30 Thrilling Disaster Movies To Watch

The genre of Disaster films sometimes gets a bad rap. Yes, they are often predictable. Some are more spectacle than substance. However, spectacle isn’t always a bad thing. Most of the greatest disaster movies combine the thriller, action, drama and suspense genres, and others are unique takes on themes like destruction. Disaster films rose to prominence in the 1970s and enjoyed a renaissance in the 1990s; however, there are disaster films from every decade. The genre has several subcategories, with natural disaster films being the most popular, but there are many great man-made, atomic, airplane and ship-based disaster films as well. Disaster films often walk the line between great and ridiculous, given their frequently wild stakes. In a genre where many films are “so-bad-they are-good” and many films are just bad, it can be hard to know which disasters are campy masterpieces and which are just, well, disasters.

Top Disaster Movies

Most viewers take an “I know it when I see it” approach to these types of films. This list, however, includes some films that may not register for all fans of this genre and defines it broadly as movies where a “disaster” is a central plot point. Notably, this list purposely excludes zombie, post-apocalyptic and most animal attack films as they feel like separate lists.

Disaster films are, in many ways, a popular genre. For many years, the highest-grossing disaster film was also the highest-grossing film of all time (and it appears on this list). From earthquakes to atom bombs to cyclones to pandemics, this genre features many types of disasters. Some disaster movies are dead serious, while others are satires. Some of the best disaster films are Oscar winners, while others are over-the-top camp-fests (and some are both). In hopes of making room for the breadth of best disaster films, this list ranks based on several factors. It considers how much fans of this genre will love the film as well as how it fits into the larger genre. It also looks at the mainstays of the genre, including visuals and action sequences. While all of these are arguably “good films,” they are not specifically ranked by overall quality.

30. San Francisco (1936)

Easily the oldest film in these rankings, San Francisco makes this list only for one sequence. For much of the film, San Francisco is a typical 1930s musical/romance film about a romance between a club singer and saloon keeper in the early 1900s. However, in the third act, the 1906 earthquake hits San Francisco, and the sequence that follows is an interesting relic of disaster movie making.

Directed by W. S. Van Dyke, the film stars Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy. It was nominated for six Academy Awards (winning one) and was a hit in its time; however, it will likely feel dated for modern audiences. If you don’t watch the whole thing, watch the final third as a piece of disaster film history. Technically, 1933’s Deluge is an earlier disaster film, but San Francisco is still a foundation film for an emerging genre. It is available to rent on YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

29. It’s a Disaster (2012)

It’s a Disaster may have been overshadowed by the 2013 film This is the End. Both are dark comedies that feature a party that has the misfortune of happening when an apocalypse breaks out. However, while This is the End feels like an easy “bro comedy” with an odd conceit, It’s a Disaster is far more interesting and strange.

Directed by Todd Berger, It’s a Disaster stars Rachel Boston, Kevin M. Brennan, David Cross, America Ferrera, Jeff Grace, Erinn Hayes, Blaise Miller and Julia Stiles. The film follows a tense brunch, which is interrupted by news of dirty bombs exploding in major cities. It feels more like a play than many of the films on this list and will likely be too art-house for some, but it is a refreshing take on the themes of disaster. It is currently streaming for free on Peacock, Tubi, Pluto TV and Plex.

28. Melancholia (2011)

Melancholia is a strange take on a disaster film from extremely controversial director Lars von Trier, who lived up to that title while promoting this film — he was kicked out of Cannes for “joking” that he was a Nazi. If you can see past the extremely problematic director (which maybe you shouldn’t), Melancholia is a beautiful and distressing film about two sisters dealing with their lives and a planet set to hit Earth.

The film has been called the “best film about depression ever made,” which is almost a surprisingly underused theme in the disaster genre. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgård and Kiefer Sutherland. Melancholia was named the best picture of 2011 by The U.S. National Society of Film Critics and the best film of the 2010s by Vulture. It is currently streaming on Max.

27. Pompeii (2014)

If you don’t absolutely love disaster films, don’t watch Pompeii. It isn’t a very good movie, but it’s a very fun movie for lovers of the genre. The film has a fun premise of combining the 1950s/’60s genre of sword-and-sandals movies with the big-budget 1990s action genre. However, the real reason to watch it is for the effects and art direction.

