As Glenn Powell tackles Twisters in theaters, ComingSoon selects some of the best natural disaster movies to watch after it.
Is there anything more frightening than the destructive power of our planet? Earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, violent storms, and more can remind us of our place. Then there’s the threat of things beyond our skies. Lumps of rock hurtling through space on a casual collision course with the first thing in its way,
So here’s a selection of the best natural disaster movies to remind you of how insignificant we are
Armageddon (1998)
Michael Bay’s big, ridiculous coming-of-the-apocalypse melodrama sees a group of expert drillers sent into space to blow up an asteroid headed for Earth. This kind of natural disaster movie differs from others because it’s largely about preventing said disaster rather than experiencing it (unless you take it to planet-smashing extremes like Lars von Trier’s Melancholia). Still, the hopelessness of facing an extinction-level disaster is ever-looming.
Armageddon is typical Bay nonsense, but the packed cast and fist-pumping, treacly heroism actually make it a fun watch.
The Wave (2015)
This Norwegian disaster movie deals with the threat of a Tsunami that could be caused by the collapse of a mountain pass. A geologist wrestles between warning others about the impending disaster and getting his family out of the danger zone.
With a relatively small budget compared to some movies here, Roar Uthaug’s movie ticks all the boxes for a disaster movie while feeling distinct from others of its genre.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
If this is someone’s idea of an adventure then I’d be wary of going on a trip with them. The Poseidon Adventure is perhaps one of the most iconic disaster movies.
An ocean liner capsizes, leaving its passengers to navigate their way out of it. It has a great cast, interesting characters, and a spectacle that still holds up to some degree. One of the best to do it.
The remake has Kurt Russell, but that’s not nearly enough to make it a good alternative.
Twister (1996)
You can’t have a list like this without Twister, right? Stormchasers are vying to be the first to get new tornado-reading tech out in the field by literally going into the path of a twister. But when a simple bad storm becomes something bigger, the carnage and destruction greatly enhance the risk for anyone in its path.
It’s fairly small scale as disaster movies go, but Jan de Bont makes you feel the power of the tornado. And if that doesn’t work for you, well, there’s Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton charming up a storm too.
The Impossible (2012)
J. A. Bayona builds up to a horrifying, true-to-life 2004 Tsunami in The Impossible and shows the devastating impact of one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. In terms of representing a disaster, it’s one of the strongest examples.
Once we hit the fallout of it, your mileage with the mawkish family drama may vary, but generally, it heightens the cruel horror of the situation.
Dante’s Peak (1997)
The Battle of the Volcano disaster movies in 1997 didn’t exactly have a winner, but Dante’s Peak technically edges it over Volcano. A sleepy town’s dormant volcano just up and decides to erupt one day, leading to catastrophe and chaos. Pierce Brosnan at his peak and Linda Hamilton on form help drag Dante’s Peak up from its humdrum opening hour.
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Adam McKay’s satirical disaster movie reimagines the format for the ”Fake News Era”. Two lowly astronomers discover a meteor is due to hit the Earth within six months and do their best to get the word out.
Unfortunately, despite mounting evidence, nobody takes them seriously, leaving them increasingly flabbergasted. It’s a better sci-fi disaster movie than it is a satire, but hey, the sparkly stacked cast will help soothe your troubles.
