18 Best Disaster Movies of All Time, Ranked According to Letterboxd

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16 ‘Volcano’ (1997)

Director: Mick Jackson

After an earthquake strikes Los Angeles, it reveals a dormant volcano underneath the city. As the city officials fail to act in time, the volcano erupts and causes havoc as molten lava flows down the city streets. It falls to a seismologist and other specialists to save the day.

While Volcano falls into the same cheesy tropes that are common in the disaster genre, it still provides enough thrills to keep things entertaining. The lava effects are poor by today’s standards, but the audacity of a volcano erupting in Los Angeles makes this disaster flick worth watching.

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15 ‘San Andreas’ (2015)

Director: Brad Peyton

When a series of earthquakes wreak havoc across the West Coast of the United States, it threatens to tear the country apart. With their daughter trapped in the center of the carnage, rescue pilot Ray Gaines (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife Emma (Carla Gugino) are forced to reunite to save her.

Like plenty of Johnson’s movies, San Andreasis big dumb fun. It is one of the top disaster movies of recent years and features plenty of destruction as earthquakes and debris tear buildings and roads to pieces. A sequel has been rumored for years, but has yet to enter production.

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14 ‘Melancholia’ (2011)

Director: Lars von Trier

Controversial director Lars von Trier‘s foray into the disaster genre, Melancholia follows a pair of sisters played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg as they discover another planet named Melancholia is about to collide with Earth. Taking place on Justine’s (Dunst) wedding day, the film explores Justine’s relationships with her friends and family as the threat looms above them.

In typical von Trier fashion, Melancholia is an art-house film through and through. Those expecting a big-budget spectacle will be disappointed as the film instead uses the impending disaster to explore themes such as depression while showcasing one of the best performances of Dunst’s career.

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13 ‘2012’ (2009)

Director: Roland Emmerich

Based on the obviously false myth that the world was going to end in 2012, 2012 takes this concept and turns it into a blockbuster disaster movie. With all manner of deadly disasters plaguing the earth, from earthquakes to floods, novelist Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) struggles to get his family to safety.

Billed as the mother of all disaster movies due to its focus on such a well-documented apocalyptic prophecy, 2012 does not reach the heights of the best in the genre, but it is still entertaining. Cusack makes for a likable everyman while he is joined by a stacked cast of beloved actors such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson.

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12 ‘Deepwater Horizon’ (2016)

Director: Peter Berg

Based on the real-life tragedy that occurred in 2010, Deepwater Horizon follows the crew of an oil rig stationed out at sea as it explodes and threatens to kill all aboard. As the survivors scramble to stay alive, technician Michael Williams (Mark Wahlberg) takes charge to lead his co-workers to safety.

While it takes some liberties with the true event for the sake of storytelling, Deepwater Horizon was praised for its accuracy. It unfortunately bombed at the box office, but the film has been well-regarded since release, as it remains one of the best catastrophe movies to focus on a real-life man-made disaster.

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11 ‘Contagion’ (2011)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Contagion centers around a highly contagious virus as it sweeps the world and kills anyone it comes into contact with. As the death toll rises higher and higher, experts around the globe scramble to find a cure in this terrifying thriller that stars an all-star cast including the likes of Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, and Laurence Fishburne.

Despite being released almost a decade before the COVID pandemic, Contagion‘s scenario is eerily similar to the real-world disaster. Watching Contagion now makes for a much more startling experience as certain elements would have one believe they were ripped straight from the headlines that have appeared in the years since the beginning of the pandemic.

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10 ‘The Towering Inferno’ (1974)

Director: John Guillermin

When a group of guests congregates for the opening party of the world’s tallest skyscraper, technical shortcomings lead to the partygoers being trapped in the 136-story building as it is set ablaze. As rescuers attempt to save those trapped at the top, the survivors inside must avoid the growing flames.

The Towering Inferno was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three of them. It was also a hit with audiences, as it was the highest-grossing movie of 1974. While its almost three-hour runtime does stretch the plot out a bit too far, The Towering Inferno still remains an engaging and original take on the disaster genre.

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9 ‘The Birds’ (1963)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

One of Alfred Hitchcock‘s best movies, The Birds does for the winged creatures what Jaws did for sharks. When young socialite Melanie follows a potential suitor to his hometown, she soon finds herself caught in a swarm of killer birds, who have turned homicidal and are terrorizing the residents.

While its effects may look laughable today, The Birds was hailed as terrifying at release and praised as another winner from the master of suspense. Like a lot of Hitchcock’s work, the movie proved to be influential in the thriller genre and was bestowed the highest accolade that any work of art can receive: being parodied on The Simpsons.