The film follows a slave-turned-gladiator from Roman Britain who falls for the governor’s daughter in the final days of Pompeii before Mt. Vesuvius erupts. Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, Pompeii stars Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Kiefer Sutherland. The film was a critical and box office bomb. Harrington even joked it was “more of a disaster than the event it was based on” while hosting SNL in 2019. It is currently available on Sling TV with a premium subscription.

26. The Burning Sea (2021)

The Burning Sea is part of a Norwegian disaster trilogy that also includes 2018’s The Quake and 2015’s The Wave. The Burning Sea follows a drilling-induced environmental disaster which sinks an oil rig and the crew of a submarine who are tasked with retrieving assets.

Directed by John Andreas Andersen, the film stars Kristine Kujath Thorp, Rolf Kristian Larsen, Henrik Bjelland, Anders Baasmo and Bjørn Floberg. While the film is ultimately predictable, it has a kind of fun mockumentary/environmentalist conceit and great special effects. The high stakes of oil and the choppy waters of the North Sea also add to the thrilling nature of the film. The Burning Sea is currently streaming on Hulu.

25. Sharknado (2013)

Possibly, Sharknado doesn’t belong on this list. It was a made-for-TV movie and arguably a tongue-in-cheek take on the genre. The film follows a group of friends who must contend with tornadoes on the coast of Santa Monica that lift sharks into the air with them.

Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, Sharknado stars Tara Reid, John Heard, Ian Ziering, Cassie Scerbo and Jaason Simmons. The movie has taken on a sort of “so-bad-its-good” cult status and is best watched as a comedy. The film has led to a franchise with five sequels and three spin-offs. While most of the films are not great, there is something delightful about Sharknado 2: The Second One (which is also outright comedic). Sharknado is currently available for free on Tubi, Plex and Amazon Prime.

24. The Impossible (2012)

The Impossible follows a Spanish doctor and her family who survive a tsunami while vacationing in Thailand. The film is based on the real story of Maria Belón. Interestingly, the disaster depicted in the movie, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, is also the basis of the Clint Eastwood 2010 film Hereafter (however, The Impossible is much better).

Directed by J. A. Bayona, the film stars Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland. A lot about this film works. Watts’s performance is especially notable, and being based on a true story really works in its favor. Other survivors even noted its accuracy; however, many critics also called it out for whitewashing both in casting and in scope. It is currently streaming on Paramount+.

23. The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)

The Day the Earth Caught Fire follows a group of journalists as they discover that nuclear explosions have altered the earth’s rotation, leading to chaos. Directed by Val Guest, the film stars Edward Judd, Janet Munro and Leo McKern.

Don’t go into this film expecting spectacle. It’s far more thematic and character-based than later films in the genre, but it does it well. It explores the changing society of the 1960s, Cold War era fears about nuclear proliferation and the place of media. It is currently available to stream on Amazon with BFI player.

22. Godzilla (1954)

Godzilla possibly shouldn’t be considered a disaster film as kaiju films are, in many ways, a separate genre. However, Godzilla has also always been about nuclear proliferation and atomic disaster. If movies like Miracle Mile, The Core and Friend of the World count for the disaster film genre, at least selected Godzilla films should as well. Directed by Ishirō Honda, Godzilla follows the now-famous kaiju as his home and family are destroyed by an American hydrogen bomb, leading him to cause mayhem in Tokyo.

While it may seem cheesy now, the practical effects from the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya are a milestone in filmmaking. This film is a classic for a reason and holds a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. 1954’s Godzilla is now part of a franchise with 38 films (33 of them Japanese). Notably, Haruo Nakajima played the titular monster in a physical suit in many of the films in the franchise. Godzilla is currently available to stream for free on Tubi, Plex, and Pluto TV or with a subscription on Max.

21. Crawl (2019)

Crawl follows a swimmer, her estranged father and a dog who become trapped in a crawlspace with alligators during a Category 5 hurricane in Florida. It is an interesting addition to the disaster genre because, in many ways, it feels like a monster movie; however, the “monster” is just a symptom of the natural world and the nature of the disaster.

Written by the Rasmussen Brothers, the film was directed by Alexandre Aja and stars Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper. While Crawl received overall mixed reviews, Quentin Tarantino named it one of his top films of 2019, and The Hill named it one of their top 10 movies of 2019 tackling climate change effectively. It is currently streaming on Paramount+.

