Top 10 Doomsday Movies To Watch In Preparation For The Mayan Apocalypse

Machu Picchu Mayan "Apocalypse" Web Cam — It was the Mayans, not the Incans, who were behind the 12/12/12 doomsday predictions. But that doesn't mean that a view of the ancient ruins at Machu Picchu isn't a worthwhile thing to keep track of as the day of the supposed Mayan apocalypse nears. Reuters

According to a dubious interpretation of the Mayan calendar, the world is ending on Friday, so why not pick out some of the finest doomsday flicks to really get into the spirit?

I’m not really sure what that spirit is precisely; maybe it’s just a good excuse to compile a list of some of the best movies that take place in a post-apocalyptic world.

Hollywood seems to have a fascination with what humanity would do if there were only a handful (or sometimes just one person) people left on Earth.

I composed a list of some of my favorite doomsday movies and then ranked them based on their Internet Movie Data Base ratings.

I kind of wanted to add “The Happening” into the top 10, but there are too many other good films out there. It’s arguably one of Mark Wahlberg’s worst movies and I can’t figure out what made Zooey Deschanel want to sign on, but I love it regardless.

For those of you who didn’t like the movie and are shaking your heads at me from the other side of your computer screen, I completely understand.

But for me it’s one of those movies that are so bad, and it actually becomes hilarious.

Take the “What? No!” scene with Wahlberg for example.

The characters take refuge in an elderly woman’s house, and when she accuses them of stealing from her, he gives the most insincere response.

So the rest of the movies on the list are of pretty good quality, in my opinion.

10. Contagion (2011) 6.7

9. 28 Weeks Later (2007) 7.0

8. I Am Legend (2007) 7.1

7. The Mist (2007) 7.3

6. Melancholia (2011) 7.3

5. The Road (2009) 7.3

4. 28 Days Later (2002) 7.6