The difficulty of making a clean list of notable post-apocalyptic movies

I’ve been a fan of post-apocalyptic movies since seeing the original “Planet of the Apes” movie as a child. And back in 2019, I started to compile a list of such movies. But it hasn’t been easy.
The main reason why is the different ways that people define post-apocalyptic settings.
Many lists you find on Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and Letterboxd are cluttered with movies that take place before or during apocalyptic events. They also add movies that occur in dystopian futures where there may have been a world war or other cataclysm many years before but society has recovered to a large degree.
I think of post-apocalyptic movies as those depicting people struggling to survive after Earth has been devastated by world-altering events. That includes environmental disasters, nuclear war, pandemics, alien invasions, flesh-eating zombies and more.
With some movies, it is hard to tell if the events are isolated to a region or are worldwide in nature.
On my list, I leave out movies that take place in space or in post-apocalyptic settings on other planets. I also ignore those that take place in fantasy worlds.
I focus on full-length, live-action movies. So I don’t include short films or animated movies.
A list of post-apocalyptic movies would be easier to compile if it focused solely on U.S. theatrical films. But with the rise of streaming video services, consumers have access to many more productions. That includes made-for-TV movies, international films and those produced for streaming services like Netflix.
A lot of those movies are little-seen or poorly reviewed. Some cheapo productions, mostly rip-offs of the Mad Max franchise, have their cult followings. But many are just plain awful.
My main list of notable post-apocalyptic movies currently includes 250 titles. (See below.) Even among those, some are questionable. I focused on those notable enough to have reviews on Rotten Tomatoes or Wikipedia pages.
However, I’ve tallied 556 other movies that didn’t meet my qualifications of post-apocalyptic cinema. A lot of those are junky films that clutter up Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services.

Related articles:

The complete post-apocalyptic movie list (Updated Dec. 3, 2025)

Photos: A selection of little-known post-apocalyptic movies: “Road Wars - Max Fury” (2024), “Mad Sheila” (2016, China) and “Apocalypse Z - The Beginning of the End” (2024, Spain).

2025 was a quiet year for post-apocalyptic movies

Movies set on a post-apocalyptic Earth have been a popular subgenre, but this was a quiet year for such films. But things look to pick up next year.
Last year brought new movies in the “Mad Max,” “Planet of the Apes” and “A Quiet Place” franchises.
The biggest film in the subgenre this year was “28 Years Later,” the latest in the U.K. zombie franchise. It was met with generally positive reviews, garnering 89% favorable ratings from review site Rotten Tomatoes.
A spin-off movie, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” is scheduled to hit theaters on Jan. 16.
Also coming out in early 2026 is “Greenland 2: Migration.” It will be in theaters on Jan. 9. The first movie in the asteroid-apocalypse franchise, “Greenland,” came out in 2021. Stars Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin return for the new film.
In addition to those sequels, Daisy Ridley will star in a zombie survival thriller called “We Bury the Dead.” It’s due to hit theaters on Jan. 2.
Still to come this year is “The Great Flood,” which will premiere on Netflix on Dec. 19. The South Korean sci-fi disaster film unfolds as a catastrophic flood submerges the world.
What follows is a list of post-apocalyptic movies from 2024 and 2025 year to date, with their Rotten Tomatoes scores.

Recent post-apocalyptic movies

Arcadian (2024), 78% positive revenues, Certified Fresh
Azrael (2024), 71%
Badland Hunters (2024, South Korea), 67%
Breathe (2024), 14%
Die Alone (2024), 81%
Elevation (2024), 55%
The End (2024), 56%
Furiosa; A Mad Max Saga (2024), 90%, Certified Fresh
Humane (2024), 72%
Kalki 2898 AD (2024, India), 77%
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), 80%, Certified Fresh
Outside (2024, Philippines), 80%
Parvulos (2024, Mexico), aka “Párvulos: Children of the Apocalypse,” 88%
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024), 86%, Certified Fresh
Werewolves (2024), 49%
28 Years Later (2025), 89%, Certified Fresh
40 Acres (2025), 89%, Certified Fresh
Afterburn (2025), 0%

Related articles:

Big-budget post-apocalyptic movies returning to cinemas this summer (March 31, 2024)

