10 Movies To Watch if You Like 'Fallout' (2024)

Strap on your Pip-Boys wasteland wanderers! For the Fallout Amazon series is upon us. A live action adaptation of one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, showrunner's Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner's take on the franchise promises to deliver untold tales from the wasteland, with all the gritty intensity and dark humor that the fans so adore, giving Fallout the potential of becoming a modern post-apocalyptic masterpiece.

It's well-documented that the original Fallout game emerged as a spiritual successor to Wasteland, whose developers, due to copyright issues, had to navigate around branding restrictions. Yet, the creative inspirations behind Fallout's complex world are diverse. Borrowing from a melting pot of novels, films and comic books, spanning from the atomic-punk era of the 1950s to the modern day, in turn, Fallout would influence a myriad of media itself. So pop open Nuka-Cola, save the cap and explore these 10 films that embody Fallout's essence. From the high-octane vehicular battles of Mad Max: Fury Road to the retro-futuristic charm of A Boy and His Dog, these cinematic gems resonate with Fallout's post-apocalyptic allure.

10 'Them!' (1954)

Directed by Gordon Douglas

What better way to kick-start this list than with the quintessential 1954 creature feature 'Them!'? - which has a remake in the works, by the way - Released at the height of Cold War tensions in the United States, this apocalyptic 'man vs. nature' flick holds historical significance as a reflection of the escalating fears of nuclear fallout gripping late 20th-century society. Directed by the prolific Hollywood filmmaker GordonDouglas, known for his diverse filmography spanning from Classic Westerns to Spy-Dramas, 'Them!' depicts the panicked militaristic responses of the US government as giant ants, mutated by nuclear radiation, wreak havoc in New Mexico.

The most obvious connection between the film and the world of Fallout lies with the giant ants themselves. Initially introduced in Fallout 2, these creatures swiftly became emblematic of the apocalyptic wasteland in which the games are set. Perhaps no other appearance of these creatures in Fallout is as iconic as in the Fallout 3 quest titled 'THOSE!', wherein the Lone Wanderer must rescue the town of Grayditch from an infestation of fire-breathing 'Fire Ants'. Beyond these literal nods, both the film and Fallout explore worlds ravaged by nuclear war, where mutated creatures imperil humanity's survival, delving into themes of human hubris and its environmental repercussions, cementing a tight thematic bond between the film and the video game franchise. Furthermore, a touch of Fallout's infamous dark humor can also be found in the film during scenes where scientists and military personnel discuss the ridiculous logistics of battling the oversized insects.

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9 'Forbidden Planet' (1956)

Directed by Fred M. Wilcox

Directed by Fred M. Wilcox, the 1956 film Forbidden Planet holds a significant place in the history of science fiction cinema. A groundbreaking entry into the genre, Forbidden Planet's innovative special effects, futuristic set designs, and electronic music score set new standards for the genre. An exploration of advanced technology, alien civilizations, and the power of the human mind, the ideas laid out in Wilcox's iconic film laid the groundwork for many subsequent sci-fi works, eventually inspiring many of the retro-futuristic robot designs included in Fallout.

Following Commander Adams (Leslie Nielsen), leader of a spaceship crew on a mission to a distant planet, events take a mysterious turn when, upon arrival, the crew encounter Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter Altaira (Anne Francis). As they attempt to unravel the mysteries of the planet and its ancient inhabitants, the film's influence likely echoes into the thematic landscape of Amazon's Fallout series, which will also tell a tale of exploration in a hostile world, as the vault dweller emerges into the alien world of the wasteland.

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8 'Blade Runner' (1982)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Fans of Bethesda Game Studio's second Fallout installment, Fallout4, shouldn't be shocked to see Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece BladeRunner on this list. Adapted from PhilipKindredDick's classic novel, 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?', Blade Runner follows Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a Blade Runner, a kind of law enforcement officer tasked with tracking down and eliminating bioengineered beings called replicants, deemed a threat to humanity's existence in a dystopian future society.

