10 Best Disaster Movies Of All Time, Ranked

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Although they’ve been durable with audiences since Hollywood’s golden age, the disaster movie has never been the most respected of movie genres. Unlike horror, fantasy, or sci-fi, disaster flicks aren’t exactly malleable, and they more or less follow the same basic formula: a large ensemble of characters face down a looming disaster, be it natural, manmade, or otherwise. Because of this, it’s easy to dismiss the skill with which the best disaster movies are made, and how re-watchable they are.

Sometimes these films are based on actual events, like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (1936’s “San Francisco”), the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 (1938’s “In Old Chicago”), or the sinking of the Titanic (way too many to list, but you know which one we’re talking about). Sometimes these films create fantastical stories based on plausible scenarios, whether a meteor striking Earth, a climate change-induced weather event, or a building collapsing due to faulty construction. Whatever the case, the best disaster movies offer excitement and thrills on a massive scale, and the very best have a few interesting characters amongst the wreckage.

Here are the 10 best disaster movies of all time, ranked. Because many of these films weren’t exactly well-reviewed upon their release, we couldn’t base these rankings on Rotten Tomatoes scores alone. Instead, we tried to assess each film’s legacy based on several factors: how much replay has it gotten throughout the years, how positively has it been remembered over time, and how effectively does it fit the criteria of a great disaster movie?

• Cast: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian Holm, Emmy Rossum, Sela Ward
• Director: Roland Emmerich
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 124 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 45%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV

Worried about his recent findings on climate change, scientist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) tries to warn the United Nations that a new ice age may soon be upon us. His concerns are brushed off as sensationalist, but he finds a sympathetic ear in Professor Terry Rapson (Ian Holm), an oceanographer who’s concerned about some storms that are brewing around the world. Their fears bear out when a series of natural disasters strike throughout the globe, including New York City, where a giant tsunami floods Manhattan. Hall’s son, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal), is trapped in the Big Apple with his girlfriend (Emmy Rossum) and mom (Sela Ward), forcing Jack to trek through the icy tundra of Pennsylvania to rescue them.

From “Independence Day” (1996) to “Godzilla” (1998) to “2012” (2009), Roland Emmerich has made a career out of blowing stuff up on the big screen. When ranking how much money Emmerich’s movies made, “The Day After Tomorrow” is one of his biggest hits. Released in 2004, it turns the very real threat of climate change into popcorn entertainment, imagining various nightmare scenarios that could become reality before we know it. Like most Emmerich-directed disaster flicks, “The Day After Tomorrow” suffers from some silly dialogue and ridiculous plotting, yet its special effects are so spectacular you’ll happily forgive the movie its shortcomings.

• Cast: Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Morgan Freeman
• Director: Mimi Leder
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 45%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Paramount+, Apple TV

While looking through his telescope one night, high schooler Leo Biederman (Elijah Wood) discovers what turns out to be a comet hurtling towards Earth. The U.S. government chooses to hide this information from the public, but inquisitive reporter Jenny Lerner (Téa Leoni) starts digging around for the truth. Her investigation forces President Tom Beck (Morgan Freeman) to address the nation with their plan for Earth’s survival, which involves veteran astronaut Fish Tanner (Robert Duvall) and his team planting explosives on the comet before it reaches the planet. With the clock ticking, humanity braces for impact.

Released in 1998, “Deep Impact” had the misfortune of hitting theaters the same summer as Michael Bay’s “Armageddon.” Although “Deep Impact” was better reviewed and — at least according to many astronomers — more scientifically accurate, “Armageddon” was the bigger box office success of the two. Now that almost 30 years have passed since the summer of double astronomical annihilation movies, “Deep Impact” can be appreciated outside of “Armageddon’s” giant shadow. Directed by Mimi Leder, it’s a surprisingly thoughtful and somber disaster flick, one that takes great pains to make fully realized characters out of its all-star ensemble. If nothing else, it beat 2013’s “Olympus Has Fallen” to the punch on casting Morgan Freeman as one of the best fictional presidents in movies.

• Cast: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, William Fichtner, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
• Director: Wolfgang Petersen
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 130 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV

In the fall of 1991, the commercial fishing season is coming to a close, and Captain Frank “Billy” Tyne Jr. (George Clooney) has brought a bad catch back to port. Desperate to prove himself, he convinces his crew to set sail for one last expedition before winter comes. Although they catch thousands of fish, they’re forced to rush them back to land when their ice machine breaks. Yet the crew of the Andrea Gail has greater problems, as brewing Hurricane Grace has merged with a northern weather front to create a once-in-a-lifetime Perfect Storm.

Although most disaster movies create scenarios out of whole cloth, “The Perfect Storm” (2000) uses a real event as the basis for its spectacle. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, it explores the lives of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events. “The Perfect Storm” is filled with stunning, Oscar-nominated special effects, culminating in the iconic, stomach-churning image of the Andrea Gail scaling a giant wave. Yet the film’s best special effect is the people on that boat — led by George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, William Fichtner, John C. Reilly, and John Hawkes — and those at home, desperately waiting for them to return. It’s the human element that makes “The Perfect Storm” truly perfect.

