10 Best Weather Disaster Movies To Watch While Waiting For Twisters

Summary Twisters is the highly anticipated legacy sequel to 1996's Twister, bringing back the classic man vs. nature genre with new characters.

Geostorm and Into the Storm offer similar disaster spectacle to Twisters, with massive storms threatening the planet and towns.

Before watching Twisters in July 2024, check out The Poseidon Adventure and The Day After Tomorrow for more weather disaster classics.

Twisters is finally on the way, and here are 10 of the best weather disaster movies to tide viewers over who are waiting on the upcoming film. Twisters is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2024, with the legacy sequel bringing back the Twister franchise for another round. The film is bringing back the classic genre of man vs. nature, with it exploring a new group of characters as they face off with multiple instances of the titular weather event. With the film not releasing until July 2024, here are 10 similar movies to watch before seeing Twisters.

Twisters is the upcoming sequel to the classic 1996 movie Twister, with it following a group of storm chasers as a particularly nasty system of tornadoes ravages Oklahoma. Twisters features a star-studded cast of actors like Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, and Daisy Edgar-Jones, with the new generation of Twister stars taking the reigns from the classic cast. The spectacle of Twisters' weather disaster is one of the film's biggest draws, and here are 10 other movies that provide that same hook.

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10 Twister

1996

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buy Not available Not available Not available In Twister, Bill and Jo Harding, advanced storm chasers on the brink of divorce, must join together to create an advanced weather alert system by putting themselves in the cross-hairs of extremely violent tornadoes. Jo's childhood was stricken by the trauma of losing her father to a deadly F5 tornado, setting her on the path of a storm chaser. Having developed a new technology with her team named "Dorothy," Jo seeks to make Tornadoes more predictable to give people a chance to make it to safety. Jo's obsession created a rift between her husband, but new breakthroughs may bring them back together as the two pursue their greatest challenge yet - an incoming system that will produce yet another F5. Director Jan de bont Release Date May 10, 1996 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures , Universal Pictures Writers Anne-Marie Martin , Michael Crichton Cast Jami Gertz , Helen Hunt , Cary Elwes , Bill Paxton , Phillip Seymour Hoffman , Alan Ruck , Todd Field , Jeremy Davies Runtime 113 minutes Budget $92 million Expand

For fans excited to see the upcoming sequel who just can't wait a few more months for some great tornado action, the most obvious pick for a substitute film is the original Twister. Released in 1996, Twister stars Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, with them playing storm chasers who are attempting to gather data on the titular twister using an all-new device.

Due to both films existing in the same franchise, seeing Twister before watching Twisters is an obvious pick. It isn't known how connected the two Twister films will be, with the upcoming sequel tarring all-new characters and seeming to take place many years after the original. However, since Twisters is technically a sequel to the original Twister, it only makes sense to check it out before the upcoming legacy sequel is released in July.

Related What Song Is Playing In The New Twisters Trailer? The latest trailer for Twisters, the upcoming sequel to the 1996 disaster film Twister, features a new song from a well-known country artist.

9 Geostorm

2017

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buy Not available Not available Not available Geostorm is a sci-fi thriller starring Gerard Butler as satellite designer Jake Lawson who discovers a problem with an international satellite system developed to counter climate change. When the satellites malfunction, causing a dangerous and gigantic storm that threatens to obliterate the planet, Jake and a group of other officials must race to solve the problem before the storm swallows them whole. Director Dean Devlin , Danny Cannon Release Date October 13, 2017 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Dean Devlin , Paul Guyot Cast Jim Sturgess , Gerard Butler , Daniel Wu , Abbie Cornish , Alexandra Maria Lara , Ed Harris , Andy Garcia Runtime 109minutes Budget $120–130 million Expand

Another weather disaster movie that made a big splash in theaters in recent years is 2017's Geostorm, with it kicking the weather disaster genre up to a whole new level. The film is set in a world in which Earth has built a security system of satellites designed to protect the planet from weather disasters. However, something goes wrong and the satellites begin attacking Earth, unleashing an onslaught of weather disasters onto the planet.

