Films - It's the End of the Week as we know it...

It's the End of the Week as we know it and Nate McKenzie feels fine as he gives us five recommendations for End of the World films to watch this weekend...

The end of the week, and the world, is finally here! (Probably shouldn't say 'finally' and betray my giddiness...) Since we are all quarantined, we now have time for those piles of laundry, home improvements, cleaning leaves from the gutters, etc.; there is no shortage of chores during these days of Social Distancing. Maybe your mind is occupied with the thought of learning to play guitar (hey, maybe you will!) or finally reading Infinite Jest (you definitely won’t). There are so many things we can get done now!

Naturally, we won’t. Instead, we will keep drowning in The Stream, waiting for all of this to be over. Which is better and smarter than hanging with friends and continuing to infect them with stupidity and a deadly virus.

To reward you for your compliance of the new social regulations, here are five movies about the end of the world. Devastation, isolation, survival, and above all, the deconstruction of our humanity – the recurring motif of our apocalypse. Not necessarily relaxing but it still feels somehow comforting. Fondness in familiarity, perhaps? You decide. Meantime, I chose a few movies that I think are more obscure. We’ve all heard of Contagion, Outbreak, 2012, Armageddon (all favorites of mine) but these are bit more fringe, or at least somewhat forgotten – just like we will be in 100 years when we’re all dead because NO ONE STAYED HOME IN 2020!

GOODBYE WORLD – Starring: Adrian Grenier, Kid Cudi, Kerry Bishé

A computer virus shuts down the world’s technology and forces people to live a more rustic life. Can they overcome differences and work together? Probably not. They are just human, after all. The movie is a healthy look at how interactions can careen wildly out of control in a flash without social norms to adhere to. Come for the self-sustained lifestyle, stay for the cringe-worthy patriotic speech toward the end.

THE LAST DAYS (LOS ULTIMOS DIAS) – Starring: some Spanish dudes no one knows

A mysterious epidemic spreads across the planet; humanity develops an irrational fear of open spaces which causes death within seconds. Soon, the entire global populace is trapped inside buildings. As Barcelona descends into chaos, Marc sets off on a quest to find Julia, his missing girlfriend - without ever venturing outside. If sewers are our new streets, I’m going by Leonardo.

NIGHT OF THE COMET – Starring: Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney (you’ll recognize their faces)

A comet crashes into Earth killing most people and two valley girls want to go shopping. Do you need to know anything else? Ok, there’s zombie cannibals and evil scientists, also. If you need to hear more than that, this isn’t the movie for you.

SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD – Starring: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley

An asteroid is headed our way. What would you do if you knew you only had a few hours left? Find the love of your life, as Dodge (Carell) chooses? Punch your boss? Drop a #2 on your neighbors doorstep? So many possibilities! Seeking A Friend explores the dread and sincerity, as well as the humor, inherent in a scenario where anything is possible because nothing matters. (Which is really just regular life without the fear… but I digress.)

MELANCHOLIA – Starring: Kirsten Dunst and whoever else it doesn’t matter Kirsten is what matters

A mysterious new planet is on a collision course with Earth but this isn’t a typical end of the world movie. For one thing, it’s directed by Lars Von Trier, which in this case means that depression, not the fantastical event happening in the sky, is the heart of this movie. To a person suffering from depression, the end of the world isn’t daunting, it is a chance to relax knowing their saddest fears are confirmed.

*cough*

Follow Nate on Twitter @Circusjump_

Images - IMDb