Nuclear war movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant nuclear war movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out apocalyptic, serious, tense, suspenseful, suspense and realistic films and TV shows about / with nuclear war, apocalypse, post apocalypse, end of the world, danger, disaster, nuclear holocaust, nuclear, distopia and catastrophe plots mostly in Drama, Thriller and Sci-Fi genres shot in USA, UK, Australia and other countries.
206
TOP 10 movies tagged as nuclear war: The Day After (1983), World War Four (2019), Miracle Mile (1988), By Dawn's Early Light (1990), Threads (1984), The Divide (2011), Testament (1983), The Sum of All Fears (2002), Countdown to Looking Glass (1984), Dead Man's Letters (1986).
Best films
New films
| Black Garden (2019) | 3.5 | |
| Steel Rain (2017) | 7.1 | |
| Fallout (2024) | 8.3 | |
| Snowden (2016) | 7.3 | |
| Sijipeuseu: The Myth (2021) | 7.0 |
List of nuclear war movies
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
The film portrays a fictional nuclear war between NATO forces and the Warsaw Pact that rapidly escalates into a full scale exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union, focusing on the residents of Lawrence, Kansas, and Kansas City, ...
Style:
futuristic, harsh, apocalyptic, serious, psychotronic ...
Plot:
cold war, nuclear war, apocalypse, catastrophe, nuclear explosion, disaster, nuclear bomb, nuclear holocaust, post apocalypse, dystopia, radiation, nuclear threat ...
Time:
80s, future, distant future, 20th century
Place:
usa, kansas, soviet union, kansas city, ussr ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, War
Country: New Zealand, USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
A series of escalating incidents around the world lead to greater and greater conflict, placing the superpowers at one another's throats. Armies march, bombs rain down, soldiers storm the beaches. One family is caught up in the ever-growing ...
Style:
realistic, tense, suspense, bleak, apocalyptic ...
Plot:
nuclear war, survival, invasion, refugee, world politics, team, world domination, post apocalypse, worldwide chaos, military base, chaos and mayhem, marital argument ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
After 30 years of searching, Harry (Edwards) has finally met the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, before they even have a chance to go on their first date, Harry intercepts some chilling news: WWIII has begun and nuclear missiles will destroy Los ...
Style:
black comedy, suspenseful, suspense, surreal, futuristic ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
nuclear war, end of the world, night, nuclear explosion, coffee shop, post apocalyptic, race against time, apocalypse, fall in love, chaos, nuclear holocaust, telephone call ...
Time:
80s, future
Place:
los angeles, soviet union, antarctica
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
When a nuclear missile is launched by presumably Soviet forces toward Turkey, the beginning of the ultimate war to end all wars WW 3 is started. Powers Boothe, his girlfriend and copilot Rebecca DeMornay and their flight crew take off in a B 52 on ...
Style:
serious, bleak, suspenseful, independent film, suspense ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
nuclear war, nuclear explosion, world war three, nuclear holocaust, apocalypse, nato, nuclear threat, aviation, nuclear bomb, doom, post apocalypse, politics ...
Time:
80s, year 1991, 90s
Place:
usa, nebraska, ussr, washington d.c., soviet union ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
27K
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, Australia
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Documentary style account of a nuclear holocaust and its effect on the working class city of Sheffield, England; and the eventual long run effects of nuclear war on civilization.
Style:
depressing, grim, psychological, gloomy, suspenseful ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
nuclear war, nuclear holocaust, apocalypse, cold war, nuclear explosion, survival, world war three, nuclear, post apocalypse, distopia, post apocalyptic, radiation ...
Time:
80s, near future, distant future, year 1984, 20th century ...
Place:
england, northern england, europe, ussr, soviet union ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany, Canada, France
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Survivors of a nuclear attack are grouped together for days in the basement of their apartment building, where fear and dwindling supplies wear away at their dynamic.
Style:
suspense, satanic, tense, bleak, disturbing ...
Plot:
isolation, group of strangers, nuclear holocaust, torment, losing-it hero, survival, survival horror, social decay, violence, confined, apocalypse, nuclear explosion ...
