What’s Left of Us – D. Christoph Behl (2015)

 “During the process of the movie I discovered that, in a post-apocalyptic world, love might be the last resource.” – Christoph Behl

Where would you hide out when all hell breaks loose? Who would you survive with? How would you survive when humans are not the only danger around? When it comes to post-apocalyptic films, we can’t help but put ourselves into the same situation (or at least I do), and wonder what would you do?

In order to survive, Axel, Jonathan and Ana have to learn to live together and overcome explosive human emotions; love, anger and even hate for one another. What’s Left of Us is a story of survival in a claustrophobic bunker in post-apocalyptic Argentina. Scavenging for food and water, the three survivors must battle the undead in a gripping and terrifying drama that convincingly portrays what life would be like at the end of the world.

With the release of our DVD – I look back at some of cinemas best post-apocalyptic zombie films to date; which explore these themes of survival, trust and human emotions. Here are my top 5:

1. Night of the Living Dead – D. George A. Romero (1968)

George A. Romero’s classic black and white zombie film focuses on a group of people who hide away in a farmhouse while the dead roam the hills outside. Tension is built as the group find ways to co-operate with each other in an attempt to fend off the zombies. Confined in a small space, the film pushes the limits of how far people are willing to go to survive. Concerned with the outbreak outside, the group have an even bigger threat inside…just what lurks inside the basement? This film holds its own as one of the best zombie films ever made, if your looking to get into the zombie genre I would recommend you start with this one, as it paved way for the many zombie films which followed.

2. Dawn of the Dead – D. George A. Romero (1978)

“When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.”

Romero is back again! In my opinion the best zombie film of all time, which resulted in many remakes across the years. The film looks at a group of survivors who are closed off inside a giant shopping mall; while attempting to survive the outbreak, the group clear out the mall and turn it into their new home. An original idea of using space as a tool for survival; the film brings a comedic element to the way the survivors inhabit the many stores within the mall. There is a nice break from all the violence and gore as you watch the survivors go shopping for a new fur coats or trying on diamonds while dining at expensive restaurants. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last forever!

3. 28 Days Later – D. Danny Boyle (2002)

All hell breaks loose on the streets of London…after 4 weeks of a mysterious virus consuming the living, a group look to find sanctuary before it’s too late. A great entry into the zombie/apocalypse genre; director Danny Boyle brings a challenging film of chaos, destruction and a sense of sadness to the streets of London. Faced with an open city where vulnerability becomes your main concern, 28 Days Later brings a fresh new element of danger to the genre with the use of its fast paced zombies. Might I add, the film starts off with a naked Cillian Murphy on a hospital bed – nice!

4. REC – D. Jaume Balaguero (2007)

A television reporter and cameraman are quickly faced with a life and death situation as they’re locked inside a quarantined apartment block with an unknown virus. The original REC (before its many American remakes), uses the handheld camera effect to build tension across the dark corridors of the building. The residents are placed into uncertainty as they must work together to find a way out of the building. Easily one of my favorite handheld camera films, not only for the atmospheric tension that it builds but the lead actress Ángela Vidal’s performance captures the very essence of what it means to survive. If you’ve yet to watch any of the REC’s I would highly recommend starting with this one.

5. Mad Max – D. George Miller (1979 – 2015)

Mad Max is easily regarded as one of the best apocalyptic movies of all time. With a young and sexy Mel Gibson in the 1979 original, the film created an epic portrayal of a man out for vengeance after his partner, wife and son are murdered. Faced with biker gangs in revealing tight costumes, Max must travel the desolate landscapes of post-apocalyptic Australia in search for justice. With the release of 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road this week, I’m super excited to see Tom Hardy take on the role of Mad Max in an epic battle of survival. Although the film does not deal with a zombie outbreak, Max is faced with an even bigger threat: humans. When the world has ended, which road will you take to survive?

– by Serden Salih