On April 10, Prime Video platform hosted one of the most important series events of the year — the long-awaited release of adaptations of the cult game series Fallout. The show has quite rightly received universal recognition and will definitely be included in all kinds of «tops of the year» from various publications, bloggers, and reviewers. Almost immediately after its release it became known that the project will be extended for a second season, but we still have to wait for it. So, to brighten up this wait, we decided to recall another dozen worthwhile stories in the spirit of Fallout post-apocalyptic aesthetic, retrofuturism, etc. Don’t forget to add your own options to the list!

«Forbidden Planet»

Release date: 1956
IMDb rating: 7,5

Let’s start with the origins. The spaceship C57-D is heading to the planet Altair IV on a mission to find out the fate of the colonists there, as communication with them has long been cut off. Upon arrival, the crew, led by Commander John Adams, is horrified to discover that only Dr. Morbius and his daughter Altheira are alive, and all the others have died for unknown reasons.

It’s probably not worth reminding you once again that the breakthrough «Forbidden Planet» is one of the most prominent science fiction films of its time, when the genre was exclusively manifested in category B projects. This film inspired many followers, including the authors of the «Star Trek» series, the «Star Wars» franchise, and the developers of Fallout, to create a bright retro-futuristic style. So it’s not the subgenre that matters here (actually, space fiction instead of post-apocalyptic), and setting elements.

Moreover, the «Forbidden Planet» is actively referenced in the Fallout expansion pack: New Vegas story expansion called Old World Blues: Dr. Möbius refers to Walter Pidgeon’s character, the Protectrons are designed in the likeness of the local robot Robbie, and the name of the location «Entrance to the Forbidden Zone Dome» is inspired by the movie’s title. In addition, you can see a young Leslie Nielsen here before all those frivolous «Naked Guns» and «Scary Movies».

«A Boy and His Dog»

Release date: 1975
IMDb rating: 6,4

The story is set in 2024, please note. The Fourth World War lasted only five days, and the survivors have fallen on hard times. In this brutal reality, Vic and Blood the dog coexist, traveling through the wasteland in the southwestern United States and trying to avoid numerous dangers — from marauding gangs to mutants.

In addition to those who are trying to survive on the surface, there are those who have taken refuge in underground cities whose technological development has stalled at the level of the 1950s. The heroes’ problems begin when Vic falls in love with Quilla Jean, a resident of the underground city.

While the post-apocalyptic «A Boy and His Dog» starring a very young Don Johnson is based on the novel of the same name by Harlan Ellison, Fallout is largely based on the movie itself. Even from the short synopsis, it becomes clear how powerful a source of inspiration the movie was. This is confirmed by one of the developers, Jesse Geining: «”A Boy and His Dog” inspired Fallout on many levels, from the underground groups of survivors to the glowing mutants».

«Mad Max»

Release date: 1979, 1981, 1985, 2015, 2024
IMDb rating: «Mad Max» — 6.8; «Mad Max 2: Road Warrior» — 7.6; «Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome» — 6.2; «Mad Max: Fury Road» — 8.1
Where to see: Megogo

In Australia, devastated by the global fuel crisis, a real war for resources has broken out. Anarchy and lawlessness reign among the deserts bathed in the merciless sun. Max Rokatansky, an officer of the «Main Force Patrol», faces the greatest tragedy of his life, after which he quits his job and simply tries to survive in the wasteland full of deadly dangers.

Residents of the small town of Jericho, located in Kansas, were going about their daily routine when a clear outline of a nuclear mushroom appeared on the horizon. Later it became known that another explosion had occurred in Atlanta. As a result of these events, the residents not only witnessed the beginning of the end, but also faced many serious challenges, including the worst manifestations of human nature.

While in «Fallout», after the nuclear attack, the action is rapidly moved forward more than 200 years, «Jericho» offers to experience the days following the fateful events together with the characters. That is, the characters of Fallout exist in a world that has long since become different. In Jericho the viewer is given the opportunity to see how reality and people are changing and how they will have to adapt to new realities.

The series aired from September 2006 to March 2008 on CBS and has 2 seasons with a total of 29 episodes. Interesting facts include the fact that the second season appeared due to the persistent requests of fans to revive the show, and it is also worth mentioning that the title of the second episode is — Fallout.

«The Road»

Release date: 2009
IMDb rating: 7,2

An unknown global cataclysm has led to the destruction of almost all plants and animals on the planet. Cannibalism is rampant due to the lack of food. In search of a safe place, a father and son travel through the ruins of a former civilization, trying to avoid meeting strangers. But this road is full of dangers, so you can’t expect an easy walk.

The plot of «The Road» is based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, published in 2006. It is an extremely dark and pessimistic drama set in a bleak post-apocalyptic setting. The latter is supported by excellent cinematography (a BAFTA nomination for cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe), confident performances by Viggo Mortensen and young Cody Smith McPhee, as well as appearances in supporting roles by Oscar-winners Charlize Theron and Robert Duvall.

This story received a sincere response even before the stories about a man and a child traveling in post-apocalyptic landscapes became mainstream («The Last of Us», «The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon»).

«Terminator Salvation»

Release date: 2009
IMDb rating: 6,5
Where to see: Megogo

The day of judgment that Kyle Reese, a soldier from the future, once told a frightened waitress, Sarah Connor, about has come. The artificial intelligence Skynet has finally brought about the end of the world. The remnants of humanity are trying to fight back against the steel puppets, and John Connor is listening to his mother’s nostalgic tapes to find the right solutions.

