The Best Nuclear Holocaust Movies

Updated January 28, 2020 871 votes 162 voters 10.8k views26 items

A list of the best nuclear holocaust movies ever made, ranked by movie fans with film trailers when available. This nuclear holocaust movie list is ordered by popularity, so only the greatest movies about nuclear holocaust are at the top of the list. If there are any great movies about nuclear holocaust you believe we missed, please feel free to add them to the list yourself. The films on this list are the most famous nuclear holocaust movies of all time, so use it to find some movies that you haven't seen already.

This list answers the questions, "What are the best nuclear holocaust movies?" and "What is the greatest nuclear holocaust movie of all time?"

Various bits of information are included with these popular nuclear holocaust movies, such as who directed them, when they were released and who starred in the films. Whether you're watching these nuclear holocaust movies on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming, these good nuclear holocaust movies can be enjoyed no matter what.

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Testament
Kevin Costner, Rebecca De Mornay
Released: 1983
Directed by: Lynne Littman
Testament is a drama film based on The Last Testament by Carol Amen, directed by Lynne Littman... more
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Threads
Reece Dinsdale, Jane Hazlegrove
Released: 1984
Directed by: Mick Jackson
Threads is a 1984 BAFTA award-winning British television drama, produced jointly by the BBC,... more
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Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
James Earl Jones, Peter Sellers
Released: 1964
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, more commonly known as... more
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong
Released: 1991
Directed by: James Cameron
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction action thriller film written,... more
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The Terminator
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Paxton
Released: 1984
Directed by: James Cameron
The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction/horror action film directed by James... more
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Fail Safe
Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau
Released: 1964
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Fail-Safe is a 1964 Cold thriller film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of... more
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The Day After
John Lithgow, Steve Guttenberg
Released: 1983
Directed by: Nicholas Meyer
The Day After is a 1983 American television film that aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC... more
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When the Wind Blows
John Mills, Peggy Ashcroft
Released: 1986
Directed by: Jimmy T. Murakami
When the Wind Blows is a 1986 British animated drama film directed by Jimmy Murakami based on... more
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On the Beach
On the Beach is a 1957 post-apocalyptic novel written by British-Australian author Nevil Shute... more
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Miracle Mile
Mare Winningham, Anthony Edwards
Released: 1988
Directed by: Steve De Jarnatt
Miracle Mile is a 1988 American apocalyptic thriller cult film written and directed by Steve... more
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WarGames
Matthew Broderick, William H. Macy
Released: 1983
Directed by: John Badham
WarGames is a 1983 American science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F.... more
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The Sacrifice
Erland Josephson, Allan Edwall
Released: 1986
Directed by: Andrei Tarkovsky
The Sacrifice is a 1986 Swedish film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. Starring Erland Josephson,... more
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Chernobyl: The Final Warning
Jon Voight, Jason Robards Jr.
Released: 1991
Directed by: Anthony Page
Chernobyl: The Final Warning is a 1991 made for television movie. The film chronicles the... more

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Chernobyl Diaries
Jesse McCartney, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal
Released: 2012
Directed by: Bradley Parker
Chernobyl Diaries is a 2012 American disaster horror film directed by Brad Parker and produced... more
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Deterrence
Sean Astin, Kevin Pollak
Released: 1999
Directed by: Rod Lurie
Deterrence is a 1999 French/American dramatic film written and directed by Rod Lurie,... more
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Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Claire Danes
Released: 2003
Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a 2003 American science fiction action film, directed by... more
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The Time Machine
Yvette Mimieux, Rod Taylor
Released: 1960
Directed by: George Pal
The Time Machine also known promotionally as H.G. Wells' The Time Machine is a 1960... more
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Akira
Takeshi Kusao, Mami Koyama
Released: 1988
Directed by: Katsuhiro Otomo
Akira is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk action film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written... more
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Invasion U.S.A.
Peggie Castle, Noel Neill
Released: 1952
Directed by: Alfred E. Green
Invasion, U.S.A. is a 1952 motion picture set during the Cold War and portraying the invasion... more
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A Boy and His Dog
Don Johnson, Jason Robards Jr.
Released: 1975
Directed by: L. Q. Jones
A young man and his telepathic dog roam a post-nuclear holocaust land searching for food and... more
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Equilibrium
Christian Bale, Sean Bean
Released: 2002
Directed by: Kurt Wimmer
Equilibrium is a 2002 American dystopian science fiction film written and directed by Kurt... more
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O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization
Krystyna Janda, Jerzy Stuhr
Released: 1985
Directed by: Piotr Szulkin
O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization is a 1985 Polish drama science fiction film written and... more
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Terminator Salvation
Christian Bale, Helena Bonham Carter
Released: 2009
Directed by: Joseph McGinty Nichol
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and... more
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Def-Con 4
Maury Chaykin, Lenore Zann
Released: 1985
Directed by: Paul Donovan
Def-Con 4 is a 1985 post-apocalyptic film, portraying three astronauts who survive World War... more
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The Bed-Sitting Room
Dudley Moore, Marty Feldman
Released: 1969
Directed by: Richard Lester
The Bed-Sitting Room is a 1969 British comedy film directed by Richard Lester and based on the... more
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Testament

Threads

Miracle Mile

Chernobyl: The Final Warning