Geostorm stars Gerard Butler and, while it wasn't a critical hit, the wacky premise and massive scale mean that the movie can deliver some of the same disaster spectacle moments as Twisters. The film is packed full of disaster weather events that lead to all kinds of destruction, making it a fun time for fans of the genre who are looking for this element.

8 The Day After Tomorrow

2004

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buy Not available Not available Not available The Day After Tomorrow is a Roland Emmerich disaster movie, which imagines a catastrophic global climate shift that plunges the world into a new ice age. Dennis Quaid stars as paleoclimatologist Jack Hall, with Jake Gyllenhaal playing his son, Sam, as they face world-ending tornadoes, floods, and a massive storm system. Director Roland Emmerich Release Date May 27, 2004 Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Roland Emmerich Cast Jake Gyllenhaal , Dennis Quaid , Emmy Rossum , Sela Ward Runtime 124minutes Budget $125million Expand

One of the most popular natural disaster movies of all time is 2004's The Day After Tomorrow, with it exploring weather events that could lead to the destruction of Earth. The film sees a superstorm appear as the product of climate change, with it having a devastating effect on Earth. Because of this, a group of climate scientists have to travel to New York to save their friend who has become stuck due to the storm, with them running into the fallout of the weather event throughout their journey.

The Day After Tomorrow stars Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, and a variety of other stars, with its major cast making it comparable to Twisters. However, The Day After Tomorrow explores weather events that are far more significant than a handful of tornadoes, with multiple natural disasters occurring throughout the film.

7 Greenland

2020

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buy Not available Not available Not available Greenland is a 2020 thriller directed by Ric Roman Waugh and written by Chris Sparling. Starring Gerard Butler, Scott Glenn, Morena Baccarin, and Roger Dale Floyd, the film focuses on one family as they fight to survive an "extinction-level" comet that is set to strike Earth. Director Ric Roman Waugh Release Date July 29, 2020 Writers Mitchell LaFortune , Chris Sparling , Ric Roman Waugh Cast Morena Baccarin , Gerard Butler , David Denman , Scott Glenn , Brandon Quinn , Andrew Bachelor Runtime 120minutes Budget $35 million Expand

Geostorm isn't the only movie that focuses on Gerard Butler attempting to survive a natural disaster weather event, as the 2020 film Greenland also follows an incredibly similar story. Greenland sees Gerard Butler's character take his family on a journey to find safety after learning that a comet with the capacity to destroy Earth is headed right toward the planet. As they eventually find out, the home of a military evacuation site may be their one safe haven, with it being in Greenland.

Despite its similarities to other films, Greenland was a surprisingly well-received film by critics, with it getting positive reviews across the board. While the COVID-19 Pandemic did overshadow the film's release, the Gerard Butler movie does show off a lot of natural disaster spectacle, with the unique comet storyline making it stand out within the genre.

6 Into The Storm

2014

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Into the Storm Written by John Swetnam and directed by Steven Quale, 2014's Into the Storm is a Disaster film in a found-footage style. The release stars Sarah Wayne Callies, Richard Armitage, and Matt Walsh. The plot revolves around the fictional town of Silverton, Oklahoma as it experiences a terrifying spread of tornadoes. Director Steven Quale Release Date August 8, 2014 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers John Swetnam Cast Matt Walsh , Sarah Wayne Callies , Jeremy Sumpter , Nathan Kress , Richard Armitage , Arlen Escarpeta Runtime 89minutes Budget $50 million Expand

Twisters is a film about multiple tornadoes ravaging Oklahoma, but Into the Storm proves that the upcoming sequel isn't the only film to do this. The 2014 action movie sees several tornadoes appear in the town of Silverton, with the film following a group of storm chasers as they attempt to track down the dangerous weather phenomenon and document it.

Into the Storm is a pretty obvious continuation of the story structure set up by the original Twister, with its story almost making it seem like a sequel to the original film. Due to Into the Storm and Twisters having almost the exact same premise, it is perfect for viewers who can't wait to see the upcoming Glen Powell movie. The film stars Richard Armitage as its main character, with this being one of many reasons that viewers should check out Into the Storm.