Time:
2010s, future, 21st century
Place:
usa, new york, north korea
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Nuclear war in the United States is portrayed in a realistic and believable manner. The story is told through the eyes of a woman who is struggling to take care of her family. The entire movie takes place in a small suburban town outside San ...
Style:
depressing, disturbing, tense, apocalyptic, serious ...
Plot:
nuclear war, nuclear holocaust, cold war, dystopian future, apocalypse, post apocalypse, tragedy, small town, death, visceral, danger, parents and children ...
Time:
20th century, future, year 1983, 80s, near future
Place:
california, usa, bay area, san francisco
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: USA, Germany, Canada
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
When the president of Russia suddenly dies, a man whose politics are virtually unknown succeeds him. The change in political leaders sparks paranoia among American CIA officials, so CIA director Bill Cabot recruits a young analyst to supply insight ...
Style:
suspense, exciting, political, political thriller, tense ...
Audience:
kids, teens
Plot:
cold war, terrorism, nuclear bomb, espionage, spy, cia, nuclear explosion, terrorist, nuclear war, secret agent, terrorist plot, nuclear threat ...
Time:
90s, 70s, 2000s, 20th century, year 2002 ...
Place:
maryland, russia, israel, washington d.c., chechnya ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A fictional confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Persian Gulf. The narrative of the film details the events that lead up to the initial exchange of nuclear weapons from the ...
Style:
apocalyptic, mockumentary, tragic ending
Plot:
nuclear explosion, nuclear holocaust, nuclear war, apocalypse, world war three, cold war, nuclear bomb, post apocalypse, found footage, u.s. president, president, catastrophe ...
Place:
usa, soviet union, saudi arabia, middle east, ussr
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Soviet Union
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
In a world after the nuclear apocalypse a scholar helps a small group of children and adults survive, staying with them in the basement of the former museum of history. In his mind he writes letters to his son — though it is obvious that they will ...
Style:
apocalyptic, depressing, poetic, spiritual, twisted ...
Plot:
nuclear war, post apocalypse, nuclear holocaust, distopia, apocalypse, post apocalyptic, dystopia, survival, nuclear explosion, atomic bomb, underground, disaster ...
Time:
distant future
Place:
soviet union, ussr, russia
Is relevant?
28K
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little time to prevent an atomic catastrophe from occurring. Director Sidney Lumet gives an atmospheric ...
Style:
tense, political, political thriller, realistic, bleak ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
cold war, nuclear holocaust, nuclear war, politics, nuclear threat, u.s. air force, military, nuclear explosion, atomic bomb, bomber, nightmare, nuclear bomb ...
Time:
20th century, 60s, year 1967
Place:
russia, new york, washington d.c., usa, moscow russia ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Australia, USA
Duration: 195 min.
Story:
The world has finally managed to blow itself up and only Australia has been spared from nuclear destruction and a gigantic wave of radiation is floating in on the breezes. One American sub located in the Pacific has survived and is met with disdain ...
Style:
tense, apocalyptic, serious, suspense, exciting ...
Plot:
apocalypse, nuclear, nuclear holocaust, post nuclear, nuclear war, save the world, atomic bomb, post apocalypse, chaos, survival, heroic mission, race against time ...
Time:
future, 21st century
Place:
australia, asia, melbourne, san francisco
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
120K
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
High School student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) has a talent for hacking. But while trying to hack into a computer system to play unreleased video games, he unwittingly taps into the Defense Department's war computer and initiates a ...
Style:
tense, cyber, futuristic, suspenseful, political ...
Audience:
teens, kids, family outing, teen drama
Plot:
cold war, hacker, computer genius, computer hacker, computer, chess, computer cracker, nuclear threat, hacking, artificial intelligence, nuclear war, computer system ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1983
Place:
seattle, oregon, ussr, washington state, usa ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
Cold War tensions climb to a fever pitch when a U.S. bomber is accidentally ordered to drop a nuclear warhead on Moscow.