Fallout4, drawing substantial inspiration from the film, is crammed with nods to BladeRunner. Its main storyline revolves around the plight of Synths, Fallout's own robotic entities, who are hunted by human factions unwilling to coexist with cyborgs in the wasteland. Is that a direct inspiration we see? The game not only explores similar ideological paths as Scott's film but also borrows parts of its visual language, notably the Neo-Noir aesthetic visible in every crevice of the decaying neon-lit cityscapes of BladeRunner's dystopian Los Angeles. As one of the most influential science fiction worlds ever depicted on screen, BladeRunner is a must-watch, especially for Fallout fans, as its thematic and visual parallels really do enhance the appreciation of both works.

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7 'Brazil' (1985)

Directed by Terry Gilliam

Credited among several films that greatly influenced the masterminds of the original Fallout game, Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, Brazil is Terry Gilliam's 1985 satire based around a future dystopian society. Starring Robert De Niro and Ian Holm, the world of Brazil is drenched in bureaucracy and in a constant state of surveillance. These harsh conditions eventually ensnare the film's protagonist, Sam Lowry, played by JonathanPryce (Game of Thrones), who is swept into a series of events that lead to his eventual rebellion against the oppressive regime that rules over his surreal and nightmarish world.

An absurdly creative warning of what unchecked absolute power can lead to, the film delves deep into human themes, questioning the very essence of individuality. Darkly comedic and truly thought-provoking in its exploration of authority and the human spirit, it really is no wonder that Brazil resonated so strongly with Cain and Boyarsky, who sewed its themes of post-apocalyptic survival and human resilience in the face of oppressive regimes into the fabric of their own apocalyptic world.

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6 'A Boy and his Dog' (1975)

Directed by L.Q. Jones

An adaptation of Harlan Ellison's 1969 post-apocalyptic science fiction novella, A Boy and His Dog follows the bizarre and complex relationship shared between a teenage boy named Vic and his telepathic dog, Blood, as they navigate a harsh and desolate world devastated by nuclear war. Within its very first frames, the film vividly depicts the devastating power of the atomic bombs that have rendered the world inhospitable. Then, six words appear on-screen - 'World War IV Lasted Five Days'. Painting a bleak picture of the post-apocalyptic Earth, it's the perfect backdrop for the character duo of Vic and Blood, who face constant danger as they encounter the many oddities of this strange new world.

Directed by the late L.Q. Jones (Casino), a Texas-born Hollywood veteran, A Boy and His Dog was a seminal work with clear inspirations to Fallout. As Vic wanders the wastes, he shares the striking silhouette of the video game franchise's famed Lone Wanderer, even calling Blood 'Dog Meat' at the start of the film. An avid fan of the novel, Jones adaptation does stay mostly true to the source material, diverging only at the end, shying away from the darker, more ambiguous conclusion of the book, in favor of a more hopeful ending that we won't spoil here.

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5 'Radioactive Dreams' (1984)

Directed by Albert Pyun

Often credited with being one of the primary inspirations behind the distinct aesthetic of the early Fallout titles, RadioactiveDreams is filmmaker AlbertPyun’s bizarre vision of a post-apocalyptic world. With its blend of absurdity, violence, and a juvenile sense of 'horniness', this B-tier comedy is a wild ride that really just needs to be seen to be believed.

Without delving too deeply into spoiler territory, the narrative centers around two brothers, Phillip and Marlowe, who are raised in an underground bunker. Above ground, a nuclear war has ravaged the world, rendering the surface uninhabitable. However, when circ*mstances change, the brothers are compelled to venture into the wasteland to uncover the mystery behind their father's disappearance. Sounding familiar? A wandering nomad, emerging from the depths of a mysterious vault to seek out his father, in a world where radioactive mutants, ruthless gangs, and eccentric cults thrive. It's no coincidence, the influence this film had on Fallout is practically undeniable.

