With the end of the world coming up (so say the Mayans, who were clearly never wrong about anything), here's an apocalyptic installment of Flix for (not so) Short.

Threads was a 1984 BBC-produced film written by Barry Hines and directed by Mick Jackson. Using a pseudo-documentary style, Threads dramatizes what would happen if a global nuclear war wiped out most of the world's major cities. It's a grim, glum, remarkably depressing movie, and it's still so surprising that it was made for television.

What's most admirable about Threads is how it provides a sense of international scale through an intimate story and a limited budget. The tension builds, the decimation comes, and despair only grows as the movie unfolds. Threads is a downer masterpiece.

As a warning, some of the imagery is a little graphic/upsetting.