British reporters suspect an international cover-up of a global disaster in progress… and they’re right. Hysterical panic has engulfed the world after the United States and the Soviet Union simultaneously detonate nuclear devices and have caused the orbit of the Earth to alter, sending it hurtling towards the sun.

The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) is known as one of the most unsettling science fiction films of its time, and a classic in the apocalyptic genre. This compelling British drama takes place in near-future London. It follows a reporter (Edward Judd) and a veteran journalist (Leo McKern) who investigate odd shifts in the climate after the US and the Soviet Union have detonated nuclear explosives, causing the orbit of the Earth to change, and moving it closer to the Sun! The film explores whether humanity has pushed the Earth past the point of recovery, and gives a newsroom drama apocalyptic stakes. It’s best seen on the big screen, where the panic and dread feel even more ominous.  -TORONTO FILM SOCIETY