Entertainment

8.5k voters

The Greatest Disaster Movies of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated January 6, 2021 76.9k votes 8.5k voters 471.6k views317 items

List RulesOnly disaster movies should be here

These are the most entertaining, the most fun, the greatest disaster movies ever made, ranked by movie experts and film fans alike. There is a long history of these kinds of movies in cinema - never to be taken too seriously, always slightly histrionic - for moviegoers who love to watch action disaster movies that level cities and have populations run screaming for their lives. This list includes thrillers that center around a natural disaster, like a storm, as well as other kinds of catastrophe that might cause an apocalypse.

This list of floods, fires, earthquakes, and alien attacks is built from both your votes and those lists that Rankers have contributed. If you are a die-hard fan of disaster movies, if you know your extreme weather such as F-5 Tornados from your 10.5 Earthquakes, make your own ranking of these to really impact the list order! And if you see a good film that should be amongst these greatest disaster movies of all time, please add it!

Be sure to check out Ranker's list of all disaster films.

Check out more great lists like the Best End of the World Movies, New Disaster Movies, Worst Game of Thrones Characters, Best Horror Anime, and Celebrities With Allergies.

Photo:

...more

1
2,387
867
The Day After Tomorrow
2004
Actors: Emmy Rossum, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Sela Ward, Ian Holm
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
More The Day After Tomorrow
#9 of 37 The Best Snowy Thriller Movies, Ranked#10 of 70 25+ Great Movies That Have a Ticking Clock
2
1,901
712
Twister
1996
Actors: Helen Hunt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Paxton, Alexa Vega, Jami Gertz
Directed by: Jan de Bont
More Twister
#20 of 50 The 50 Highest Grossing '90s Movies, Ranked#21 of 24 Movies You Loved As A Child That Just Don't Hold Up
3
1,580
613
Deep Impact
1998
Actors: Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall, Elijah Wood, Téa Leoni, Vanessa Redgrave
Directed by: Mimi Leder
More Deep Impact
#11 of 14 Movies Where The Collateral Damage Way Outweighs The Cost Of Saving The Day#74 of 359 The Best Movies Directed by Women
4
2,122
841
Independence Day
1996
Actors: Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox, Randy Quaid, Harry Connick
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
More Independence Day
13 Things That Prove Pacific Rim And Independence Day Are The Exact Same Movie#13 of 99 The Most Patriotic Movies of All Time
5
1,073
412
Outbreak
1995
Actors: Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman, Cuba Gooding Jr., Patrick Dempsey
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
More Outbreak
The Bubonic Plague Ravaged San Francisco In The 1900s—And The Government Tried A Massive Cover Up#77 of 134 The Best Movies You Never Want to Watch Again
6
1,316
631
Dante's Peak
1997
Actors: Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, Jamie Renée Smith, Peter Jason, Grant Heslov
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
More Dante's Peak
#30 of 102 The Best 1990s Action Movies#3 of 58 The Best Pierce Brosnan Movies
7
1,782
954
2012
2009
Actors: Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, John Cusack, Danny Glover
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
More 2012
#21 of 32 Blockbusters With No Cultural Impact Whatsoever, Ranked#9 of 13 Other Guys From Movies Who Never Should Have Lost The Girl
8
1,698
962
Armageddon
1998
Actors: Ben Affleck, Bruce Willis, Liv Tyler, Steve Buscemi, Owen Wilson
Directed by: Michael Bay
More Armageddon
#391 of 781 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made#205 of 456 The Most Quotable Movies of All Time
9
600
227
Contagion
2011
Actors: Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
More Contagion
It Was Overlooked At The Time, But 'Contagion' Is One Of The Most Realistically Scary Modern Films#4 of 47 The Best Horror Movies About Virus Outbreaks
10
1,093
575
The Perfect Storm
2000
Actors: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, John C. Reilly, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
More The Perfect Storm
Tragic Facts About The Perfect Storm, The Shipwreck Story No One Lived To Tell#101 of 277 The Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry
11
950
547
Volcano
1997
Actors: Tommy Lee Jones, Don Cheadle, Anne Heche, Keith David, Jillian Barberie
Directed by: Mick Jackson
More Volcano
#455 of 625 The Greatest Action Movies Of All Time#35 of 71 The Top 20+ Best Tommy Lee Jones Movies of All Time, Ranked
12
1,071
649
The Poseidon Adventure
1972
Actors: Gene Hackman, Stella Stevens, Ernest Borgnine, Leslie Nielsen, Shelley Winters
Directed by: Irwin Allen, Ronald Neame
More The Poseidon Adventure
#677 of 1,189 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#34 of 553 The Best '70s Movies
13
1,245
761
War of the Worlds
2005
Actors: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Channing Tatum, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
More War of the Worlds
#121 of 246 The Best Rainy Day Movies#20 of 33 The Best Steven Spielberg Movies