Animal attack movies continue to excite audiences

Moviegoers enjoy a good animal attack movie, with shark attack movies the overwhelming favorite.
It’s a popular subgenre of action and horror movies. Sometimes they are combined with other genres such as war and crime dramas. Other times, they have a darkly humorous tone.
Upcoming animal attack movies include “Anaconda,” an action comedy about a giant killer snake, of course. It’s a remake/homage to the original “Anaconda” (1997), which starred Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Eric Stoltz and Jon Voight. The new version will be in theaters on Dec. 25.
Meanwhile, “Primate,” about a killer chimpanzee, is due out on Jan. 9.
What follows is a list of animal attack movies from the past three years. I also included the type of animal involved as well as the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes critics score.
I left off those with supernatural, sci-fi or fantasy aspects, such as bringing back extinct animals like megalodons and dinosaurs.

Recent animal attack movies and miniseries:

The Bayou (2025), alligators, no consensus
Beast of War (2025), great white shark, 90% positive reviews
A Breed Apart (2025), wild dogs, 18%
Cocaine Bear (2023), black bear, 65%
Coyotes (2025), coyotes, 59%
Dangerous Animals (2025), sharks, 87%
Deep Fear (2023), sharks, no consensus
The Flood (2023), alligators, 37%
Infested (2024), spiders, 95%
Into the Deep (2025), sharks, 27%
The Last Breath (2024), sharks, 31%
No Way Up (2024), sharks, 36%
Out Come the Wolves (2024), wolves, 64%
Something in the Water (2024), sharks, 46%
The Swarm (2023), orcas and other sea creatures, 70%
Under Paris (2024), sharks, 64%

Earlier articles:

Animal attack movies are popular summer fare (June 30, 2024)

Animal attack movies are a staple of summer cinema (Aug. 28, 2022)

Photos: Movie posters for “Coyotes,” “Anaconda” and “Primate.”

Netflix House first impressions: It could work.

I was skeptical when I learned that Netflix was planning to open physical attractions in shopping malls. But after visiting the internet television network’s first Netflix House last week in suburban Philadelphia, it changed my mind. I now think it could work.
Netflix House Philadelphia is located in a former Lord & Taylor department store in King of Prussia, Pa. The store had been vacant since 2021. It is free to enter and explore the gift shop, dine at the Netflix Bites restaurant, and to take selfies in Netflix photo op areas.
It also has premium immersive experiences and games based on Netflix shows like “Wednesday” and “Stranger Things.” They range from escape-room adventures and virtual reality sessions to mini-golf. I can see those as popular for birthday parties and corporate team building. Plus, it has a 229-seat movie theater for special screenings and events.
Netflix is planning to open three such attractions. The second Netflix House will open Dec. 11 in Dallas. A third will follow in 2027 in Las Vegas.
Netflix House Dallas will be located in a former Belk department store, which closed in 2020.
Given the tough retail climate today, there are many such vacant spaces in shopping malls nationwide. The mall owners likely gave Netflix a sweet deal to take over the space, both of which span 100,000 square feet over two floors.
Still, are these facilities part of Netflix’s marketing and promotions budget or does the company see them becoming a Dave & Buster’s-like franchise?
These attractions aren’t cheap to create and operate, so we shall see how the public responds. I think the locals will give them a try initially, but their staying power is an open question.

Photos: Netflix House Philadelphia in King of Prussia, Pa. (Netflix)

ICE, ICE, Baby: Sexy Halloween costume trends for 2025

Sexy law enforcement costumes look to be popular for Halloween this year, given the politicized focus on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency right now.
Halloween costume vendors Yandy, Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween are offering a riot of sexy cop outfits this year.
If female ICE agents and supporting law enforcement officers looked as good as these ladies, I’d have no problem being manhandled by them.
Also popular this year are Wizard of Oz-themed costumes because of the upcoming movie “Wicked: For Good.”
Topical costumes last year included take-offs on the movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and a sexy Ozempic weight-loss shot.
What follows are photos of some sexy cop costumes for Halloween. They include Lt. Ivana Misbehave, Sgt. Bustya and Officer Pat U Down.