Style:
captivating, tense, serious, suspenseful, political ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
cold war, nuclear threat, nuclear holocaust, nuclear war, moral dilemma, politics, military life, disaster, danger, military, race against time, chaos ...
Time:
90s
Place:
russia
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
A dirty bomb goes off in Los Angeles, jamming freeways and spreading a toxic cloud.
Style:
suspenseful, serious, tense, futuristic, twisted ...
Plot:
isolation, nuclear war, terrorism, epidemic, post apocalyptic, infection, nuclear explosion, post apocalypse, couples, toxic, danger, race against time ...
Time:
future, year 2006, distant future
Place:
los angeles, california, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Duration: 200 min.
TV show
Story:
Soviet paratroopers drop into Alaska to sabotage the oil pipeline in retaliation against a United States grain embargo. A skirmish occurs at a pumping station, lightly defended by Col. Jake Caffey and a National Guard reckon unit. A stalemate ensues ...
Style:
realistic, serious, exciting, rough, epic ...
Plot:
world war three, cold war, president, u.s. president, spy, apocalypse, spy thriller, die hard, disaster, distopia, world war, epidemic ...
Time:
80s, near future, year 1987
Place:
alaska, russia, usa, soviet union, moscow russia ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
A TV reporter and cameraman are taken hostage on a tugboat while covering a workers strike. The demands of the hostage-takers are to collect all the nuclear detonators in the Charleston, SC area so they may be detonated at sea. They threaten to ...
Style:
bad ending, thought provoking, captivating, psychological, realistic ...
Plot:
found footage, nuclear holocaust, post apocalypse, nuclear, nuclear explosion, nuclear war, terrorism, president, u.s. president, nuclear bomb, disaster, witch ...
Time:
80s
Place:
south carolina, usa, charleston south carolina
Is relevant?
Genre: Sci-Fi
Country: Australia
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Set on Christmas Eve, eight days after the war ends, survivor Kate discovers a mysterious radio signal and befriends the voice. As she embarks on a journey to find its origins, Kate encounters the isolation and horror of a nuclear war and the failed ...
Style:
psychotronic, neo noir, dark, suspense, noir ...
Plot:
strong female lead, distopia, nuclear war, world war three, survival, false identity, betrayal, politics, lie, delusion, military, isolation ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama, War
Country: UK
Duration: 45 min.
Story:
A docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain.
Style:
apocalyptic, controversial, mockumentary, disturbing, semi documentary ...
Plot:
nuclear war, cold war, nuclear threat, nuclear holocaust, apocalypse, nuclear bomb, nuclear, war, post apocalypse, dystopia, nuclear disaster, distopia ...
Time:
distant future, year 1965, 60s, future
Place:
europe, england, britain
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller, War
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
An American girl on holiday in the English countryside with her family finds herself in hiding and fighting for her survival as war breaks out.
Style:
suspenseful, teen, romantic, sweet, apocalyptic ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, chick flick, teen drama
Plot:
survival, longing, danger, teenage life, young adult, post apocalypse, love and romance, coming of age, cousin cousin relationship, youth, countryside, teenager ...
Time:
year 2013, future, 21st century
Place:
england, northern england, scotland, london
Is relevant?
727
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
In a contemporary Commons briefing room, a government minister and several aids enact the ‘war book’ exercise: a protocol written in the 1950s which is periodically played out to test post-nuclear scenarios. Low-budget but high-concept, War Book ...
Style:
serious, thought provoking, tense, bleak, suspenseful ...
Plot:
nuclear explosion, politics, nuclear war, danger, chaos, international crisis, state affairs, international relations, terrorism, government official, terrorist attack, world politics ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
india, england, london, mumbai india, pakistan
Is relevant?
269K
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind and water. It is cold enough to crack stones, and, when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the ...
Style:
bleak, harsh, depressing, rough, gloomy ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
survival, apocalypse, post apocalypse, post apocalyptic, father son relationship, distopia, end of the world, cannibalism, starvation, dystopia, on the road, journey ...
