Ever since historians and archeologists learned that the Mayan calendar stops counting at the year 2012, people have related it to the literal doomsday or the end of the world. And while the concept of humankind being wiped out of existence is nothing new (after all, the Bible, with its four horsemen, is thousands of years old, and it's not the first to predict an apocalpyse), it still fascinates us, however grimly, as does the idea of somehow surviving something that could potentially render humans extinct. Enter the disaster movie--or, specifically, the genre of disaster movies that deal with the apocalypse.

Whether or not you believe the world is going to end this year, you have to admit it has the makings of a good story. This is surely what the creators of the movie 2012 had in mind, so click through the gallery below to learn about the film and some other notable movies with that apocalyptic feel, should you ever host an “end of the world” movie marathon with your friends on this symbolic year!


For more movies suggestions, check out these galleries:

• Reel Inspiration: 25 Movies to Inspire You
• 30 Movies to Look Forward to This Year
• Making the Jump: 30 Book-to-Screen Crossovers