With recent disaster movies like Don’t Look Up and How It Ends, it’s clear that there’s enduring interest in the established genre. Fans on Letterboxd – a social media platform for film buffs – have made it easy to discover the must-see disaster movies, with the best ones being the most mentioned in their Showdown series.
Letterboxd users’ picks for the best disaster movies of all time are made up mostly of classics like The Birds and Titanic. There are also some lesser-known masterpieces like The Poseidon Adventure and The Impossible that should be considered essential viewing for fans of the genre.
The Towering Inferno (1974)
Available to purchase on Apple TV.
In The Towering Inferno, a dedication is held for the Glass Tower in San Francisco, which, at 1,688 feet (515 m) tall and 138 stories, is the world's tallest building. An electrical short highlights the shortcuts taken during its construction, which soon leads to a massive fire that threatens the lives of the numerous guests in the tower.
The disaster film was groundbreaking for its time, as aside from casting popular actors, it maximized practical effects to produce exhilarating scenes. As things become more perilous for those trapped in the tower, rescue efforts also become riskier due to the scale of the building and the unprecedented all-consuming fire that roars through it.
The Birds (1963)
Available to stream on Peacock Premium.
The Birds is one of the best classic horror movies that serves as a masterclass for the use of atmosphere to inspire fear in audiences. Set in Bodega Bay, California, it revolves around the simple premise of increasingly violent bird attacks on civilians, which escalate over the course of a few days.
While its visuals are undoubtedly dated, it’s still possible to appreciate its weird premise and the increasingly brutal wave of attacks on unsuspecting characters. It’s a unique disaster film that likely had audiences looking up to the skies every now and then after leaving the cinemas.
Airplane! (1980)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
The slapstick and absurdist humor of Airplane! serves as scathing commentary and a parody of the disaster genre in general. It follows the story of a disillusioned ex-pilot who’s forced to save the day after the entire crew of a plane suffers from food poisoning.
With its countless gags and obscure references, the satirical film isn’t for everyone. Those who do enjoy it, however, will likely find that it’s one of their favorites. It puts the spotlight on the disaster genre and raises important questions about what audiences find entertaining.
Dante’s Peak (1997)
Available to stream on Starz.
The cult classic Dante’s Peak is set in the eponymous location where a long-dormant volcano threatens the lives of the townspeople. As solid ground gives way to molten lava and clear skies are obscured by plumes of ash and smoke, only a few can survive the harsh conditions that turn the once peaceful town into a hellish landscape.
The disaster film is one of those so-bad-it’s-good flicks that becomes comedic for all the wrong reasons. It has predictably gained a cult following because of this, which has breathed new life into the commercial failure of a movie.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Available to stream on Paramount Plus.
The Poseidon Adventure depicts the disastrous tale of the SS Poseidon, a luxury liner on its final voyage from New York City to Athens. When it encounters an unusually destructive tsunami, it capsizes and endangers the lives of its crew and its hundreds of wealthy passengers.
The dated 1972 film is worth revisiting if only to see its star-studded cast that represents the best of Hollywood from that era. The film is more about the characters’ reactions to the dangerous situation than anything else, with a few predictably succumbing to malicious and greedy thoughts in an attempt to survive.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Those who enjoy disaster movies with an environmental focus should definitely add The Day After Tomorrow to their list. It portrays a series of extreme weather events that soon lead to a new ice age, while following the story of a father who goes to great lengths to rescue his son from dangerously cold conditions.
Its riveting storylines and visual effects surprisingly hold up incredibly well, making the film just as entertaining today. While it certainly stretches the realm of possibility with its scientific inaccuracy, it’s a great disaster movie for fans who keep in mind that it’s entirely fictional.
The Impossible (2012)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
The Impossible is an underrated drama-disaster film that’s inspired by the real story of María Belón and her family during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Like many others, the family is caught in the middle of the catastrophic wave and is separated from each other. The film depicts how they navigate the perilous flooded terrain to find their missing family members.
The movie can be surprisingly gruesome, as it doesn’t shy away from portraying the very real dangers of being in a situation like that. The characters’ injuries and desperation make some scenes almost too difficult to watch, which is undoubtedly the film’s intended effect.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Still considered the best movie in the Jurassic Park franchise, the sequels never managed to live up to the high standards that the first movie set. Jurassic Park depicts the dangerous events on the fictional Isla Nublar, where the businessman John Hammond and a group of scientists fight for their lives after dinosaurs escape and freely roam the island.
Its groundbreaking visual effects from that time hold up unbelievably well today, with new audiences likely to feel the same tense and terrified feeling viewers felt back then. It opened up a world of possibilities for the cinematic portrayal of dinosaurs, which gives fans a wholly different kind of disaster from the ones they’ve seen before.
Twister (1996)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
The very real danger of tornadoes is dramatized in an epic way in Twister, which follows a group of hard-headed storm chasers trying to deploy a research device during a storm in Oklahoma. They predictably bite off more than they can chew and end up placing themselves in severe danger when they get too close.
The two rival groups of scientists and storm chasers risk their lives to make meteorological history, but it costs them more than they expect in the process. The film underscores the destructive power of natural disasters like these and will make anyone think twice before underestimating twisters.
Titanic (1997)
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Titanic is a film that needs no introduction. Based on the real-life sinking of the titular ship, the award-winning disaster movie chronicles the forbidden romance that blossoms between Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater. The tragedy claims several lives and its devastation is highlighted through the main characters’ relationship, which ends in a heartbreaking way.
Numerous parodies and references in pop culture are still made about the legendary movie, which became a career-defining one for its leading actors. It’s an excellent example of a disaster-drama movie done right, one that also happens to be easy to revisit several decades after its initial release.