years of the Cold War, but, unfortunately, even now, when there are so many political contradictions in the world, there is more and more talk in the media and in the mass media about a possible nuclear strike.
Here are the top 10 best films about nuclear war, in which the creators sought to show the full horror of the possible consequences, asserting the idea that there can be no winners in this confrontation.
10 Testament (1983)
It’s a pretty tough film to watch. In terms of the degree of negativity transmitted from the screen, he occupies one of the leading places among paintings of similar subjects. The tape tells about the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear strike. The director did not seek to show the war, according to the standard tracing paper: “we are good and they are bad”. Instead, he decided to put the emphasis on human tragedy.
In the center of the action of the picture is a small American town with its measured life. In an instant, this calm existence is interrupted by an alarming message about a series of atomic explosions in New York and other major cities of the country.
9. The next day (1983)
This is a poignant tape showing the realities of the consequences of a nuclear war. To create a penetrating naturalism, the shooting is very reminiscent of operational.
The film tells about everything, without focusing on any particular area of life. The political alignment, the humanitarian catastrophe, the tragedies of individual people are intertwined into one terrible tangle.
By the way, 3 directors, after reading the approved script, refused to shoot this film. They did not dare to take on this work, as they considered the plot too heavy.
8. Atomic Cafe (1982)
This film for the first time publishes rare archival footage taken during the first stage of the arms race. The main idea that the director of the film was trying to reveal is the impact that the creation of nuclear weapons had on society.
7. Security System (1964)
This is one of a wide range of American films about the accidental launch of rockets into the Soviet Union. In this tape, the fault was a computer glitch, due to which the bombers received a false order to drop a nuclear warhead on Moscow.
Here, military duty and the inability to violate an order bordering on insanity are on the same scale. And on the other – the animal fear of people trying at all costs to save the world from inevitable death.
This film belongs to the golden fund of American cinema: talented actors who played the main roles, interesting dialogues, a tense plot – everything you need to create an amazingly talented game picture.
6. The Breakup (1990)
The plot of this film is based on real events that took place during the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The story about the experience is conducted by a journalist who managed to visit the scene of the accident.
This picture was the first attempt to understand what really happened in Chernobyl and Pripyat on that ill-fated day on April 26, 1986.
The film keeps the viewer in great tension, thanks to scenes that show the frightening silence of yesterday’s noisy city.
Filming was attended by Oscar-winning Hollywood star James Cameron. He noted that the script of the film was made very professionally, and he was completely delighted with the work of the members of the film crew.
5. Nor (1984)
The life of a provincial English town, not involved in any political intrigues, as a result of a sudden nuclear catastrophe turns into a terrible place that you would not wish anyone to visit.
The film is not intended for viewing by people with an unstable psyche: there are a lot of naturalistic scenes, looking at which you just want to turn away. At the same time, fear creeps from the fact that while watching you understand that this is exactly (if not worse) the existence of mankind after a nuclear war. And it will touch everyone, because invisible threads connect each of us with each other.
This film can be compared to the famous “Come and See” in which the horrors of the Second World War were very realistically shown. It provokes an almost animal thrill in the viewer, and some episodes are simply impossible to watch. However, according to critics, “Threads” is one of the greatest films ever made by mankind.
4. Dead Man’s Letters (1986)
A sudden nuclear explosion at a US military base has turned the world into a desert.
The main character is a humanist scientist, whose role was brilliantly played by Rolan Bykov, painfully trying to understand how it all happened and what were the prerequisites for this. His image is in many ways reminiscent of Academician Sakharov.
This is a rather depressing film that was released in 1986 (when the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant occurred).
3. On the Shore (1959)
The nuclear war is over, but the consequences of these terrible events may cause the death of the last stronghold of civilization – Australia. This picture is about the last battle for life and the last love, developing against the backdrop of an apocalyptic scenery.
2. On the last shore (2000)
This is a remake of the famous film “On the Shore”. The plot is based on the conflict between communist China and the island of Taiwan. Naturally, the United States intervenes in this confrontation, which considers it a duty to protect the island from the invasion of the invaders. In Asia, a crisis is flaring up, very reminiscent of the Caribbean. But, unfortunately, this time, none of the parties to the conflict was able to contain the aggression, from which the whole world is plunged into the nightmare of nuclear war.
1. Dr. Strangelove, or How I Stopped Being Afraid and Loved the Bomb (1963)
Being in the power of panic horror before the probable threat of invasion by potential enemies, the general decides to carry out a nuclear strike. Meanwhile, the president convenes a commission that should try to prevent the death of all mankind.
This tape shows the main fears of people before a nuclear war. The famous episode “Riding the Bomb” will embody the essence of the Cold War and one of the harbingers of its end.