What remains of us on screen and other post apocalyptic tales
The first season of HBO Max has wrapped up, delivering a cinematic adaptation of a famous post apocalyptic video game. The creators, led by Neil Druckmann, who guided the original games, and Craig Mazin, famed for the acclaimed Chernobyl, bring Joel on a perilous journey through a world overrun by a mutating fungus. Peter Pascal plays Joel, while Bella Ramsey portrays Ellie, a girl whose immunity sparks both hope and heartbreak. The duo endures brutal confrontations with the infected and hostile humans determined to survive at any cost.
The series has already become a standout on the platform in Spain, leaving fans eager for more while waiting for new episodes. This piece suggests ten titles with similar vibes that might help ease the wait.
1. The Fifth Day
Frank Doelger, a veteran producer of large-scale epics, guides this thriller adapted from a best selling work. The plot follows the human struggle to stop an intelligent marine organism that has risen to defend its own world. The cast spans several nationalities, including Alexander Karim, Cécile de France, Leonie Benesch, Barbara Sukowa, Krista Kosonen, and Oliver Masucci. The series is a Movistar Plus+ release.
2. The Walking Dead
As a genre-shaping zombie saga, this universe expands with multiple spin-offs such as Fear the Walking Dead, The World Beyond, Tales of the Walking Dead, and the City of the Dead arc. Based on a popular comic rather than a game, it centers on survivors dealing with the undead and the conflicts that rise as civilization fractures. It remains a staple across streaming platforms and maintains a broad fanbase.
3. Station Eleven
Adapted from Emily St John Mandel’s novel, this series debuted in December 2021 amid a global pandemic moment. It follows a tight-knit group of characters navigating a post-pandemic world after a deadly flu decimates society. Created by Patrick Somerville, the show explores how people adapt, rebuild, and retain meaning in a changed landscape. This title sits in the HBO Max catalog.
4. Blackout
A disaster without monsters, this story focuses on a solar storm that plunges a population into an upheaval where power and services collapse. The chaos reveals the best and worst in people on Spanish soil, told across five self-contained films featuring a recurring lead actor and a team of directors including Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Raúl Arévalo, Isa Campos, Alberto Rodríguez, and Isaki Lacuesta. It’s a Movistar Plus+ offering.
5. Collapse
A French drama that probes civilization under pressure, mirroring themes from other end-of-world tales. The narrative follows a global breakdown through eight short episodes, each offering a different perspective as a group in France navigates an unforeseen future. Available on RTVE Play, Disney+, and Movie, the series examines how communities respond when the grid fails and resources vanish.
6. Rain
This Nordic take on catastrophe marks Netflix’s first original from the region. A mysterious rain taints everything it touches, and six years after the disaster, two brothers emerge from hiding to see what remains. They join a group of young survivors on a trek to find signs of life, facing danger at every turn. The show is a Netflix staple.
7. Nation
A tense, action-forward series that follows a team escorting a crew across the United States from New York to a lab in California in search of an antidote for a zombie virus. The journey is perilous, with threats from the living and the cults that worship the undead. The title is available to stream on Netflix and resonates with fans of high-stakes survival stories.
8. Black Summer
This early chapter in the zombie apocalypse follows a group of strangers who must band together to endure the fall of society. Parallels to The Last of Us surface as characters learn trust is scarce and danger lurks from both the infected and the uninfected. The series is widely available on Netflix and draws in fans of fast-paced peril.
9. See
One of Apple TV+’s early thrillers, See imagines a world where a virus keeps most people blind. Steven Knight created the series, and Jason Momoa, known for his role in Game of Thrones, leads a tribe ruled by sight. The show centers on two adopted sons who face peril when their leader’s world is threatened by a controversial belief about sightedness. The title streams on Apple TV+.
10. Sweet Tooth: Deer Boy
Jeff Lemire’s post-apocalyptic comic adaptation follows a young boy who is half human and half deer. Born after a global pandemic, he travels with a companion through a fractured landscape filled with mistrust toward hybrids. The series blends fantasy and survival, and it streams on Netflix.
Citations note: these recommendations reflect popular post-apocalyptic storytelling across major streaming platforms and are provided to help audiences explore similar atmospheres and themes. Attribution is based on publicly available entertainment guides and catalog descriptions.