«Salvation» can hardly be called a completely successful movie because it is just as lost against the background of the original dilogy as its other successors. But among the sequels of the post-Cameron era, it is the fourth installment that stands out. Its creators had the courage to radically change the usual plot scheme and offer the audience something new.

This is the only sequel without Iron Arnie (if you don’t count his «rubber» digital copy), and the only movie that takes place entirely in the post-apocalyptic future (if you don’t count the short prologue). Yes, there are many questions about the plot, but none about the gloomy, deliberately discolored setting.

Los Angeles has turned into a ruined abandoned wasteland controlled by «metal soldiers» local spill (hello, T-600 can). And if these analogies aren’t enough, then get a scene with your own version of the giant Liberty Prime (interestingly, the 2009 blockbuster season also offered «Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen», so, under certain circumstances, the local Harvester and Optimus Prime could flicker on the screens in neighboring cinemas on a high-budget basis).

If all of the above is hardly a big secret, then here’s a really not-so-publicized fact: Jonathan Nolan joined the project at the stage of writing the script, and he was the main writer. Yes, the same Nolan who became one of the creators of «Fallout». But due to the Writers Guild strike of 2007-2008, he was forced to leave the project. Who knows how «Terminator» would have turned out if this hadn’t happened.

«The Book of Eli»

Release date: 2010
IMDb rating: 6,8

Thirty years after the nuclear apocalypse, a man named Eli travels through a barren wasteland, trying to reach a safe place on the West Coast of the United States. But the hero is not looking for shelter for himself because his mission is to deliver a copy of a mysterious book to a place where evil people cannot get to it.

Along with «The Road», «The Book of Eli» — is another film about a dark journey through ruined and devastated lands teeming with profit-seeking scum. However, unlike the Viggo Mortensen drama, the Hughes brothers’ film has a more entertaining element and prefers exciting action scenes to heartbreaking drama. A well-crafted and recognizable setting is added to the mix.

The cast here is also very decent: the stalwart Denzel Washington in the title role, Gary Oldman as the main bad guy, and Mila Kunis in addition. In the late noughties — first half of the tens, the Chernivtsi beauty could still be seen in action («Max Payne», «Jupiter Ascending»), but those appearances were sporadic and generally unsuccessful. By the way, there is an Easter egg for the aforementioned «A Boy and His Dog»: a poster for the movie hangs in one of the miserable rooms.

«The Rover»

Release date: 2014
IMDb rating: 6,4

According to the unfortunate opening credits — «Ten years have passed since the global political and economic collapse». Australia is in total anarchy and disarray. A gloomy loner, Eric, witnesses a gang of robbers hastily stealing his car because their pickup truck has gone into a ditch. The man gets behind the wheel of the pickup and starts a chase. Along the way, he meets the abandoned and somewhat inhibited brother of one of the criminals, so Eric shares his adventure with him.

«The Rover», despite its desolate Australian landscapes, is far from a typical post-apocalyptic genre. This is a slow and minimalistic, narratively «dry» story about the moral decay of society amidst the global crisis. There is almost no action or empathy for the characters, and the Australian wasteland only emphasizes the total emptiness inside the unpleasant uncles.

Director and screenwriter David Michaud has managed to perfectly convey the filth of the local universe. Sweaty, ruined scum kill each other for dubious reasons. The ending of the movie can simply knock the floor out from under your feet.

Even then, 10 years ago, Robert Pattinson radically changed his role and tried to get away from the image of a «twilight» handsome man, and he succeeded brilliantly. «The best post-apocalyptic movie since the original Mad Max» — this is the epithet Quentin Tarantino gave this uncompromising film.

«Hello Tomorrow!»

Release date: 2023
IMDb rating: 6,3
Where to see: Apple TV+

Alternative USA. Always smiling salesman Jack Billings is a real estate salesman who is selling real estate on the moon and raking in the money. He and his subordinates promise their lucky clients that it’s their turn to get into a comfortable rocket and change their lives forever. The scheme goes awry when the hero meets his adult son Joey, whom he helped raise.

«Hello, Tomorrow!» has nothing to do with post-apocalyptic and survival stories. It’s an uneven comedy drama that can’t decide which way to go — comedy with satire or drama. But what cannot be taken away from it is the vivid retro-futuristic setting in the spirit of Fallout, which is able to brighten up the impression of an unimpressive narrative.

«Silo» 

Release date: 2023
IMDb rating: 8,1
Where to see: Apple TV+

In the indefinite future, an indefinite global catastrophe led to terrible air pollution. The surface of the Earth has become completely uninhabitable. Ten thousand people have taken refuge in a huge bunker, the appearance of which is unknown. All the inhabitants of the bunker are forced to obey local, rather strict laws. When the engineer Juliet Nichols is suddenly given the responsibility of becoming the sheriff, she begins to guess at a great secret.

The plot of this dystopias is based on the eponymous series of novels by American writer Hugh Howey and is quite intriguing. Just like «Fallout», it has its own mystery of a mysterious bunker, which Rebecca Ferguson’s character tries to solve during the season. As a result, the project received high marks from viewers and critics and was included in the list of of the best series of 2023 according to the ITC.

The filming of the second season was interrupted due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes and ended on March 8 this year, so the production is currently in post-production. And finally, the most sensational fact: one of the most popular actors in this selection is rapper Common.