20. A Night To Remember (1958)

If you are looking for a big, flashy disaster film, A Night to Remember is the wrong choice. However, it is a realistic and serious drama about the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Unlike the flashier and more fictional retelling seen in James Cameron’s Titanic, A Night to Remember is based on a nonfiction book of the same name, which was based on 63 survivor accounts. The film has long been celebrated for its accuracy.

A Night To Remember stars Kenneth More, Michael Goodliffe, Laurence Naismith, Kenneth Griffith, David McCallum and Tucker McGuire. The film is largely seen from the perspective of the second officer, played by More. While many have revisited the film to compare it to Titanic (usually favorable from historic and classic film lenses), it was also well-regarded upon its release and was popular with audiences and critics. More than that, it’s an early disaster film that helped define the genre, and it’s still well worth a watch. It currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is currently streaming for free on Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel and Amazon.

19. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

The Day After Tomorrow is not a perfect film. It is clunky and sometimes verges on silly. However, it captures the fear around climate change and its effect on early 2000s disaster narratives. The film follows a climatologist whose fears about a superstorm are ignored, but after he is proved correct, he must find his son as a new Ice Age dawns.

Directed by Roland Emmerich, the movie stars Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian Holm, Emmy Rossum and Sela Ward. The science of the film (unfortunately) borders on nonsense, but that isn’t what makes it worth watching. This film’s strength is in its visuals; it even won a BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects. The Day After Tomorrow is available to stream on Hulu and Dinsey+.

18. Tunnel (2016)

There have been several good disaster films to come out of South Korea recently, (Pandora and Ashfall especially come to mind), but Tunnel makes the list for being highly watchable (unless you are claustrophobic). The film follows a car salesman who must fight to survive after being trapped in a tunnel collapse.

Directed by Kim Seong-hun, the film stars Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doona and Oh Dal-su. It is surprisingly character-driven and even humorous at moments. It currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (based on limited reviews). It is available to stream for free on Tubi, The Roku Channel and Plex.

17. The Wave (2015)

Directed by Roar Uthaug, The Wave is about a geologist and his family who try to survive a tidal wave caused by a landslide. The film stars Kristoffer Joner and Ane Dahl Torp.

While there is an English dub of the film, it is very poorly done. The performances of the two main actors are part of what makes this film a stand out (along with the effects), so avoid the dub and watch the subtitled version if possible. While some moments in the film feel predictable, like many U.S. disaster films, The Wave is more realistic and arguably more human than many of the other films in the genre. It is currently streaming for free on Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel.

16. Exit (2019)

Part disaster film, part comedy, Exit follows a once-promising rock climber whose life has stalled out until a mysterious gas threatens Seoul. Directed by Lee Sang-geun, Exit stars Jo Jung-suk and Girls’ Generation’s Im Yoon-ah.

It isn’t a perfect movie, but it is fast-paced fun that packs in some great stunts. The use of rock climbing against the backdrop of modern Seoul works really well in this film. Exit is silly, romantic and heartwarming, but never lets that dampen the action. It is available to rent on YouTube, Google Play and Amazon Prime.

15. Deepwater Horizon (2016)

While many disaster movies are inspired by real types of disasters, less are based on actual events. Deepwater Horizon is based on a real oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and a New York Times article on the rig explosion called “Deepwater Horizon’s Final Hours.”

Directed by Peter Berg, the film stars Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O’Brien and Kate Hudson. It follows a team of workers who must make it off the compromised rig alive. Deepwater Horizon is unflinchingly serious, and the visuals are just as real and gritty. The film was nominated for two Oscars for its visual effects and sound. It is currently available on Sling TV with a premium subscription.

14. Greenland (2020)

Greenland follows an estranged family as they race to safety from an impending comet. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, the film stars Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, David Denman and Hope Davis.

The film is a bit predictable, but the performances and set pieces are good. It also feels surprisingly human and realistic for the genre. It doesn’t break the mold, but it also doesn’t really need to. Greenland also feels like a bit of a hidden gem since it was set to release during the COVID-19 pandemic and thus didn’t receive the blockbuster marketing that it probably deserved. It is currently streaming on Max.

13. Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

There are several movies about wildfires, and they range in quality from well-made films like Only the Brave to over-the-top cheese-fests like Firestorm. Those Who Wish Me Dead walks the line between these extremes in a really satisfying way. The film follows a smoke jumper who spots a boy from a watchtower in the Montana wilderness. To save him, she must outrun his pursuers and a deadly forest fire.