Chicago Is Hot Dog City

No city loves its hot dogs as much as Chicago, “hog butcher for the world” as Carl Sandburg wrote in his poem “Chicago.” Though the go-to frank there is the Vienna Beef wiener.
On a recent trip back to Chicago, I visited two famous hot dog joints in the northern neighborhoods of Chicago: Superdawg Chicago in Norwood Park East and Wolfy’s in West Ridge.
In August, I stopped by another famous Chicagoland hot dog restaurant, Gene & June’s in River Grove, Ill.
The experience for each was unique but all of them offered delicious meals with their own twist on the Chicago-style hot dog.
The traditional Chicago-style hot dog features an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers and a dash of celery salt.
One of the quintessential downtown Chicago hot dog joints is The Weiners Circle in Lincoln Park. It’s known more for its sass and satirical promotions than its food. The late night crowd can get pretty rowdy, according to locals.
Chicago is known for other meaty fast-food delicacies as well including the Italian beef sandwich, Maxwell Street Polish sausage and the gyro sandwich.

Lunch today at the famous Gene & Jude’s hot dog stand in River Grove, Illinois. Delicious Vienna Beef franks and fresh-made fries. I got the double dog with fries and a Coke. pic.twitter.com/TRKUStn4l2

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) August 22, 2025

Yummy lunch today at @Superdawg in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Wz5xl9KhaT

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) October 3, 2025

Made a stop at popular Chicago-style hotdog restaurant Wolfy’s on the North Side. I wolfed down two Vienna Beef franks with all the fixings plus fries. pic.twitter.com/2sZwkwbQP4

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) October 5, 2025

Related article:

Ode to Chicago-style hot dogs (Aug. 31, 2025)

Note to Netflix: Keep the binge-watching option

One of the key innovations that Netflix introduced was “binge watching,” the ability to stream multiple episodes of a new TV show in one sitting. It replaced the legacy broadcast and cable TV model of releasing one new episode every week.
While some people might tolerate or even approve of the old model, I do not. Proponents of the traditional model say it allows a show to build buzz and anticipation for upcoming episodes. But with so many programming options out there, it’s easy to lose track of shows on a weekly release. I need a recap video to watch even new seasons of many shows.
Binge watching gives viewers the option of watching one or more episodes to satisfy their demand. It puts them in control. Weekly episode releases give all the control to the programmer and it seems stingy by today’s standards.
When services such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+ and HBO Max release a new series that I’m interested in, I’ll mark my calendar for when the full season will be available.
My suggestion to those services is to switch to the user-friendly binge-watching model and drop the old-school weekly release model.
According to a survey by Hub Entertainment Research, 64% of viewers prefer all episodes of a series to be released at once as opposed to one episode per week (36%).

Photo: Season five of the Apple TV+ series “Slow Horses” premiered on Sept. 24, 2025. But all six episodes won’t be available until Oct. 29. (Apple TV+)

Streaming video services killed traditional TV seasons

I used to look forward to the TV Guide Fall Preview issue. It would get me excited for new TV series that would be premiering in the fall. Now you can hardly find that magazine issue on newsstands.
TV Guide was dominant before the internet when broadcast and cable TV were popular. Back then, new television shows premiered mostly in the fall when people spent more time inside because of the colder weather. Networks used that as an excuse to create an advertising sales event.
Now with streaming video services, new shows are premiering year-round. And many of those services are commercial-free. So they’re producing a steady stream of content to keep subscribers engaged.
The fall TV season still exists though it’s not as big a deal as it used to be.
Here are new and returning shows I’m most interested seeing in this autumn: “Alice in Borderland” (Netflix), “Alien: Earth” (Hulu), Pluribus (Apple TV+), “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+), “Stranger Things” (Netflix), “The Beast in Me” (Netflix), “The Diplomat” (Netflix) and “The Last Frontier” (Apple TV+).

Related articles:

The Complete Guide to Fall TV 2025: Everything to Know About What to Watch This Season (TV Guide; Sept. 29, 2025)

Fall TV Preview: 56 of the Most-Anticipated New and Returning Shows of 2025 (Variety; Sept. 4, 2025)

Salacious ads are proliferating online. Here are the backstories on some of those teaser photos.

Lately I’ve noticed an increase in suggestive sexual advertising on this website (Tech-media-tainment) and others such as tech news site 9to5Mac.
The ads feature provocative photos of attractive women with teaser descriptions in classic clickbait fashion. Using my online detective skills (namely reverse image search tools), I’ve uncovered the backstories on some of those pictures.

Actress in super short skirt

One ad is titled “Make Sure You Are Alone Before You See These (sic) Actress Without Any Pants.”
The photo with the ad appears to be an altered image of actress and singer-songwriter Aly Michalka on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on April 25, 2011.
The image in the ad shows her with a shorter skirt than in photos from the show. (Getty Images from the show: here and here.)