14
352
178
Backdraft
1991
Actors: Robert De Niro, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Donald Sutherland, Rebecca De Mornay
Directed by: Ron Howard
More Backdraft
#142 of 164 Live Action Movies With The Best CGI Effects#103 of 196 The Biggest Tearjerker Movies of All Time
15
812
480
The Towering Inferno
1974
Actors: O. J. Simpson, Paul Newman, Faye Dunaway, Steve McQueen, William Holden
Directed by: Irwin Allen, John Guillermin
More The Towering Inferno
#226 of 369 The Best Movies Based On Books#492 of 549 The Greatest Epic Movies Ever Made
16
311
73
28 Days Later
2002
Actors: Cillian Murphy, Christopher Eccleston, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Luke Mably
Directed by: Danny Boyle
More 28 Days Later
14 Small But Fascinating Details Fans Noticed In '28 Days Later'#1 of 144 The Best Zombie Movies Of All Time
17
160
68
Planet of the Apes
1968
Actors: Charlton Heston, Linda Harrison, James Whitmore, Maurice Evans, Kim Hunter
Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner
More Planet of the Apes
#9 of 14 Movies That Threw Book Endings Out The Window Completely#11 of 24 The Best Movies with Twist Endings
18
469
247
The Stand
1994
Actors: Stephen King, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Gary Sinise, Shawnee Smith
Directed by: Mick Garris
More The Stand
‘The Stand’ Mini-Series Is A Lot Cheesier Than We Remember#81 of 278 The Best Sci-Fi Television Series Of All Time
19
648
480
The Core
2003
Actors: Hilary Swank, Stanley Tucci, Aaron Eckhart, Alfre Woodard, Richard Jenkins
Directed by: Jon Amiel
More The Core
#42 of 49 The Very Best Movies About Hackers#3 of 14 The Most Ridiculous Movie Hacking Scenes, Ranked By Silliness
20
211
69
Tremors
1990
Actors: Kevin Bacon, Reba McEntire, Fred Ward, Ariana Richards, Michael Gross
Directed by: Ron Underwood
More Tremors
#139 of 450 The Best Movies For Guys#73 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies
21
845
698
Cloverfield
2008
Actors: Odette Annable, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, Mike Vogel, T. J. Miller
Directed by: Matt Reeves
More Cloverfield
Small Details From The 'Cloverfield' Franchise That Fans Noticed#146 of 722 The Best Horror Movies Of All Time
22
541
378
The Andromeda Strain
1971
Actors: Paula Kelly, David Wayne, Arthur Hill, Eric Christmas, James Olson
Directed by: Robert Wise
More The Andromeda Strain
#13 of 105 The Best Movies About Disease Outbreaks#63 of 186 The Best Alien Movies Ever Made
23
130
62
Night of the Living Dead
1968
Actors: George A. Romero, Duane Jones, Bill Hinzman, Karl Hardman, Judith O'Dea
Directed by: George A. Romero
More Night of the Living Dead
#13 of 35 Rainy Day Horror Movies You Can Watch Again And Again#28 of 114 The Best Intelligent Horror Movies

24
264
183
Reign of Fire
2002
Actors: Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Gerard Butler, Izabella Scorupco, Alexander Siddig
Directed by: Rob Bowman
More Reign of Fire
#61 of 93 The 35+ Greatest Dystopian Action Movies#58 of 64 The Scariest Giant Monster Movies
25
126
60
The Book of Eli
2010
Actors: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman, Tom Waits, Malcolm McDowell
Directed by: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
More The Book of Eli
#82 of 230 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time#652 of 1,540 The Most Rewatchable Movies