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Films set in London have showcased the city’s vibrant culture, beautiful landmarks, and witty, intelligent residents.
Other movies featuring London, however, have blown the place to smithereens, drowned it, set it on fire, or unleashed relentless armies of zombies upon it.
The destructive power of nuclear bombs frightened many of the citizens of the world during the 1950s and 1960s. On the positive side, however, nuclear fears did lead to exciting science-fiction pictures. In “The Day the Earth Caught Fire” shot, in part, on London’s streets — director Val Guest imagines what would happen if nuclear blasts shook the Earth free of its orbit and sent the poor planet careening towards the sun. Here, government officials decide that the only possible way to save the Earth is to detonate more nuclear bombs in the hopes of reversing its course. During this disaster, London is evacuated, although, near the end of the film, three of the main characters ride out the doomsday countdown inside one of the city’s bars.
Viewers are left to surmise whether humanity has been saved or wiped out.
“Lifeforce,” a bizarre apocalyptic vision, was directed by Tobe Hooper of “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” fame. The crew of a British space shuttle discovers an alien spacecraft, one containing three human-like aliens in a suspended state. Eventually, scientists bring the extra-terrestrials to London, where they predictably awaken. And it turns out those beings are intergalactic vampires. Soon, London is embroiled in a plague of vampirism: Martial law is declared, and much of the population is transformed into zombies.
This movie is notable, incidentally, for its gratuitous nudity and sex scenes, not the apocalyptic storyline.
London must deal with a zombie outbreak again in director Danny Boyle’s horror epic, which has become a modern classic. At the outset of the film, animal rights activists free laboratory chimpanzees. Unfortunately, those chimps carry viruses that turn humans into zombies. In four weeks, as the title indicates, London’s streets are primarily destroyed and deserted, save for the occasional zombie out for a walk. Non-zombies, meanwhile, hide in Underground tunnels. Boyle’s vision of an abandoned London is eerie and gripping, perhaps because it invokes many people’s worst fears of what a full-scale invasion of the city during World War II might have wrought.
Director Rob Bowman’s “Reign of Fire” didn’t catch fire at the global box office despite sensational visual effects and convincing performances from Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey. The movie begins in 2010 in London, where an Underground construction project awakens a nest of dragons in hibernation. Those dragons begin reproducing at staggering rates and wreak fire-breathing terror on the city. Ten years later, most humans are dead, while a small band of survivors has taken refuge inside a Northumberland castle.
As you can probably guess if you haven’t seen the film, London is entirely flooded in this disaster flick from director Tony Mitchell. Indeed, the storm surge that washes over London is so massive it covers much of Scotland. Like most pictures of this sort, “Flood” follows the exploits of a group of survivors. These hardy souls gather in the Underground and go to Trafalgar Square and eventual safety. The shots of the floodwater-besieged city, by the way, are pretty realistic throughout.
As a direct sequel to 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later continues the grim tale of London’s battle with the Rage virus. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, this instalment picks up six months after the original outbreak, with efforts underway to repopulate and rebuild the city. However, the remnants of the virus are far from eradicated, and a new outbreak quickly spirals into another citywide catastrophe. The film’s chilling depiction of London as a quarantined, militarised zone is both gripping and harrowing, as survivors once again find themselves in a desperate fight for survival. With its heart-pounding action and stark portrayal of a city under siege, 28 Weeks Later solidifies London as a prime location for apocalyptic horror.
London’s iconic landmarks again find themselves at the mercy of catastrophic events in London Has Fallen, the sequel to the 2013 action thriller Olympus Has Fallen. Directed by Babak Najafi, the movie imagines a world where the British Prime Minister’s funeral becomes the stage for a devastating terrorist attack aimed at world leaders. The city of London is plunged into chaos as explosions rip through its historic sites, including Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. With London’s streets turned into a war zone, it’s up to the U.S. President (played by Gerard Butler) and his loyal Secret Service agent to navigate the destruction and thwart the villains’ nefarious plans. The film’s fast-paced action and iconic scenes of London under siege make it a noteworthy entry in the disaster movie genre, even if it’s more rooted in action than apocalyptic doom.
In The Girl with All the Gifts, London’s downfall comes not from dragons or floods but from a fungal infection that turns most of the human population into mindless zombies, referred to as “Hungries.” The film is directed by Colm McCarthy and is based on M.R. Carey’s novel. It presents a unique twist on the zombie apocalypse. A group of infected children who retain their cognitive abilities may hold the key to humanity’s survival. Much of the action occurs in a ravaged London, where the survivors navigate through desolate streets and eerie, overgrown landscapes. The film explores the fine line between monster and human, and its bleak yet hopeful tone offers a fresh perspective on the genre.
Though largely set outside of London, Pacific Rim: Uprising does offer the city a taste of the film’s colossal destruction. Directed by Steven S. DeKnight, the sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim takes place ten years after the initial battle against the monstrous Kaiju. London becomes one of the global battlegrounds where massive Jaegers (piloted giant robots) face off against a new wave of Kaiju attacks. While the destruction of London isn’t as central as in other films on this list, the movie’s scenes of Jaegers battling Kaiju amidst the city’s skyline add another layer of disaster to London’s cinematic apocalyptic history.
While London’s cinematic skyline often bears the brunt of apocalyptic scenarios, a whole world of filming locations across the UK provides a serene and undisturbed backdrop for various creative projects. At SHOOTFACTORY, we pride ourselves on representing some of the most unique and captivating locations the UK offers—perfect for productions that require a touch less disaster and a lot more charm.
Our extensive portfolio is carefully curated to highlight the versatility and beauty of properties both within London and beyond. From elegant residential homes in the city to sleek industrial spaces and photographic studios, we offer an array of locations that meet the needs of diverse creative endeavours.