Here are 14 of the best disaster movies to watch if you loved ‘Twisters’
There’s a lot of chatter going around about “Twisters.” Maybe that’s because less than a week after it’s premiere, everyone I know has already seen it.
The disaster flick blew away box office expectations with an $81 million domestic opening weekend, per Box Office Mojo. It’s wiping out summer movie competition and if it keeps it’s pace, “Twisters” could pass up the current highest earner of the year, “Inside Out 2.”
There’s something appealing about escaping the heat of summer to watch computer-generated disasters strike.
“The reason to see Twisters is to feel the same emotions one enjoys on a roller coaster ride. Its visual effects are vivid and spectacular and there is some catharsis in watching ordinary people behave in extraordinary ways when disaster strikes,” wrote film critic Leonard Maltin.
If you enjoyed “Twisters” as much as the rest of us did, there are plenty of disaster movies you can stream.
Here are 14 of the best disaster movies like “Twisters.”
14 disaster movies like ‘Twisters’
1. ‘Twister’ (1996)
OK, this might be too on the nose, but I’ve chatted with a shocking number of “Twisters” fans who have never seen “Twister.” The plot of “Twister” is unique enough that it’s worth a watch (or rewatch) if you enjoyed the sequel.
As the most intense tornado of the decade approaches, professional storm chaser Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt), a team of students and her estranged husband, Bill (Bill Paxton), must get close enough to a tornado to release groundbreaking new tech that will provide data on tornado happenings.
Where to watch: Max
Rating: PG-13
2. ‘Titanic’ (1997)
I saw “Titanic” in theaters for the first time during its 2023 theatrical re-release. Watching the ship crumble into the ocean on a movie screen heightens every disastrous scene in “Titanic” — it’s not the typical disaster movie, but it’s worthy of this list.
Something that sets “Titanic” apart from other disaster movies is the intense romance between Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet); it gives audiences some skin in the game. As the ship gradually drowns deeper into the sea, viewers will hold their breath in hopes the couple can survive.
Where to watch: Parmount+
Rating: PG-13
3. ‘Earthquake’ (1974)
“Earthquake” doesn’t have the modern-day special effects. The obliteration of model sets and splattering of fake blood borders on campy nowadays, but the soap-opera storyline doused with chaos makes this disaster movie worth a watch.
When a 9.9-level Earthquake shakes Los Angeles, Stewart Graff (Charlton Heston) sets off on a nail-biting mission to save both his estranged wife (Ava Gardner) as well as his mistress (Geneviève Bujold) and her son.
Where to watch: YouTube TV
Rating: PG
4. ‘Airplane!’ (1980)
This deadpan comedy disaster movie blends disaster with claustrophobia. Being in a highly stressful situation while confined in small quarters makes me especially uneasy.
In “Airplane,” a majority of passengers and the entire cockpit on a commercial flight get sick with food poisoning from a meal served on board. There is no escape. They are forced to rely on former fighter pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays), who has a neurotic fear of flying, to land the plane.
Ted is still haunted by a botched WWII mission and desperately in love with his ex-girlfriend, Elaine (Julie Hagerty), a flight attendant. He boarded the plan knowing Elaine would be working on it.
But when he’s soon the only healthy person aboard with flying experience, Ted is forced to overcome his fears and fly the plane.
Where to watch: AMC+
Rating: PG
5. ‘The Impossible’ (2012)
“The Impossible” is based on the real experiences of the Belón-álvarez family, per Collider — which makes this disaster flick more tear-jerker than thriller.
While on family vacation in Thailand, an unsettling wall of water crashes the resort, battering each member and splitting them up.
In the aftermath of the tsunami, doting father Henry (Ewan McGregor) cares for two of his sons while prayerfully searching for his missing wife, Maria (Naomi Watts) and their oldest son (Tom Holland). As the family desperately searches for one another, the all too-real story will leave you emotional.
Where to watch: YouTube TV, Hulu
Rating: PG-13
6. ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ (2004)
What if climate change wasn’t gradual? What if an instantaneous cataclysmic event sparked catastrophic natural disasters?
In “The Day After Tomorrow,” climatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) forecasts a superstorm large enough to wipe out Earth’s human population. He repeatedly warns U.N. officials, but is largely ignored. Without help from officials, there is no way to warn the public of the imminent disaster.
As Jack’s predictions come true, he embarks on foot from from Philadelphia to New York City, where his son, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is trapped with his friends. Jack must brave sub-zero temps, flooding and tornado outbreaks to reach his son.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+
Rating: PG-13
7. ‘2012′ (2009)
The world was predicted to end on Dec. 21, 2012. I remember sitting in a middle school classroom watching “2012″ on a drizzly December afternoon just days before the world was supposed to end. Dec. 21, 2021 came and went. It turned out to be insignificant.
