Art is an expression of the human experience. Films are an increasingly popular method of displaying art in 21st-century. Films have been made thousands of times throughout history. There is one film theme that stands out among all others: dystopia. Over the last decade, popularity has increased for post-apocalyptic film. From 1980 to 1999, there were 59 apocalyptic films. It was a span of approximately 20 years. From 2000 to 2013, however, more than 90 apocalyptic movies have been released (Harmonic 2017, 2017). This contrasts with the 13-year period. This paper explains why filmmakers are increasingly using post-apocalyptic themes within their films. This paper must acknowledge that filmmaking does not produce the content that the audience desires. The audience is what must be considered when analyzing why filmmakers adopt dystopian themes. These paragraphs will show you why audiences are continually demanding more post-apocalyptic movies.
Viewers love films that feature dystopian themes because they believe that humanity will end in its final days (Finke (2014)). Because of the multitude of human problems, this mentality is very popular today. While some of these problems are not solved, others are simply the consequences of situations that society has avoided. The possibility of an outbreak, world hunger and adverse climate change are just a few examples of such problems. However, artificial intelligence surpassing human minds, genetic design and modification, and other scenarios have been avoided by society. These themes are featured in movies like Geostorm and 12 Monkeys as well as Terminator. Post-apocalyptic movies show that humanity is never defeated. Many people are attracted to the resilience and determination of humanity. History has seen many events that almost brought down civilization. These include the world’s first and second wars, as well as the plague of Europe and terrorist attacks throughout the world. The world survived, despite the loss of many lives during these events. This hope is what viewers want to remember when they see post-apocalyptic movies.
Post-apocalyptic films are appealing to viewers for their hope (Scientific American 2010, 2010). Apocalypse is often viewed as the reset of the world. In Revolution, for example, the apocalyptic sends the world into an uninhabitable state. These are the circumstances in which viewers can imagine themselves and wonder if they will survive. Post-apocalyptic films offer viewers the chance to imagine and to passively participate in this environment.
The increase in world-threatening situations is why post-apocalyptic films have become more popular than ever before, as can be seen from the above paragraphs. Films are used to reflect society and have helped it realize that the apocalypse has become a serious concern. This theme is why filmmakers use it more than other themes like romance, political dramas, and so forth.
