Disaster movies have existed since the early 1900s. In fact, some claim the first disaster film ever produced came out as early as 1901.
But what have been some of the very best of these movies in the past hundred-plus years?
Read on for a list of five of the best disaster movies in cinema history.
Contents
1. Deepwater Horizon
Mark Wahlberg is not known for doing his own stunts like Tom Cruise. But he has become a reliable action star, especially when he works with director Peter Berg.
Together, Wahlberg and Berg have made films like Lone Survivor and Patriots Day. But their best collaboration is the 2016 true-story disaster film Deepwater Horizon.
The movie chronicles the real-life story of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion. It was not only an environmental disaster. The incident also resulted in the deaths of 11 workers and injured 17 others.
Deepwater Horizon made $121 million worldwide. It received Oscar nominations for Visual Effects and Sound Editing.
2. The Poseidon Adventure
Some of the best disaster movies ever released came out in the 1970s. One of those was 1972’s The Poseidon Adventure.
The film stars Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, and Roddy McDowall. Ronald Neame directed the movie. It received multiple Academy Awards nominations.
The Poseidon Adventure tells the story of the SS Poseidon, an older luxury liner that is overturned by a tsunami. Only a small group of passengers survive and do their best to escape.
3. Independence Day
Is a disaster movie list really complete without an alien invasion movie? Independence Day may be one of the most popular alien invasion films of all time.
Independence Day earned over $800 million worldwide, was the highest grossing movie of 1996, and won an Oscar for Visual Effects in 1997.
In the movie, aliens arrive on earth and destroy many well-known American landmarks, including the White House. They act like an intergalactic version of Lloyd Nabors Demolition and demolish buildings nonstop.
The aliens continue to terrorize the world until a group of American heroes played by Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman lead the fight against the invaders.
A sequel to Independence Day, titled Independence Day: Resurgence, hit theaters in June 2016.
4. The Towering Inferno
The Towering Inferno is another classic 1970s disaster movie like The Poseidon Adventure.
John Guillermin directed the film. It centers on a giant fire that erupts during the opening party of a massive, but poorly constructed office building.
The Towering Inferno earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. It also features an all-star cast that includes Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, and Faye Dunaway.
5. Titanic
Do we really need to explain why Titanic is on this list? Just look at its $2 billion-plus worldwide box office, or the 11 Academy Awards the movie won.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet play tragic lovers Jack and Rose in James Cameron’s 1997 epic. The film provides a fictional account of the real-life sinking of the RMS Titanic, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912.
Titanic has romance, spectacle, and heartbreak. It’s a must-see if you somehow haven’t watched it yet.
Disaster Movies Going Forward
Disaster movies have always been popular with film audiences. More of them will arrive in theaters in the coming years.
But will any disaster movies in the coming years be better than some of the all-time greats listed above? We’ll have to wait and see.
Comment below with your personal list of the best disaster movies. Also, please contact us if you have any questions or feedback.