• Cast: Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire
• Director: John Guillermin
• Rating: PG
• Runtime: 165 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV

The elites of San Francisco have gathered for the grand opening of the Glass Tower, the world’s tallest skyscraper. Architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) fears that developer Jim Duncan (William Holden) has cut corners to save money, especially when it comes to the building’s electrical wiring. Turns out Duncan’s electrician son-in-law (Richard Chamberlain) didn’t follow regulations, turning the Glass Tower into a tinderbox set to explode. An electrical spark quickly turns into a fire, trapping the guests inside. It’s up to Roberts and fire chief Michael O’Hallorhan (Steve McQueen) to stop the blaze from getting out of control.

Producer Irwin Allen oversaw the first golden age of disaster flicks, earning the nickname “Master of Disaster” thanks to his 1970s box office hits. He reached his apex with “The Towering Inferno” (1974), an all-star epic that grossed $116 million and earned an Oscar nomination for best picture, winning prizes for cinematography, film editing, and original song. It seems unfathomable today that a disaster flick could compete against the likes of “The Godfather: Part II,” “Chinatown,” “The Conversation,” and “Lenny,” yet such was the popularity of the genre throughout the decade. What separates “The Towering Inferno” from the likes of Allen’s critically reviled “The Swarm” (1978) or “Beyond the Poseidon Adventure” (1979) is the skill with which director John Guillermin balances the special effects with the human storylines.

• Cast: Kristoffer Joner, Ane Dahl Torp, Jonas Hoff Oftebro, Edith Haagenrud-Sande, Thomas Bo Larsen
• Director: Roar Uthaug
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Kanopy, Apple TV

In Norway, geologist Kristian Eikjord (Kristoffer Joner) makes a troubling discovery: All of the groundwater has disappeared at the Åkerneset crevice, leading to a potential collapse. Hoping to divert catastrophe, Eikjord investigates the water’s disappearance, but it’s too late. The water shortage predicts an avalanche that creates a mega-tsunami, which is making its way to the town of Geiranger. With only 10 minutes to evacuate the citizens, Eikjord desperately tries to save his children, who are staying at a nearby hotel.

Released in 2015, “The Wave” was Norway’s first disaster film, taking its influence from the classic action blockbusters that define the genre. Although its plot sounds fantastical, director Roar Uthaug based it on a real disaster that occurred in 1934, when a rock slide tsunami hit the Norwegian village of Tafjord and killed 40 people. Perhaps this history influenced Uthaug’s approach, which emphasizes the ordinary people whose lives are at stake amongst the spectacle. That’s not to say that there’s any shortage of excitement: Indeed, the grand finale, in which the wave hits the shores, stands alongside the very best Hollywood has to offer. “The Wave” was Norway’s official submission for the best international feature award at the Oscars, and inspired a sequel, “The Quake” (2018).

• Cast: Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jacqueline Bisset, Helen Hayes, Maureen Stapleton
• Director: George Seaton
• Rating: G
• Runtime: 137 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV

Chicago airport manager Mel Bakersfield (Burt Lancaster) has his hands full at work with a snowstorm threatening to ground flights. With his marriage increasingly strained, he falls into the arms of his coworker, Tanya Livingston (Jean Seberg). As if things weren’t bad enough, Bakersfield has to deal with D.O. Guerrero (Van Heflin), a disgruntled Army engineer who boards a plane strapped with a bomb. Pilot Vernon Demerest (Dean Martin) and stewardess Gwen Meighen (Jacqueline Bisset) try to talk Guerrero down and save the passengers, while Bakersfield works to calm tensions from his post at ground control.

The legacy of “Airport” (1970) and its sequels has been somewhat eclipsed by its spoof, “Airplane!” (1980), one of the best comedy movies of all time. Yet part of that zany masterpiece’s effect comes from just how impactful “Airport” was. Written and directed by George Seaton, it almost single-handedly set the formula for all future disaster movies: Assemble a large cast of characters who are each dealing with their own individual drama, then place them square in the middle of an even bigger drama that forces them to fight for their survival. A box office smash, the film earned 10 Oscar nominations, including best picture, and won the best supporting actress prize for Helen Hayes as a little old lady who sneaks aboard the airplane.

