As the saying goes, nature can be scary. There’s a beautiful natural world out there that, try as we might, humans can’t fully control. At a moment’s notice, tranquil blue skies can transform into wrathful hurricanes or tornadoes, showing no quarter to humankind as they rip a destructive path through their environment. Nature, though beautiful, is merciless. When it turns towards disaster, it cares little for the destruction it causes to man and beast alike. As such, the darker side of nature provides the best kind of setup for movies. Disasters are, if anything, visually compelling. While disaster movies have been around for over a century, some select few remain the best.
Arguably, the first disaster movie to see a wide commercial release was “Fire!” from 1901, which portrayed firefighters confronting and attempting to quell a fire raging through a burning house. Since then, the genre has evolved and slowly cultivated a particular sense of narrative. Usually, disaster films open with widespread destruction sown by nature, be it through weather, disease, or geological unrest. From there, audiences are introduced to a diverse set of survivors who work together to survive. This naturally forces the characters to confront some failing or weakness in human character, usually spurred on by one member of the survivors who holds onto their selfish or evil ways.
While the genre has been around forever, the 1970s saw a particular explosion of disaster movies, with notable ventures including “Airport,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” and “The Towering Inferno.” Regardless of the decade, however, the best disaster films combine setups of natural catastrophes with conclusions of human will. This results in adventures that illustrate the often unpleasant determination to survive through the toughest, deadliest situations. In this article, we will explore the 50 best disaster movies ever made. (Later, check out the greatest tragic movies of the 21st century.)
Methodology:
To determine the best disaster movies, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with at least 1,000 reviews on IMDb were considered, and documentaries were not excluded. Director information is from IMDb.
50. Into the Storm (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (66,808 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (41,951 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 21% (160 reviews)
- Directed by: Steven Quale
49. Airport 1975 (1974)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (10,141 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 37% (9,051 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 29% (17 reviews)
- Directed by: Jack Smight
48. Daylight (1996)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (70,748 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 37% (53,634 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 27% (41 reviews)
- Directed by: Rob Cohen
47. Hard Rain (1998)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (34,548 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 34% (37,516 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 30% (44 reviews)
- Directed by: Mikael Salomon
46. Dante’s Peak (1997)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (86,370 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 38% (238,828 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 26% (31 reviews)
- Directed by: Roger Donaldson
45. The Core (2003)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.5/10 (96,049 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 33% (100,758 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 40% (157 reviews)
- Directed by: Jon Amiel
44. Poseidon (2006)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (101,554 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 43% (342,138 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 33% (203 reviews)
- Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
43. Volcano (1997)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 5.5/10 (74,365 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 32% (180,600 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 49% (45 reviews)
- Directed by: Mick Jackson
42. Earthquake (1974)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (15,655 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 36% (8,286 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 44% (27 reviews)
- Directed by: Mark Robson
41. Battle Los Angeles (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (177,237 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (93,790 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 36% (212 reviews)
- Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman
40. 2012 (2009)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (363,790 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 47% (508,463 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 39% (247 reviews)
- Directed by: Roland Emmerich
39. Vertical Limit (2000)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (60,269 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (59,862 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (110 reviews)
- Directed by: Martin Campbell
38. Deep Impact (1998)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (170,608 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 43% (340,851 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 45% (86 reviews)
- Directed by: Mimi Leder
37. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (429,136 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 50% (32,749,429 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 45% (221 reviews)
- Directed by: Roland Emmerich
36. San Andreas (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (223,908 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 52% (66,179 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 49% (250 reviews)
- Directed by: Brad Peyton
35. Mars Attacks! (1996)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (217,582 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (436,568 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 55% (84 reviews)
- Directed by: Tim Burton
34. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (5,784 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 39% (757 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (17 reviews)
- Directed by: Irwin Allen
33. The Perfect Storm (2000)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (170,090 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (279,249 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 47% (135 reviews)
- Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
32. Armageddon (1998)
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (408,005 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (909,764 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 38% (123 reviews)
- Directed by: Michael Bay
31. The Book of Eli (2010)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (303,555 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (350,822 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 46% (207 reviews)
- Directed by: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
30. Outbreak (1995)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (124,803 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (105,098 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 59% (63 reviews)
- Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
29. Omega Man (1971)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (32,520 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (10,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (33 reviews)
- Directed by: Boris Sagal
28. War of the Worlds (2005)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (429,071 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 42% (32,518,946 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (264 reviews)
- Directed by: Steven Spielberg
27. Twister (1996)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (186,819 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (894,362 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 61% (66 reviews)
- Directed by: Jan de Bont
26. The Blob (1958)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (24,805 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 52% (31,683 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (31 reviews)
- Directed by: Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., Russell S. Doughten Jr.
25. White Squall (1996)
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (24,309 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (18,577 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (36 reviews)
- Directed by: Ridley Scott
24. Airport (1970)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (19,578 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54% (11,271 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (15 reviews)
- Directed by: George Seaton, Henry Hathaway
23. Alive (1993)
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (57,432 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (46,663 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 59% (27 reviews)
- Directed by: Frank Marshall
22. It’s a Disaster (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Oscilloscope
Source: Courtesy of Oscilloscope
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (10,890 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (9,567 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (49 reviews)
- Directed by: Todd Berger
21. The Mist (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (290,993 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (198,490 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (146 reviews)
- Directed by: Frank Darabont
20. Arachnophobia (1990)
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (66,556 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54% (225,769 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (43 reviews)
- Directed by: Frank Marshall
19. The Towering Inferno (1974)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (41,740 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (28,365 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 70% (33 reviews)
- Directed by: John Guillermin
18. Everest (2015)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (220,540 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (47,579 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (231 reviews)
- Directed by: Baltasar Kormókur
17. Independence Day (1996)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (549,444 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (977,721 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (77 reviews)
- Directed by: Roland Emmerich
16. The Road (2009)
Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (230,284 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (248,535 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (217 reviews)
- Directed by: John Hillcoat
15. Cloverfield (2008)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (383,044 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (420,365 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (213 reviews)
- Directed by: Matt Reeves
14. Melancholia (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (189,699 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (44,782 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (209 reviews)
- Directed by: Lars von Trier
13. The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Source: Courtesy of American International Pictures
Source: Courtesy of American International Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (18,637 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (11,627 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (26 reviews)
- Directed by: Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow
12. On the Beach (1959)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (12,561 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (4,373 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (22 reviews)
- Directed by: Stanley Kramer
11. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (42,779 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (47,418 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (25 reviews)
- Directed by: Ronald Neame
10. Attack the Block (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (109,736 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (34,155 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (185 reviews)
- Directed by: Joe Cornish
9. The War of the Worlds (1953)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (34,039 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (65,706 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (34 reviews)
- Directed by: Byron Haskin
8. Titanic (1997)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (1,181,693 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (35,797,635 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (193 reviews)
- Directed by: James Cameron
7. The Impossible (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (226,654 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (49,422 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (202 reviews)
- Directed by: J.A. Bayona
6. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (305,179 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (61,125 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (315 reviews)
- Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
5. United 93 (2006)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (107,483 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (129,371 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (212 reviews)
- Directed by: Paul Greengrass
4. The Birds (1963)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (179,225 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (176,695 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (57 reviews)
- Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
3. Children of Men (2006)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (479,501 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (531,198 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (255 reviews)
- Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
2. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (79,521 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (34,285 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (57 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Wise
1. Apollo 13 (1995)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (298,490 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (433,114 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (93 reviews)
- Directed by: Ron Howard