Natural disasters are a terrifying, often traumatizing experience. So of course, natural disaster films are a popular genre. But what are the best natural disaster movies? Whether you want to see action-packed survival when it comes to natural disasters, or want to understand the stories behind those who have survived them, there are many reasons why they’re a big hit.
While most are dramatized to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, they still depict the horrible events that are constantly happening around the world. From tornadoes to fires, these are the best natural disaster movies ever made.
6. Twisters (2024)
The most recent addition to the natural disaster genre is Twisters, the 2024 action disaster film that’s a sequel to the 1996 movie. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, and Sasha Lane, the movie follows clashing groups of storm chasers who investigate a tornado outbreak in Oklahoma.
As they investigate, they realize that they’re in the middle of terrifying phenomena never seen before, and the competing grounds fight for their lives in the middle of multiple storm paths.
Tomato Meter Rating: 75%
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5. Greenland (2020)
Considered one of the best natural disaster movies ever is Greenland, the 2020 apocalyptic survival disaster thriller film starring Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, and Roger Dale Floyd. The movie centers around a family who must fight to survive as a planet-destroying comet races to the Earth.
While this is not a natural disaster that has happened, nor is it expected to happen anytime soon, it’s still an interesting concept for the movie. The family navigates as the comet’s fragments are leveling the world, and the world is seemingly on a countdown to a global apocalypse.
Tomato Meter Rating: 78%
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4. The Impossible (2012)
Want something more raw and surreal rather than action-packed fictional films? The Impossible is a must-see. The biographical disaster drama is based on the true story and experience of Maria Belon and her family in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The family travels to Thailand to spend Christmas together, only to have a tsunami turn everything upside down. The family is essentially torn apart from one another, and each family member has to fight for survival and to find each other.
Tomato Meter Rating: 82%
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3. The Wave (2015)
One of the best natural disaster movies ever made is The Wave, a 2015 Norwegian disaster film. The movie depicts the Akerneset crevice collapsing in More og Romsdal, creating an avalanche resulting in a 260-foot-tall tsunami that destroys everything in its path.
When a geologist gets caught in the middle of its path, it’s a race against time. The movie is based on the fact that the mount pass will one day collapse, and is terrifying to see such an event on screen.
Tomato Meter Rating: 83%
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2. Contagion (2011)
But what about world-destroying medical disasters? Contagion is one of the best natural disaster films that depict this. The 2011 movie features an ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Bryan Cranston, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and many more.
The plot focuses on the spread of a highly contagious virus transmitted by respiratory droplets and fomites. As medical researchers try to identify and contain the disease, social order goes out the window, and the world panics.
Tomato Meter Rating: 85%
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1. Only the Brave (2017)
With a high ranking of 87% on the Tomato Meter, Only the Brave is considered one of the best natural disaster movies of all time. The 2017 biographical drama starring Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, and many more.
The film tells the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew of firefighters from Prescott, Arizona who lost 19 of 20 members while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in June 2013. The movie is dedicated to their memory and is a must-see if you want to learn about the dangers and incredible sacrifices that are constantly made when dealing with natural disasters.
Tomato Meter Rating: 87%
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