# Movies or TV shows where people know the world is going to end soon **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2026, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877 "2026-05-07T02:08:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/1 "2026-05-07T02:08:39Z")
I’m rewatching melancholia, what other pre-apocalpyse movies are there? I’m more interested in ones that discuss the psychological fallout of everyone knowing they will all die soon, more than prepper movies. Greenland was mostly about prepping and surviving, but it had some interesting stuff about people adjusting to the reality of the situation. These final hours had some good stuff about this. The TV show Night Visions had an episode about this, where life was about to be wiped out by a meteor. Any other good movies or TV shows about this? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/2 "2026-05-07T02:22:30Z")
IMHO the classic film is [On the Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Beach_(1959_film)) where (nuclear) war has wiped out the population of the northern hemisphere and is beginning to affect Australia. How does society react knowing time is running out? For a more contemporary view there’s 2021’s [Don’t Look Up](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Look_Up), where a couple of second-rate astronomers try to warn the world that a giant meteor is headed for Earth. It’s a satire and the comedy is dark. I didn’t think it was great, but it has its moments, particularly when the world finally gets the message and looks up to see the meteor, finally accepting the truth. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/3 "2026-05-07T02:28:35Z")
Deep Impact had a bit about this, but it wasn’t anywhere near the focus of the entire movie. ETA: This music video by They Might Be Giants [By The Time You Get This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsCOajqLycI) (2:25) is pretty much just that part of Deep Impact’s story boiled down to feelings and sentiments about what’s about to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/4 "2026-05-07T02:32:03Z")
_Project Hail Mary_, which is still in theaters and is releasing on streaming in a few weeks, might be up your alley. The sun has been infected by an interstellar bacteria which is causing it to dim, which will cause massive global cooling and kill billions via crop failure and meteorological catastrophe, and the nations of the world launch a last-ditch effort to find a remedy by sending a junior high science teacher played by Ryan Gosling on a one-way mission to Tau Ceti (which is also infected, but not dimming) to hopefully find out why and send a message back to Earth before dying there, where he meets an alien who’s in the system for the same reason and they become friends as they try to solve the problem together. It’s adapted from a novel by Andy Weir (author of _The Martian_, which was adapted into the Matt Damon flick) and on the hard side of sci-fi, and it’s overall a VERY good movie that’s both serious and funny. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/5 "2026-05-07T02:40:49Z")
_It’s a Disaster_: four couples meet for brunch at one of their homes, only to learn that there’s been a nationwide “dirty bomb” attack and they’re all trapped in the house. Fun if bleak. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/6 "2026-05-07T02:43:39Z")
_La Fin du Monde_, a.k.a. _End of the World_ (1931) - Spoiled a bit by the _deus ex machina_ at the end _Miracle Mile_ (1988) – not really recommended _Last Night_ (1998) – not really all that good ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/7 "2026-05-07T02:43:55Z")
I haven’t listened to it, but the audiobook of “[The Last Policeman](https://a.co/d/05hDLX4o)” is supposed to be excellent. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/8 "2026-05-07T04:03:56Z")
I would say **Children of Men** is in this category. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/9 "2026-05-07T04:08:16Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > _Last Night_ (1998) – not really all that good On the other hand, I quite liked it. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/10 "2026-05-07T04:10:40Z")
If films where some people know the world is going to end count, then there is Terminator 2 and 12 Monkeys ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/11 "2026-05-07T04:10:48Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I would say **Children of Men** is in this category. Or, in a similar but inverted vein, _17776_, where the twist is that not only is the world _not_ going to end, but nothing is **ever** going to end, everyone is going to live forever, and there’s nothing left to learn and nothing left to discover. > **[17776](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17776)** > > 17776 (also known as What Football Will Look Like in the Future) is a serialized speculative fiction multimedia narrative by Jon Bois, published online through SB Nation. Set in the distant future in which all humans have become immortal and infertile, the series follows three sapient space probes that watch humanity play an evolved form of American football in which games can be played for millennia over distances of thousands of miles. The series debuted on July 5, 2017, and new chapters ... ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/12 "2026-05-07T04:45:20Z")
**Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World** fits this bill. It does what it says on the tin. Stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley I think. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/13 "2026-05-07T10:10:22Z")
Sort of… Resident Alien. The alien came to earth to kill all the people and some people knew about it. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/14 "2026-05-07T11:21:21Z")
I watched the first few episodes of _ **carol & the end of the world** _ on Netflix but it didn’t really grab me; I wanted it to be funnier, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/15 "2026-05-07T11:26:14Z")
Simon Pegg’s great **The World’s End**. Then again, I think all Simon Pegg’s movies end up being great. Probably because I think pub crawling is great. Or I did when I was young. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/16 "2026-05-07T12:14:22Z")
I’ll recommend the book rather than the movie, but **The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy** opens with Ford Prefect taking Arthur Dent to the pub mere moments before Earth is destroyed. That scene takes nonchalance to a new level. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/17 "2026-05-07T12:19:05Z")
When The Wind Blows is a 1982 graphic novel/1986 animated film where the central couple are in denial about the world ending. It’s set in an idyllic English village where a dim witted retired couple experience a nuclear exchange between the USSR and the UK and them not realizing they’re slowly dying of radiation poisoning over the course of the next few days as they struggle to retain normalcy. A very bleak tale intended to demonstrate how inadequate the government was preparing the citizenry for the Cold War. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/18 "2026-05-07T12:36:23Z")
At some point during **Dr. Strangelove** they realize that if the US bombers successfully hit their targets, it will set off the Soviet doomsday device. So I think that counts. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/19 "2026-05-07T12:39:35Z")
The 1983 film **Testament** > **[Testament (1983 film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_(1983_film))** > > Testament is a 1983 American post-apocalyptic drama film co-produced and directed by Lynne Littman and written by John Sacret Young, based on Carol Amen's 1981 short story "The Last Testament". The film tells the story of how a small suburban town near the San Francisco Bay Area slowly falls apart after a nuclear war destroys outside civilization. The cast includes Jane Alexander, William Devane, Leon Ames, Ross Harris, Lukas Haas, Roxana Zal, and in small roles shortly before their rise to st... ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877/20 "2026-05-07T13:11:50Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I watched the first few episodes of _ **carol & the end of the world** _ on Netflix but it didn’t really grab me; I wanted it to be funnier, I think. This was going to be my suggestion. It was _all about_ the psychological effects, they never even say what’s going to end the world. It wasn’t really LoL funny, much more melancholy dry humour. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-or-tv-shows-where-people-know-the-world-is-going-to-end-soon/1029877.md?page=2)