Directed by Taylor Sheridan, the film stars Angelina Jolie, Finn Little, Nicholas Hoult, Jon Bernthal, Tyler Perry and Aidan Gillen. It feels like a 1990s action film, which is surprising but oddly comforting for fans of the disaster genre. This movie works best in its thrilling action sequences but is elevated by its performances and tight directing. It is currently available for free on Tubi or with a subscription on Max.

12. Miracle Mile (1988)

Miracle Mile is not your average disaster movie because it doesn’t focus on the actual disaster but on the human panic leading up to it. The film follows a couple as one finds out that a nuclear war is coming to Los Angeles in 70 minutes, and it takes place almost in real time.

Directed by Steve De Jarnatt, Miracle Mile stars Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham. It is one of the most human and realistic films on this list, which makes it a good film, but it lacks the spectacle and predictability that many look for in the genre. It is currently available for free on Pluto TV.

11. Dante’s Peak (1997)

1997 was the year of the volcano movie, much like how 1998 was the year of the meteor movie. Dante’s Peak was one of two big-budget movies about eruptions, the other being Volcano. While both are big ‘90s action films, Dante’s Peak is a little more grounded than Volcano. While Volcano is arguably a little more fun, it oversteps a bit too often in the truly stupid direction. In the end, if you are looking for lava divorced from physics, watch Volcano. If you want the better film, it’s Dante’s Peak.

Directed by Roger Donaldson, Dante’s Peak stars Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton. The film follows a volcanologist and a small-town mayor as they race up an erupting stratovolcano to save her kids and mother-in-law. The U.S. Geological Survey said of the film, “In many but not all respects, the movie’s depiction of eruptive hazards hits close to the mark.” It is currently available on Amazon Prime.

10. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

The Poseidon Adventure follows the final voyage of a fictional luxury ship that is hit by a massive tidal wave. The film was nominated for nine Oscars and won two (including Best Visual Effects). It was based on the Paul Gallico novel of the same name. While the film was remade in 2006 as Poseidon, the original is a better film.

Directed by Ronald Neame, the film stars Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, Stella Stevens, Shelley Winters and Leslie Nielsen. The Poseidon Adventure also features a musical score by John Williams, which, while not his most iconic, is a bit of an underrated gem from the composer. It is currently streaming on Starz.

9. Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Godzilla Minus One is arguably the best Godzilla movie made in years (and maybe ever?). Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Minus One starts in 1945, before the original 1954 Godzilla. The film follows a disgraced kamikaze pilot who survives a run-in with the kaiju and must redeem himself by fighting the monster years later.

Maybe Godzilla films shouldn’t count as disaster movies, but if the original Godzilla does, Minus One should also. The film was praised both in Japan and America as a modern Godzilla masterpiece and currently holds a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Minus One won Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards. It was made on a smaller budget than the American Godzilla reboots and sequels but features just as good, if not better, special effects. The film was released on November 3 (the same date as the first Godzilla film’s wide release in 1954), and a black and white version was even screened to celebrate the franchise’s 70th anniversary. It is currently available to stream on Netflix.

8. Contagion (2011)

Contagion is a film about a global pandemic that starts after a woman travels back to Minnesota from Hong Kong. When the film came out, it was seen as slightly cold and clinical; however, the science behind it was surprisingly accurate. Furthermore, screenwriter Scott Z. Burns even consulted with members of the World Health Organization for the film. Many viewers revisited the film at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and director Barry Jenkins even said, “I paid $12.99 to watch a 10-year-old movie… I’ve never done that before.”

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the film features an ensemble cast of Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle and Sanaa Lathan, which almost feels like an homage to the star-studded ensembles of the 1970s disaster genre. It is available to rent (for less than $12.99) on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play and Apple TV.

7. Airplane! (1980)

Airplane! is a spoof of the “disaster genre” of the 1970s, the film Airport 1975 and borrows specifically from 1957’s Zero Hour. The movie follows an alcoholic pilot who must step up after the plane’s crew gets food poisoning mid-air. It is a wildly quotable film that everyone has surely heard a quote from… “And don’t call me Shirley.”

While not all parts of the movie have aged well, especially when it comes to race, it is still remembered as a comedy classic for its goofy approach to parody. The film stars a large ensemble cast featuring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Leslie Nielsen, Jonathan Banks and James Hong. Airplane! won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Comedy and nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and for the BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay. It is currently streaming on Showtime.