Video gamer Danielle Mackey

Another ad shows video game vlogger Danielle Mackey and is wrongly titled “Teachers in bikini leaves nothing to imagination.” The poor grammar is a sign of foreign involvement in the ad.

Hot teachers are hot subject

These ads seem to have a fixation on sexy teachers wearing inappropriate outfits.
For instance, one titled “Teacher flaunts shocking curves in transparent outfit photos.” That ad used photos of different women with the same headline. The pictures showed sexy models and apparently porn actresses.
I could find one image for sale on eBay as “Sexy Girl Big Busty Female Teacher,” but the model is not identified.

Sexy country girls another fetish

Based on the advertisements, sexy country girls are another fetish. One ad titled “Country girls leave nothing to imagination” used a photo of English broadcaster and journalist Kate Garraway.

Nip slips always an attention grabber

Another ad titled “These marriage photos are a feast for your eyeballs” used a photo of a woman wearing a wedding gown with her breast exposed.

MILFs as clickbait

A popular subject for these clickbait advertisements is mature women with large breasts, aka MILFs. Several ads use photos of model named Deauxma, pronounced “Doe-may.”

Song of Summer 2025: ‘Ordinary’ by Alex Warren

Music experts say there was no clear “song of summer” for 2025. There was no one tune that dominated the airwaves and captured the mood of the summer season this year.
Songs on my soundtrack that I enjoyed this summer included “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars, “Pink Pony Club” and “The Subway” by Chappell Roan, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, “What I Want” by Morgan Wallen featuring Tate McRae, and “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” by Benson Boone.
Billboard’s Song of Summer chart lists “Ordinary” by Alex Warren as its leader. It was a No. 1 single on the Hot 100 for 10 weeks.
Chart analysts say that 2025 has produced the fewest new hit songs in U.S. history, the Guardian reported. Of the top 10 most-listened-to songs as of July 18 this year in the U.S., only one was released in 2025: “Ordinary” by Alex Warren.
“‘Ordinary’ is the Song of the Summer based on raw chart numbers, but it’s hardly a windows-down beach banger like, say, ‘Espresso.’ It follows the letter, but not the spirit, of the song-of-the-summer law,” Stephen Thompson, writer/editor for NPR Music wrote Aug. 5.
Spotify chose five songs of summer for 2025, all of which got a boost from TikTok: “Ordinary” by Alex Warren, “Shake It To The Max (FLY) – Remix” by MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea, “Love Me Not” by Ravyn Lenae, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, and “back to friends” by sombr.
If I had to pick a music artist for summer 2025, I’d choose Morgan Wallen, who currently tops the Billboard Artist 100.

Related articles:

Spotify’s Top 5 Songs of Summer 2025 Revealed: A Softer, More Personal Soundtrack (Spotify; Aug. 27, 2025)

The songs of the summer are here – at least according to Spotify (USA Today; Aug. 27, 2025)

What was the song of the summer? You’ll never, ever guess the correct answer. (The Washington Post; Aug. 28, 2025)

20 Contenders for the 2025 Song of the Summer (Pitchfork; Aug. 6, 2025)

The song of the summer is a bummer (CNN; Aug. 4, 2025)

The Best Summer Songs in 2025: Songs of Summer To Tune Into (Brand Vision Insights; July 24, 2025)

Song of Summer 2024: ‘I Had Some Help’; Breakout artist: Chappell Roan (Tech-media-tainment; Sept. 2, 2024)

Ode to Chicago-style hot dogs

Thanks to the expansion of the Portillo’s restaurant chain outside of Chicago, people across the country can now enjoy Chicago-style hot dogs without having to venture to the Windy City. I love those “dragged through the garden” franks.
When I was living in Wilmette, Ill., my go-to hot dog joint was Irving’s For Red Hot Lovers. It’s got the traditional Chicago-style beef hot dog topped with yellow mustard, bright green sweet pickle relish, chopped white onion, tomato slices, a dill pickle spear, pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt on a steamed poppy seed bun.
On my regular visits to Chicagoland, I like to stop for a dog and fries at Superdawg in Wheeling, Ill.
On my most recent visit this month, I decided to go to one of the most storied hot dog stands in all of Chicago – Gene & June’s in River Grove, Ill. I was not disappointed.
I ordered the double-dog with fries. Gene & June’s tops its franks with mustard, relish, onion and sport peppers. It’s a good hot dog, but the fresh cut and made French fries are the true standout here.