• Cast: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Lois Smith
• Director: Jan de Bont
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 113 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV

In 1969, young Jo Thornton watches helplessly as her dad is carried away by a tornado that touches down in Oklahoma. More than 20 years later, Jo (Helen Hunt) is working as a storm-chaser with a ragtag team. Her estranged husband, Bill (Bill Paxton), has left the meteorology life behind for a much cozier job as a TV weatherman. With his new fiancée (Jami Gertz) by his side, Bill arrives in Oklahoma to get Jo’s signature on their divorce papers. Yet all Jo wants to talk about is “Dorothy,” a revolutionary weather-prediction machine Bill developed to help track tornadoes before they hit land. Rival storm chaser Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes) has developed his own version of “Dorothy” using corporate funds, fueling Bill’s desire to show his off as a Category 5 twister makes its way through the heartland.

Among modern disaster movies, Jan de Bont’s “Twister” (1996) is widely regarded as one of the very best. Few alive today are unfamiliar with its harrowing storm-chasing sequences, made possible by the best special effects money could buy. The iconic image of a cow flying in the sky was worth the Oscar nomination, but that’s far from the only hair-raising sequence de Bont came up with. A basic cable classic, the film inspired a sequel that took over 20 years to make it into theaters.

• Cast: Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Roddy McDowall, Shelley Winters
• Director: Ronald Neame
• Rating: PG
• Runtime: 117 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV

The SS Poseidon is on its final voyage from New York to Greece before finally being retired. Thousands are aboard the aging luxury cruise liner to celebrate New Year’s Eve, but as the clock strikes midnight, a giant tidal wave overturns the ship. The ship’s captain (Leslie Nielsen) is killed instantly, leading Reverend Frank Scott (Gene Hackman in one of his best movie roles) to take command of the survivors. Believing God takes care of those who take care of themselves, Reverend Scott leads the ragtag group of passengers towards the overturned bottom of the ship, evading fires, flooding, and mechanical malfunctions on the way to safety.

The 1970s were the golden age of disaster movies, and “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972) was the cream of the crop. Directed by Ronald Neame and produced by Irwin “Master of Disaster” Allen, it builds tension slowly before ratcheting it up to an almost unbearable degree. The film’s centerpiece, in which the Poseidon is overturned as the passengers celebrate in the ship’s ballroom, remains dazzling to this day. A massive box office success, “The Poseidon Adventure” earned eight Oscar nominations and won the prize for best song, plus an honorary award for special effects. It inspired a sequel, 1979’s “Beyond the Poseidon Adventure,” and a 2006 remake, “Poseidon,” neither of which holds a candle to the original.

• Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Bill Paxton, Gloria Stuart
• Director: James Cameron
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 194 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Paramount+, Starz, Apple TV

In 1996, centenarian Rose Dawson Calvert (Gloria Stuart) recounts her fateful voyage aboard the RMS Titanic to a treasure hunter (Bill Paxton) who’s seeking a diamond necklace thought to be buried amongst the wreckage. In 1912, 17-year-old Rose (Kate Winslet) is engaged to the wealthy Cal Hockley (Billy Zane) at the behest of her mother, Ruth (Frances Fisher). Yet she falls in love with Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a dashing orphan who sneaks aboard the vessel seeking adventure. When the unsinkable ship hits an iceberg, their whirlwind romance turns into a desperate fight for survival.

The brilliance of James Cameron’s “Titanic” (1997) is that it manages to function as two different movies at the same time. On the one hand, it’s one of the best historical movies of all time, an old-fashioned Hollywood romance about young lovers caught up in the (almost literal) rising tides of history. On the other hand, it’s a rip-roaring adventure flick, with the second half featuring some of the most hair-raising action set pieces Cameron has ever put on film. In many ways, “Titanic” elevates the disaster movie by making the people at the center of the wreckage into fully realized characters, making the grand finale all the more heartbreaking. The film shattered box office records and tied the record for most Oscar wins with 11, including best picture.

• Cast: Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck, Steve Buscemi
• Director: Michael Bay
  
• Rating: PG-13
  
• Runtime: 151 minutes
  
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 42%
• Where to watch: Prime Video, AMC+, Apple TV
  

When a meteor shower rains down upon several major cities, NASA head Dan Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) discovers an asteroid the size of Texas hurtling towards Earth. Truman devises a plan to drill a hole into the asteroid and plant a nuclear bomb inside, hoping to explode it before it reaches Earth’s atmosphere. To do this, he recruits Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), an oil driller who agrees to go into space with his team of roughnecks after a crash course in astronaut training. Along for the ride is A.J. Frost (Ben Affleck), a cocky driller who’s secretly dating Harry’s daughter, Grace (Liv Tyler).

Few movies are bigger, louder, and more overwhelming than Michael Bay’s “Armageddon” (1998). A massive hit with audiences, the film was reviled by critics upon its release, only to join the esteemed Criterion Collection on DVD with a famous Ben Affleck commentary track. Say what you will about how noisy, overblown, or cheesy the film is, because that’s all a part of the fun (the “Bayhem,” if you will). “Armageddon” encapsulates everything you want from a disaster movie: a colorful collection of characters, a cornball love story, and lots of stuff blowing up. There’s no way you can watch this without rocking out to Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”… Seriously, we dare you to try!