List Rules Vote up the best guilty pleasure disaster movies.
While they may not be beloved by critics, there's nothing better for a hefty dose of escapism than guilty pleasure disaster movies. While they may be chalk full of cheesy special effects, glaringly obvious plot holes, and bad acting, these films are the go-to for many when life gets overwhelming and you want something easy to help disengage.
The dumb disaster movies below don't demand a whole lot from their audience, so you can easily tune out the world and simply kick back watching stock characters try to save the world, evade explosions, and navigate situations so absurd you simply cannot suspend your disbelief. They may be corny, but sometimes that's exactly what you need. You don't always want Apollo 13. On occasion, you just want to kick back with some Michael Bay. Browse this list to find the best guilty pleasure disaster movies for your viewing delight!
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TwisterHelen Hunt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Paxton Twister is a 1996 American disaster drama film starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt as storm chasers researching tornadoes. It was directed by Jan de Bont from a screenplay by Michael Crichton ...more
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ArmageddonBen Affleck, Bruce Willis, Liv Tyler Armageddon is a 1998 American science fiction disaster thriller film, directed by Michael Bay, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film follows a group of ...more
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Independence DayWill Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox Independence Day is a 1996 American science fiction disaster film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. The film stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, ...more
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Dante's PeakPierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, Jamie Renée Smith Dante's Peak is a 1997 American epic disaster adventure film directed by Roger Donaldson, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, Charles Hallahan, Elizabeth Hoffman, Jamie Renée ...more
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The Day After TomorrowEmmy Rossum, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid The Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American climate fiction-disaster film co-written, directed, and produced by Roland Emmerich and starring Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian Holm, Emmy Rossum, ...more
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2012Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton 2012 is a 2009 American science fiction disaster adventure film directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich. It stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, ...more
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VolcanoTommy Lee Jones, Don Cheadle, Anne Heche Volcano is a 1997 disaster film directed by Mick Jackson and produced by Andrew Z. Davis, Neal H. Moritz and Lauren Shuler Donner. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Jerome ...more
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Deep ImpactMorgan Freeman, Robert Duvall, Elijah Wood Deep Impact is a 1998 American science fiction disaster film directed by Mimi Leder, written by Bruce Joel Rubin and Michael Tolkin, and starring Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, ...more
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The CoreHilary Swank, Stanley Tucci, Aaron Eckhart The Core is a 2003 American science fiction disaster film. It concerns a team that has to drill to the center of the Earth and set off a series of nuclear explosions in order to restart the ...more
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The ImpossibleNaomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Geraldine Chaplin The Impossible is a 2012 disaster drama film directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez. It is based on the experience of María Belón and her family in ...more
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Jurassic WorldBryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Vincent D'Onofrio Jurassic World is an upcoming 2015 American science fiction adventure film directed by Colin Trevorrow. It is the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park film series. The screenplay was ...more
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Hard RainMorgan Freeman, Betty White, Minnie Driver Hard Rain is a 1998 American/British action thriller film, produced by Mark Gordon, written by Graham Yost and directed by former cinematographer turned director Mikael Salomon. It stars ...more
Into the StormRichard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh Into the Storm is a 2014 American found footage disaster film directed by Steven Quale, written by John Swetnam, and starring Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh, Alycia ...more
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OutbreakMorgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman Outbreak is a 1995 American medical disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen and based on Richard Preston's non-fiction book The Hot Zone. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, and ...more
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The Towering InfernoO. J. Simpson, Paul Newman, Faye Dunaway The Towering Inferno is a 1974 American action drama disaster film produced by Irwin Allen featuring an all-star cast led by Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. The picture was directed by John ...more
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Deep Blue SeaSamuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J, Thomas Jane Deep Blue Sea is a 1999 science fiction horror film, starring Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson. The film was directed by ...more
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The MistThomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden The Mist is a 2007 American science fiction horror film based on the 1980 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film was written and directed by Frank Darabont, who had previously ...more
The Perfect StormGeorge Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane The Perfect Storm is a 2000 American biographical disaster drama film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It is an adaptation of the 1997 non-fiction book of the same title by Sebastian Junger, which ...more
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GodzillaElizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche Godzilla is a 2014 American science fiction monster film directed by Gareth Edwards. It is a reboot of the Godzilla film franchise and retells the origins of Godzilla in contemporary times as a ...more
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Michelle Miller added SupervolcanoGary Lewis, Robert Wisden, Tom McBeath Supervolcano is a science docufiction disaster television film that originally aired on 13 March 2005 on BBC One, and released by the BBC on 10 April 2005 on the Discovery Channel. It is ...more
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When Worlds CollidePaul Frees, Stuart Whitman, John Hoyt When Worlds Collide is a 1951 American Technicolor science fiction film from Paramount Pictures, produced by George Pal, directed by Rudolph Maté and starring Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, ...more
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Mars Attacks!Natalie Portman, Jack Nicholson, Sarah Jessica Parker Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American comic science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and written by Jonathan Gems. Based on the cult trading card series of the same name, the film features an ...more
PoseidonEmmy Rossum, Fergie, Kurt Russell Poseidon is a 2006 disaster film directed and co-produced by Wolfgang Petersen. It is the third film adaptation of Paul Gallico's novel The Poseidon Adventure, and a loose remake of the 1972 ...more
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Absolute ZeroErika Eleniak, Jeff Fahey, Jessica Amlee Absolute Zero is a 2006 disaster film, directed by Robert Lee, and written by Sarah Watson. It stars Jeff Fahey and Erika Eleniak. The film is about polar shift, which brings a new ice age in ...more
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Michelle Miller added San AndreasDwayne Johnson, Kylie Minogue, Alexandra Daddario San Andreas is an upcoming American disaster film directed by Brad Peyton and written by Allan Loeb, Carlton Cuse, Carey Hayes and Chad Hayes, based on the original script by Jeremy Passmore and ...more
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EarthquakeCharlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Victoria Principal Earthquake is a 1974 American ensemble disaster film directed and produced by Mark Robson. The plot concerns the struggle for survival after a catastrophic earthquake destroys most of the city ...more
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AnacondaJennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Owen Wilson Anaconda is a 1997 adventure-horror film, directed by Luis Llosa, starring Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, Eric Stoltz, Owen Wilson, Kari Wuhrer and Jonathan Hyde. It centers on a film ...more
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Tidal WaveHa Ji-won, Uhm Jung-hwa, Lee Min-ki Tidal Wave is a 2009 South Korean film. Billed as South Korea's first disaster film, Haeundae is directed by Yoon Je-kyoon and stars Sol Kyung-gu, Ha Ji-won, Park Joong-hoon and Uhm Jung-hwa.
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Beyond the Poseidon AdventureSally Field, Michael Caine, Mark Harmon Beyond the Poseidon Adventure is a 1979 American disaster film, a sequel to the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure. It was directed by Irwin Allen and starred Michael Caine and Sally Field. The ...more
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SharknadoTara Reid, Cassie Scerbo, Julie McCullough Sharknado is a 2013 science fiction TV movie directed by Anthony C. Ferrante.
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GeostormGerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Abbie Cornish Geostorm is a 2017 American disaster science-fiction action film directed by Dean Devlin. A satellite designer (Gerard Butler) must save the world from a storm of epic proportions caused by ...more
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AvalancheMia Farrow, Rock Hudson, Robert Forster Avalanche is a 1978 American disaster film, directed by Corey Allen and starring Rock Hudson, Robert Forster, Mia Farrow and Jeanette Nolan. The taglines for the film included "A Winter ...more