6. The Towering Inferno (1974)

While many disaster fans are drawn to films about natural disasters, The Towering Inferno is part of the subgenre of man-made disaster movies. The film follows a fire during the opening ceremony for a poorly constructed San Francisco skyscraper and a fire chief and architect who have to save as many guests as they can.

The film has an impressive ensemble cast that features Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner and O. J. Simpson. The Towering Inferno received mixed reviews upon its release, mostly for putting spectacle over substance; however, it has more going on than other films in the 1970s disaster genre and maybe more importantly, it doesn’t try to be anything that it isn’t. It was the highest-grossing film of 1974 and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three for Best Song, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. It is available to buy on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play and Apple TV.

5. Your Name (2016)

Your Name is an animated disaster film by director Makoto Shinkai. While an animated film may not be the first thought for the disaster genre, Shinkai’s work often features elements of natural disaster blended with the romance anime genre. Other notable works from him include Suzume and Weathering with You, which also combine romance with natural forces. However, Your Name arguably is the most “disaster film” on the list. The film follows two high schoolers who swap bodies as a rare comet comes to Earth.

The movie balances goofy teen romance with the themes of culture and disaster in a highly satisfying way. It also features beautiful visuals, a weirdly catchy soundtrack and a unique narrative structure. Your Name was popular both in Japan and abroad. Japan’s Toho Studios is reportedly working on a live-action version. It currently holds a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

4. Armageddon (1998)

1998 had two “disaster in space” movies, Deep Impact and Armageddon. Deep Impact is arguably the better film. It is much more realistic and restrained, but Armageddon is far more fun. And when looking for a space disaster movie, Armageddon is going to scratch the itch better. The film follows a team of blue-collar oil drillers who must train as astronauts and go to space to stop an asteroid on a path to collide with Earth.

If the premise seems silly, it is. Ben Affleck even recalled in a commentary track of the film how he asked director Michael Bay on set, “Why it was easier to train oil drillers to become astronauts than it was to train astronauts to become oil drillers?” To which Bay supposedly told Affleck “to shut the f*-up.” The film also stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler, Will Patton, Peter Stormare, Keith David and Steve Buscemi. It is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.

3. The Birds (1963)

While The Birds is often thought of as a horror film and not a disaster film, it shares more with the genre than expected. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the film follows a series of unexplained bird attacks in Bodega Bay, California.

Hitchcock was exceedingly difficult to work with and was a nightmare on the set of The Birds. However, it has become a cultural icon and classic film, even being preserved in the Library of Congress in 2016. The film stars Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright and Tippi Hedren in her first film. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Special Effects. The Birds has been listed as a favorite film of Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini and Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. It is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Google Play and Apple TV.

2. Titanic (1997)

Titanic follows two lovers on the tragic crossing of the RMS Titanic in 1912. While many may think of Titanic first as a romance, it is also solidly a disaster film, with the ship starting to sink at about the halfway point of the film. Interestingly, Director James Cameron timed it out so that all the scenes that take place on the ship in the film clock in at to two hours and 40 minutes, the same length of time that it took the actual ship to sink.

The film stars Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates and Bill Paxton. While Titanic includes some historical characters, such as the “unsinkable” Margaret “Molly” Brown, the film’s protagonists are fictional. It was the highest-grossing film of all time until 2010 when Cameron surpassed himself with Avatar (2009). Titanic was nominated for 14 Oscars, winning 11, including Best Picture. The film is currently streaming on Paramount+.

1. Twister (1996)

Twister and its 2024 sequel Twisters are fun. They aren’t perfectly made, are cheesy and may have the viewer asking, “Wait, how common are tornados actually?” However, that is all part of the fun of this franchise, and in many ways, Twister embodies the genre. Twister follows a professor, her underfunded team and her estranged husband as they chase down the storm of the decade to try to collect data from a tornado.

Directed by Jan de Bont, the film stars Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Alan Ruck. It was nominated for two Oscars for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound. However, it was also nominated for two Razzies, winning Worst Written Film, Grossing Over $100-Million. If you love Twister, see Twisters, and if you don’t like Twister, this list isn’t for you. Twister is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google Play.

Bottom Line

In a genre that sometimes prioritizes spectacle over substance and blends camp and sincerity, it can be hard to know where to start. However, from tsunamis to atom bombs, these films do disaster right.