The Omega Man
A plague-surviving scientist defends his lonely refuge against nocturnal mutants who see him as the last embodiment of a condemned technological age.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- bleak
- tense
- sardonic
- classic science fiction night
- post apocalyptic double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film literate and fast-moving, with stark apocalyptic imagery and enjoyable suspense offset by credibility gaps, uneven drama, and implausible mutants.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Neville is the apparent sole survivor of a biological-weapons plague and lives alone in an emptied city.
The Family treats Neville as a symbol of the old technological world and targets him because of his scientific work.
Neville navigates an abandoned Los Angeles while using its empty streets, buildings, electricity, and machinery for survival.
The Family rejects science and technology, presenting its nocturnal members as a new order opposed to Neville and the old world.
Films like The Omega Man, and why
The Last Man on Earth
shares a last-survivor premise, plague apocalypse, nocturnal mutants, and bleak survivalist science fiction
I Am Legend
shares a post apocalyptic setting, epidemic-driven undead threat, and isolated protagonist fighting for survival
Planet of the Apes
shares dystopian science fiction, social collapse, and a lone protagonist confronting a hostile transformed society
28 Days Later
shares desolate urban spaces, survivalist tension, and a science-fiction plague aftermath
Movie Details
- Director
- Boris Sagal
- Release Date
- 1971-08-01
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (641)
Cast
- Charlton Heston
- Anthony Zerbe
- Rosalind Cash
- Paul Koslo
- Eric Laneuville
- Lincoln Kilpatrick
- Anna Aries
- Brian Tochi
- DeVeren Bookwalter
- John Dierkes
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Omega Man about?
- A plague-surviving scientist defends his lonely refuge against nocturnal mutants who see him as the last embodiment of a condemned technological age.
- What is The Omega Man like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Omega Man as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Omega Man violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Omega Man as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Omega Man?
- Critics broadly found the film literate and fast-moving, with stark apocalyptic imagery and enjoyable suspense offset by credibility gaps, uneven drama, and implausible mutants.
- Which films are like The Omega Man?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Man on Earth, I Am Legend, Planet of the Apes, and 28 Days Later.
- How long is The Omega Man?
- The Omega Man runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Omega Man?
- In United States, The Omega Man is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
