With the success of Twisters, many of us are hankering for more. These disaster movies may just fill that void.
Deep down, we all have a fear of natural disasters overtaking us, triggering a primal fear we share about being placed at our environment’s mercy. Sure, we can feebly defend ourselves from a shambling zombie, a lecherous vampire, or a rampaging werewolf – but there are only so many ways to protect oneself from a tornado, a blizzard, or a tsunami sweeping across a densely populated shoreline.
With the blockbuster sensation Twisters recently debuting in theaters nationwide, we decided to take a look back at some of the best and most harrowing disaster films in cinematic history – each of which we’d highly recommend watching after seeing Twisters in theaters.
Titanic is many different things to many different people. While some view it as a melodramatic romance film in the same mold as The Notebook, others view it as a sobering illustration of the R.M.S. Titanic’s ill-fated maiden voyage across the Atlantic. A mammoth-sized epic from visionary director James Cameron, Titanic might be a bit over-the-top for some, but there’s no question the film accurately captures the terrifying reality behind the vessel’s tragic demise (along the 1,500 poor souls who went down with the ship). Watch Titanic on Paramount+ and AMC+.
In late 2004, the coasts of the Indian Ocean suffered a massive tsunami that ravaged 14 countries and claimed the lives of over 227,000 people. Chronicling the devastating effect the tsunami had on the shores of Thailand, The Impossible also traces the heartrending attempts of a vacationing American family to reunite with one another in the days that followed the wave’s impact. Quite possibly the most realistic disaster film the world has seen yet, The Impossible never shies away from portraying the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, complete with scores of displaced people searching for refuge and safety in the flooded streets. Watch The Impossible on Paramount+ with Showtime.
While there had been a few disaster films before The Towering Inferno, few films helped popularize the genre to the same extent as this 1974 cult classic. Combining a renowned ensemble cast with a fast-paced plotline, The Towering Inferno pitted some of Hollywood’s most well-known faces against a raging fire engulfing a San Francisco high rise building. With a cast that includes Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, and Fred Astaire, The Towering Inferno might just be the most star-studded disaster films the entertainment industry has yet to produce. Watch The Towering Inferno on Amazon Video.
Along with The Towering Inferno, 1972’s The Poseidon Adventure helped propel the disaster genre to sensational new heights, ushering in the genre’s peak popularity throughout the remainder of the decade. A high-concept thriller involving a luxury cruise ship flipped upside down by a hulking tidal wave, The Poseidon Adventure might be a bit over-the-top in some places, but it never ceases to amaze, terrify, and thoroughly captivate viewers throughout its two-hour runtime. Watch The Poseidon Adventure on Starz.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps the best film to watch after Twisters is the original entry in the franchise: the 1996 disaster movie, Twister. Propelled by the powerhouse performances of Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, Twister manages to accurately capture the humbling nature of the Midwest’s storm season, filled with devastating tornadoes left and right. Though it might prioritize atmospheric special effects over fluid characterization, Twister remains every bit as entertaining now as it did almost 30 years since its initial release. Watch Twister on Max.
Nowadays, it’s impossible to watch 2011’s Contagion without relating it to the 2020 pandemic we all experienced a few short years ago. Rather than this casting a pall on the entire movie, Contagion only seems to have grown more relevant and relatable in the decade since its release. As timely now as it ever will be, audience members are sure to think twice the next time they venture out in public without donning a surgical mask or properly sanitizing their hands. Watch Contagion on Amazon Video.
For all its overarching ridiculousness, there’s something profoundly moving about the 2020 disaster film, Greenland. Faced with the looming threat of total planetary destruction from an incoming comet, Greenland highlights the tenuous laws that bind human civilization together (as well as showing how easily undone those integral societal bonds are). As much a thrilling survival film as it is a disaster movie, Greenland continually emphasizes the opposing aspects of human nature, regularly showing humanity at its worst as well as at its best. Watch Greenland on Max.