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4 'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' (1964)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

In Stanley Kubrick's cinematic satire masterpiece, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, the end of the world takes a darkly comedic turn. A seamless blending of post-cold war society's atomic contemplations with an electric sense of humor, not often seen in Kubricks' other works, Strangelove is, quite possibly, one of the greatest films of all time. Led by powerhouse performances by George C. Scott and Peter Sellers, with Sellers' portrayal of three distinct characters a testament to his versatility. The film is packed with quotable dialogue, impeccable pacing, and, as per Kubricks' well-earned reputation, a masterful sense of direction.

As one delves into Dr. Strangelove, the parallels to Fallout's dark humor become apparent. Both satirize separate military forces whose defense boards are full of over-qualified and under-educated members, who are hopelessly put in control of a technology that's potential for utter devastation is beyond their understanding. This brand of dark humor, handcrafted for the atomic age, fixates on the folly of such nuclear annihilation. Fallout similarly explores the absurdity of post-apocalyptic ideologies, albeit adding many more layers of absurdity to its hilarity. Ultimately, both narratives serve as cautionary tales, highlighting the hubris and absurdity of humanity's actions in the face of catastrophic consequences. What's not to love?

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3 'The Road' (2009)

Directed by John Hillcoat

In the realm of post-apocalyptic cinema, few films capture a future dystopia as haunting as the world seen in John Hillcoat's 2009 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, The Road. Set in a bleak and desolate world ravaged by an unspecified catastrophe, the film follows a father, played by Viggo Mortensen, and his young son as they journey through the ashen wasteland of the now unrecognizable United States. Battling starvation, despair, and the remnants of humanity driven to barbarism, the father and son walk toward the coast, fueled by a blind faith that they will find civilization.

Echoing themes found in the Fallout universe, the film portrays a world on the brink of collapse and utterly devoid of hope, where survival has less to do with battling off super mutants, and more to do with avoiding any other survivor at all costs. While none of Fallout's sense of humor or lightheartedness can be found here, it is a masterfully crafted film, with perhaps the most realistic representation of what a post-Apocalyptic Earth would actually be like. Not a cherry world indeed.

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2 'The City of Lost Children' (1995)

Directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The term 'fever dream' may have never been more appropriately attached to a film than in the case of Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 1995 surreal science-fantasy flick, The City of Lost Children. Set in a dark, futuristic city along the French seaside, the world of The City of Lost Children has fallen into a desolate totalitarian system of governance, with its oppressive gaze fixed upon its inhabitants. Starring Ron Pearlman as One, a gentle giant who agrees to help a young girl rescue her brother from a mad scientist kidnapping children for the purpose of harvesting their dreams, after losing the ability to do so himself.

A Jeunet film through and through, The City of Lost Children holds a sinister and disturbing vision for the future. Working as a prime example of its creators' distinct visual style—a twisted and exaggerated version of our own world, not dissimilar to Guillermo del Toro's, it captivates with its twisted take on reality. Notably inspiring the creators of the original Fallout. Remnants of its rich, immersive world can be felt throughout the universe of Fallout, seamlessly blended into the game's post-apocalyptic aesthetic and thematic depth.

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1 'Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior' (1981)

Directed by George Miller

The ultimate post-apocalyptic action movie, George Miller's sequel to the original Mad Max, appropriately titled The Road Warrior, exploded into cinemas in 1981 to mostly positive reviews. Impressing with its innovative vehicular stunts and gritty post-apocalyptic world building, all of which is heightened by an iconic performance by Mel Gibson as Max, The Road Warrior solidified the future of the franchise, grossing approximately $36 million worldwide, against a rather modest budget of around $4.5-$6 million.

Fighting his way through the desolate wasteland of the post-apocalyptic Australian outback, Max encounters violent marauders who ride atop iconic makeshift vehicles, tribes formed in rag-tag settlements, and fellow lone wanderers, who are all of them, scavenging for resources. The ties to Fallout are loud and obvious, making it the perfect recommendation for any wasteland fan.

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