Time:
future, year 2009, near future, distant future, 2000s ...
Place:
pittsburgh, usa, north america, canada
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
The President of the United States must deal with an international military crisis while confined to a Colorado diner during a freak snowstorm.
Style:
tense, suspenseful, independent film, talky, serious ...
Plot:
nuclear war, nuclear bomb, nuclear, politics, nuclear threat, diner, president, snow, usa politics, government, politician, nuclear explosion ...
Time:
future, year 1999, near future, 2000s, year 2008 ...
Place:
iraq, colorado, usa, baghdad iraq, korea ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
61K
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story:
Jericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States.
Style:
captivating, apocalyptic, serious, suspenseful, mysterious ...
Audience:
boys' night, adult
Plot:
survival, apocalypse, post apocalypse, disaster, small town, danger, chaos, nuclear holocaust, post nuclear, conspiracy, distopia, leadership ...
Time:
future, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
kansas, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Country: USA, Norway
Duration: 169 min.
Story:
Ethan Hunt and the IMF team continue their search for the terrifying AI known as the Entity - which has infiltrated intelligence networks all over the globe - with the world's governments and a mysterious ghost from Ethan's past on their ...
Style:
fast paced, suspenseful, tense, cliffhanger, anamorphic ...
Plot:
artificial intelligence, mission impossible, spy, airplane, nuclear war, arctic, underwater, final showdown, infiltration, trick, secret agent, submarine ...
Time:
2020s, near future, year 1996
Place:
south africa, england, austria, tower bridge london, big ben london ...
Is relevant?
187
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 67 min.
Story:
After nuclear warfare has decimated Earth, tyrants using service robots to enslave the population are met with a rebellion.
Style:
exciting, intense, psychotronic, futuristic, semi serious ...
Plot:
robot, nuclear war, apocalypse, giant robot, good versus evil, machismo, killer robot, danger, hopes, military, man versus machine, heroic mission ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Iceland, Switzerland, USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
In the wake of a nuclear war, a young woman survives on her own, fearing she may actually be the proverbial last woman on earth, until she discovers the most astonishing sight of her life: another human being. A distraught scientist, he’s nearly ...
Style:
suspense, suspenseful, apocalyptic, serious, independent film ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
apocalypse, sex scene, post apocalypse, farm, love triangle, post apocalyptic, nuclear war, survivor, radiation, survival, jealousy, distopia ...
Time:
2010s, future, 80s, 21st century
Place:
usa, california
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Spain
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
The disastrous meltdown of a nuclear power plant in Northern Spain created a contaminated no-go zone and left the nearby provincial city and inhabitants in a state of shock and mourning. Three years later, while the city prepares for the ...
Style:
suspense, detective, suspenseful, captivating, tense ...
Plot:
serial killer, murder investigation, quarantine, murder, police, post apocalypse, nuclear war, society, twists and turns, disaster, distopia, town ...
Place:
spain
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
When a small British owned island in the Caribbean is invaded and the world's most dangerous terrorist kidnaps a member of the Royal family, the countdown to World War 3 begins. If anyone can prevent the oncoming apocalypse it's the ...
Style:
apocalyptic, satirical, realistic, not serious, biting ...
Plot:
satire, nuclear war, president, post apocalypse, apocalypse, political satire, atomic bomb, u.s. president, epidemic, social satire, distopia, kidnapping ...
Time:
80s, 20th century
Place:
fictional island, usa, england, caribbean, soviet union ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Animation, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, War
Country: Japan
Duration: 125 min.
Story:
An American scientist constructs a laser satellite with hopes of preventing any nuclear conflicts from occurring. However, after a fatal error from both the US and the USSR governments, war breaks out and humanity faces a new bloodshed.
Style:
anime, apocalyptic, tense, grim, bleak ...
Plot:
world war three, cold war, nuclear war, doomsday, moral ambiguity, militarism, ethical dilemma, anti war, survival, hopelessness, post apocalyptic, nuclear holocaust ...
Time:
80s, near future
Place:
usa, ussr, west germany, moscow russia, middle east ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
