Television series
The Last Man on Earth
Other titles called The Last Man on Earth: the 1964 film.
Will Forte is the last person on Earth, and he's having the time of his life—until he isn't. A darkly funny sci-fi comedy that starts as wish-fulfillment fantasy (no rules, no obligations) and gradually reveals the crushing weight of absolute solitude. Sharp, surprisingly tender, and willing to get genuinely bleak.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy sitcoms where the joke is a lonely, petty man slowly reckoning with his own worst habits, and you like absurd premises played with a straight, deadpan face rather than big slapstick.
Skip it if you want a fast-moving high-concept sci-fi plot, since most episodes are small, character-driven domestic comedy and the apocalyptic setup mostly serves as a backdrop for social awkwardness.
What it asks of you: Half-hour episodes that stay in one small world, with patient pacing, lots of awkward silences, and a steady mix of bleak premise and gentle, lightly absurd humour across four seasons.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Schitt's Creek2015
A found family comedy about people learning to live together after losing everything. Like Last Man, it starts comedic and discovers real warmth, and both shows respect their ensemble enough to let every character become fully realized.
But Slower paced than Last Man's frenetic first season. The initial episodes can feel sitcom-broad before the show finds its emotional depth.
Santa Clarita Diet2017
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as a suburban couple dealing with an impossible premise. Balances absurdist comedy with genuine character moments, and isn't afraid to go dark when the story demands it.
But Cancelled after three seasons on a cliffhanger. The gore-comedy tone won't land for everyone, and the premise gets increasingly bonkers.
Severance2022
A mind-bending sci-fi premise treated with real philosophical weight. It explores isolation, agency, and what we owe each other—themes Last Man circles back to—but through a completely different lens.
But Deliberately paced and ambiguous. If you want answers or closure, this will frustrate you; it's designed to make you sit with uncertainty.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Last Man on Earth
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Children of Men2006
Both are about the weight of being humanity's last hope, and both ask whether individual happiness matters when the species is ending. Last Man makes a comedy of that burden; Children of Men makes it a tragedy.
Cuarón's masterpiece about a world where no one can have children—a quiet apocalypse. It shares Last Man's core tension: when humanity is ending, what makes life worth living? But it trades comedy for unbearable tension and technical brilliance.
But Relentlessly bleak with minimal dialogue. Long, unbroken takes that demand patience. No comfort here, only questions.
More like this (8)
Cast Away2000
Tom Hanks alone on an island, wrestling with both survival and the psychological toll of isolation. The film version of what Last Man explores comedically—the desperation beneath the freedom.
But Genuinely depressing in stretches. It's a serious, often quiet film that doesn't offer comic relief from the loneliness.
Parks and Recreation2009
Ensemble comedy about ordinary people trying to build community. Shares Last Man's warmth and character-first approach, proving that sitcoms can be both funny and genuinely moving.
But Takes several episodes to hit its stride. The mockumentary format isn't for everyone, and early seasons feel thin compared to later ones.
Yellowjackets2021
Survival drama with dark comedy woven through. Character-driven, unpredictable, and willing to let terrible things happen to people you've come to care about.
But Gruesome and genuinely disturbing at times. The show doesn't offer much comfort or levity once it gets going.
Don't Look Up2021
An ensemble apocalypse film that mixes comedy with existential dread. Like Last Man, it asks what human connection means when everything is falling apart, and whether hope is possible.
But Three hours of increasingly bleak satire. Some will find it preachy, and the tonal shifts between comedy and tragedy don't work for everyone.
Community2009
Anarchic comedy where a group of misfits become a real family. Shares Last Man's willingness to undercut genre conventions and let absurdity serve character.
But Uneven; it peaks around season three and never fully recovers. Later seasons feel like they're fighting with network constraints.
Manifest2018
A mystery-driven ensemble show about ordinary people dealing with an extraordinary situation. Strong cast chemistry and willingness to keep raising the stakes.
But Cancelled on a cliffhanger despite fan campaigns for resolution. The mystery plotting becomes convoluted, and not every reveal lands satisfyingly.
Russian Doll2019
Both protagonists start their journey ecstatic to be free of normal social obligations, then slowly realize that freedom without connection is just another word for hell. They're inverse versions of the same realization.
Natasha Lyonne stuck in a time loop, repeatedly dying at her birthday party. Dark, surreal, and gut-achingly funny about loneliness masquerading as freedom. Season one especially nails the existential comedy Last Man is reaching for.
But Deliberately disorienting and sometimes hard to follow. The humor is pitch-black, and the show doesn't always explain what's happening.
Annihilation2018
Both ask what happens to human nature when external constraints dissolve. Last Man explores it through comedy; Annihilation through horror. Both understand that unlimited freedom is its own kind of danger.
A woman enters a mysterious shimmer where the laws of nature are rewritten. It's sci-fi as metaphor—beautiful, strange, and genuinely unsettling. Like Last Man, it uses genre to explore how people survive when the rules change, but through dreamlogic instead of comedy.
But Abstract and deliberately obscure. If you want plot clarity and emotional beats you can clearly identify, this will confound you.
People
Cast
Writing
- Will ForteCreator
Production
- Annie CourtAssociate Producer
- Andy BobrowCo-Executive Producer
- Emily SpiveyCo-Executive Producer
- Erica RivinojaCo-Executive Producer
- Erik DurbinCo-Executive Producer
- John SolomonCo-Executive Producer
- Liz CackowskiCo-Executive Producer
- Tim McAuliffeCo-Executive Producer
- Annie CourtCo-Producer
- Katie NewmanCo-Producer
- Liz CackowskiCo-Producer
- Erica RivinojaConsulting Producer
- Andy BobrowExecutive Producer
- Christopher MillerExecutive Producer
- Erik DurbinExecutive Producer
- John SolomonExecutive Producer
- Phil LordExecutive Producer
- Seth CohenExecutive Producer
- Will ForteExecutive Producer
- David NoelProducer
- Steve BurgessProducer
- Liz CackowskiSupervising Producer