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8 ‘Airplane!’ (1980)

Directors: David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker

Easily the funniest disaster movie, Airplane! is a parody of other films within the genre. Taking place aboard an American passenger flight, the trip is thrown into chaos as the pilots become ill. Thus, it falls to former army pilot Ted Striker, who must overcome his fear of flying to land the plane, save the day, and win back his ex-girlfriend Elaine.

Regarded as one of the greatest comedies of all time, Airplane!‘s humor still holds up over forty years later. It was highly influential in the parody genre and its influence can be felt in films such as Scary Movie, while star Leslie Nielsen would go on to headline The Naked Gun, another parody series built in the same vein.

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7 ‘Dante’s Peak’ (1997)

Director: Roger Donaldson

Daring to ask what would happen if James Bond and Sarah Connor had to fight a volcano, Dante’s Peak stars Pierce Brosnan as a volcanologist who tries to evacuate a town after discovering a nearby volcano is about to erupt. Linda Hamilton co-stars as the mayor of the skeptical town.

While Dante’s Peak offers clunky dialogue and cardboard characters, the film’s main attraction of an erupting volcano lives up to the hype. The movie is at its best when everything is on fire, and Dante’s Peak’s penchant for fiery destruction is enough for the film to have attracted a cult following since its release.

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6 ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ (1972)

One of the most popular disaster movies of all time, The Poseidon Adventure revolves around a cruise ship that is traveling from New York to Greece. When a rogue tidal wave strikes the boat during its New Year’s Eve celebrations, the ship is flipped upside down. The few survivors must make their way to the surface while avoiding all manner of hazards.

The Poseidon Adventure was well-received by critics and received eight Academy Award nominations, making it one of the most nominated movies ever. Thanks to its enjoyable premise and a great cast that includes Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine, The Poseidon Adventure maintains a reputation as a cult film.

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5 ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ (2004)

Director: Roland Emmerich

Envisioning a series of natural disasters that result in the world experiencing a new Ice Age, The Day After Tomorrow stars Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal as father and son. When paleoclimatologist Jack’s warnings of the impending disaster are ignored, he instead turns his attention to saving his teenage son Sam, who is trapped in the middle of the disaster.

Despite being almost twenty years old, The Day After Tomorrow‘s focus on the dangers of global warming remains relevant today. While it contains some notable scientific inaccuracies that have been pointed out by experts in the field, it is still one of the most thought-provoking movies in the disaster genre.

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4 ‘The Impossible’ (2012)

Director: J. A. Bayona

One of the best survival movies based on a true story, The Impossible is inspired by the tragic 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. When the massive tsunami strikes Thailand, a family on vacation is torn apart by the unforgiving waves. As the parents (Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor) are separated, they attempt to reunite with their three children, including Tom Holland in his film debut.

The Impossible is an extraordinary tale about the emotional devastation that real-life disasters have on families, and the extreme lengths they will go to keep each other safe. As heartbreaking as it is hopeful, The Impossible is one of the most touching disaster movies, as it showcases the unbeatable power of the human spirit even in the worst of times.

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3 ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Swapping natural disasters for the revival of dinosaurs, Jurassic Park imagines a scenario where humans find themselves knocked down the food chain. When entrepreneur John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) claims to have found a way to bring back dinos, he invites a select group of specialists to his island to view the results.

Of course, things do not go as planned and soon the cloned dinosaurs are roaming the island looking for a snack. With fantastic special effects that still hold up and an all-star cast that includes Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park remains one of the most rewatchable films ever and one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies.

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2 ‘Twister’ (1996)

Director: Jan de Bont

Set in the wild world of storm chasers, Twister follows a team as they chase an outbreak of tornados in Oklahoma. As leader Jo (Helen Hunt) tries to keep her crew members alive during the disaster, she must also contend with her ex-husband Bill (Bill Paxton) who has arrived looking for Jo to sign their divorce papers.

Trading three-dimensional characters for dazzling special effects, Twister showcases the terrors of Mother Nature on film. Tornados are terrifying due to their unpredictable nature, and the movie utilizes that by having its titular storms rip through entire houses, sending the mangled wreckage flying at anyone unfortunate enough to be close by in one of the ultimate storm movies.

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1 ‘Titanic’ (1997)

Director: James Cameron

One of the most emotional blockbusters ever, Titanic takes the tale of the infamous shipwreck and uses it to tell a love story. When struggling artist Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) wins a ticket to board the titular ship as it voyages from England to New York, he begins a love affair with Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), a young socialite.

While the core of Titanic is the blossoming romance between Jack and Rose, it is no slouch when it comes to the impending disaster. As the ship strikes the iceberg, it is ripped apart, seeing its passengers killed in a variety of violent ways. Jack and Rose find themselves stuck in the middle of the tragedy, fighting to save both their lives and their love.

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NEXT: The Best Disaster Movies of the 20th Century