But the idea that Earth will end makes for a good storyline.
Nearly everything that can go wrong does go wrong in “2012″ There’s a solar flare, the San Andreas Fault quakes, Yellowstone erupts and so on.
As the Earth approaches its expiration date, conditions become so unhinged you might fight off a laugh, but other scenes will leave you holding your breath.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+
Rating: PG-13
8. ‘Volcano’ (1997)
Following an intense earthquake in Los Angeles, a series of bizarre events lead geologist Dr. Amy Barnes (Anne Heche) to suspect something greater is coming. She warns Emergency Management Department head Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones) that a volcano forming in the sewer tunnels is going to erupt.
When another severe earthquake strikes, lava begins to flow through the city. Mike and Amy must team up to divert the volcano from destroying Los Angeles.
“Volcano” is a bone fide disaster movie packed with destruction, natural disaster, explosions and frequent life-or-death situations.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+
Rating: PG-13
9. ‘Contagion’ (2011)
After living through the COVID-19 pandemic, “Contagion” hits a little too close to home.
When Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to the U.S. following a business trip in Hong Kong, she suffers from a bizarre mix of symptoms. Two days later, she is dead. Doctors have no clue what killed her.
In the coming days, people around the globe exhibit the same symptoms — sparking a worldwide pandemic. As the disease spreads, the government issues mandatory quarantine orders which give way to panic buying, looting and violence. Infrastructure collapses, creating an apocalyptic society as people wait on a vaccine.
While not your typical disaster movie, “Contagion” is still worth watching.
Where to watch: Hulu
Rating: PG-13
10. ‘Armageddon’ (1998)
The cast in “Armageddon” might be the most stacked of any disaster movie. It’s got Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Steve Buscemi, Liv Tyler, Owen Wilson, Billy Bob Thornton and more.
A group of blue-collar, deep-driller guys are called upon when an asteroid the size of Texas threatens to crash into Earth in less than a month. NASA expert Dan Truman (Thornton) believes the only way to stop the asteroid is to drill a hole into the asteroid’s surface, place an atomic bomb within it and detonate it.
Where to watch: AMC+
Rating: PG-13
11. ‘Airport’ (1979)
“Airport” is a disaster movie packed with the personal dramas of every character.
A massive snowstorm shuts down the runaway at a Chicago airport, exacerbating the problems in Mel Bakersfeld’s (Burt Lancaster) personal life as he is forced to work overtime — increasing tensions with his wife.
Meanwhile, a troubled D.O. Guerrero (Van Heflin) boards a plane with a bomb in his suitcase and threatens to detonate it. Pilot Vernon Demerest (Dean Martin) must talk down the potential bomber, keep passengers calm and land the plane safely.
Where to watch: Netflix
Rating: G
12. ‘The Towering Inferno’ (1974)
During a decade of disaster movies, “The Towering Inferno” was the most financially successful. The year it was released, 1974, “The Towering Inferno” grossed $116 million at the domestic box office, earning it a place as the second-highest earning film of the year, per IMDB.
While running an electrical test on The Glass Tower — the tallest building in the world — architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) suspects that the electrical wiring job was poorly done.
During the building’s dedication ceremony, Doug advises they cut back on electrical use. Then, smoke is seen coming out of the building. Doug teams up with overworked fireman (Steve McQueen), to keep people calm and safely evacuate the building.
Where to watch: Rent on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV
Rating: PG
13. ‘Greenland’ (2020)
John Garrity (Gerard Butler) joins friends and family to watch the near-earth passing of a comet. Soon after, he receives a message from the Department of Homeland Security notifying him that he and his family have been selected to receive emergency sheltering.
As John arrives back home, a fragment from the comet strikes Earth, vaporizing miles of land where it hit. Several other fragments are expected to strike, threatening human extinction in just two days.
The only known safe zone is in Greenland. Determined to survive the disaster, John and his family begin a chaotic journey in hopes of finding safety. It’s got plenty of CGI explosions but it’s also an emotional story that keeps you rooting for this little family.
Where to watch: Max
Rating: PG-13
14. ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ (1972)
The SS Poseidon is in the depth of the sea when an undersea earthquake sparks a tsunami — which capsizes the ship. As the Poseidon sinks deeper into the open waters, a group of passengers team up to find safety.
They follow the guidance of Reverend Frank Scott (Gene Hackman), whose plans keep going awry, prompting the group to question his advice and Frank to question his faith.
There is an obstacle at nearly every turn as the group desperately sloshes through rising water to safety. If you enjoy “Titanic” you’ll enjoy it’s predecessor, “The Poseidon Adventure.”
Where to watch: Starz
Rating: PG