Chicago mobster grave tour

The Chicago mobsters of the last century continue to fascinate the public. You can take guided bus tours of their neighborhoods and haunts to this day.
Why is it that people want to learn more about old-time gangsters like Al Capone and John Dillinger? I suppose it’s because they had a sense of style and celebrity that ordinary criminals today lack. Plus, they weren’t known for killing civilians just rival gang members and those who wronged them.
There was also the dichotomy of Italian and Irish mobsters being church-going Catholics and yet still committing crimes. Plus, some like Capone gave to the poor and needy. You don’t see inner city gangs today helping widows and orphans.
On a recent trip to Chicago, I visited Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. It’s the final resting place for many notorious criminals.
I stopped by the graves of Al Capone (Alphonse Capone, 1899-1947), Frank Nitto (aka Frank “The Enforcer” Nitti, 1888-1943), Vincent Gebardi (aka Jack “Machine Gun Jack” McGurn, 1902-1936) and Sam Giancana (1908-1975).
Some “fan” even left a .45-caliber bullet on Machine Gun Jack’s grave.
Also buried at Mt. Carmel Cemetery is actor Dennis Farina, 1944-2013).

Free web platforms are preserving digital artifacts … for now

Over the years, I have spotlighted 450 websites that I found to be useful, educational or entertaining. Many of the early websites have disappeared without a trace because they stopped paying services to maintain them.
But those that set up shop on free platforms such as Google’s Blogger or social media services like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X are still around, even if they haven’t been updated in years. That means the content on those sites is being preserved in a digital time capsule.
I can only hope that the companies behind those free, ad-supported services will continue to keep those websites alive, even when the creators are long gone. But there are no promises like that in the digital age.
Of the 450 websites that I’ve highlighted on Tech-media-tainment since late 2008, 117 are no longer reachable or the data is gone. Three of the websites have gone dark since the last time I checked in February 2025.
A good example of a website that is being preserved is the Twitter/X account of anti-Islam demonstrator Salwan Momika. He risked his life to speak out against the threat of Islamic culture to Western society. He was murdered on Jan. 29, 2025, during a live broadcast on TikTok. His Twitter/X account still exists thankfully. Hopefully his other social media accounts do as well.
It is important to preserve the voices and opinions of people from throughout the years. They are useful for tracking the progress of humanity and also for sentimental purposes.
I still keep voicemails on my iPhone from my mother, who died in January, just to hear her voice every now and then. I also keep old emails from friends and loved ones.

Photo: Salwan Momika burning the Quran in Stockholm on Oct. 21, 2023. (Photo by Frankie Fouganthin via Creative Commons.)

Favorite websites in review, part 18

This is the latest roundup of websites spotlighted on Tech-media-tainment.

426. GooBing Detroit (goobingdetroit.com)
427. AARoads (aaroads.com)
428. Tourons of Yellowstone (instagram.com/touronsofyellowstone)
429. Snicker Cat (instagram.com/thesnickercat)
430. Steve Inman: Non-Essential Commentary (x.com/SteveInmanUIC)
431. Influencers in the Wild (tiktok.com/@influencersinthewild)
432. Passenger Shaming (instagram.com/passengershaming)
433. Mugshawtys (instagram.com/mugshawtys)
434. Rev. Ray Cistman (x.com/RevRayCistman)
435. The TV Answerman (tvanswerman.com)
436. The Sports Fan Project (thesportsfanproject.com)
437. Barry Butler Photography (x.com/barrybutler9)
438. Chicago History (x.com/Chicago_History)
439. Chicago Critter (x.com/ChicagoCritter)
440. SubX.News (x.com/SubxNews)
441. Chicago Contrarian (x.com/ChicagoContrar1)
442. Mark Weyermuller (x.com/publicpolicyman)
443. Libs of Chicago (x.com/Libs_OfChicago)
444. Goofies of Chicago (x.com/Chicago_Goofies)
445. X.com (x.com)
446. Thread Reader (threadreaderapp.com)
447. Press Gazette (pressgazette.co.uk)
448. Ed Zitron’s Where's Your Ed At (wheresyoured.at)
449. Layoffs.fyi (layoffs.fyi)
450. HeyJackass! (heyjackass.com)

Photo: 2025 Chicago Shot Clock (HeyJackass!)