5 The Wave

2015

Moving away from tornadoes and twisters, another popular type of weather occurrence that appears in these natural disaster movies is tsunamis, something that is perfectly explored in 2015's The Wave. The film follows the residents of a small Norwegian town as they learn that a tsunami is headed their way, with the titular wave devastating the town. The movie explores the occurrence of the tsunami and its aftermath, with the tragic film highlighting the damage that these waves can cause.

Unlike some of the other films on this list, The Wave is a more grounded example of a weather disaster movie, with it truly showing off the destructive capacity of tsunamis. This is often held up as the best tsunami movie, with the acclaim that the film received upon its release making it an instant classic within the genre.

4 The Poseidon Adventure

1972

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Ronald Neame , Irwin Allen Release Date December 13, 1972 Writers Paul Gallico , Stirling Silliphant , Wendell Mayes Cast Gene Hackman , Ernest Borgnine , Red Buttons , Carol Lynley , Roddy McDowall , Stella Stevens Runtime 117 minutes Main Genre Action Expand

Although weather disaster movies are more common now due to them oftentimes requiring the use of heavy computer-generated imagery, this isn't always the case. In fact, an early example of a weather disaster movie that is still beloved today is 1972's The Poseidon Adventure. The film follows a group of passengers on a ship who have to deal with the damage after a massive tidal wave hits the vessel, killing its captain and much of its crew and making chances of survival seem slim.

The Poseidon Adventure is one of the best and most popular movies from 1972, with the film being one of the best early disaster movies. Plenty of modern weather films have cited The Poseidon Adventure as an inspiration, meaning that the influential movie should be seen before Twisters releases in July.

3 The Perfect Storm

2000

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Wolfgang Petersen Release Date June 29, 2000 Cast George Clooney , Mark Wahlberg , Diane Lane , John C. Reilly , William Fichtner , John Hawkes Runtime 129 minutes Main Genre Action

Sticking with sea-based weather disaster films, another great example of the genre is the 2000 film The Perfect Storm. Unlike many of the movies on this list, The Perfect Storm is a true story, with it telling the story of how the Andrea Gail became lost at sea during the Perfect Storm of 1991. After three waterfronts collide on Halloween of 1991, several fishing ships are battered by the brutal storm system, with the film following the Andrea Gail as its crew attempts to secure survival in the face of certain death.

The Perfect Storm features major stars like George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, with the ensemble cast all playing characters that are put in immense danger by the Perfect Storm. Due to the true nature of the story, The Perfect Storm is perfectly able to show how dangerous these theatrical weather events can be, something that Twister hoped to do originally.

Related Is Helen Hunt Returning For Twisters? Helen Hunt led the all-star ensemble cast in the beloved 1996 American disaster epic Twister, but will she return for the upcoming sequel Twisters?

2 Crawl

2019

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buy Not available Not available Not available Crawl is a horror thriller set during a Florida Hurricane. It follows a young woman named Haley who refuses to heed the mandatory evacuation order to search for her father, who went missing at the beginning of the storm. When Haley finds her father seriously injured, they discover the hurricane is the least of their problems. Suddenly, their home is besieged by a group of massive alligators looking for their next meal. Director Alexandre Aja Release Date July 11, 2019 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Alexandre Aja , Michael Rasmussen , Shawn Rasmussen Cast George Somner , Morfydd Clark , Anson Boon , Jose Palma , Ross Anderson , Colin McFarlane , Barry Pepper , Ami Metcalf , Kaya Scodelario , Annamaria Serda Runtime 87 minutes Budget $17 million Expand

2019's Crawl is an interesting film, as it manages to mix a monster movie with a weather disaster movie, creating a truly unique experience. The film follows a young girl who travels back to Florida in the wake of a hurricane in an attempt to help her father. However, she quickly finds herself being hunted by a pack of massive alligators, creating even more danger than she initially had expected.

Despite the premise not sounding like it, Crawl was actually a massive critical success, with it being one of the most beloved horror movies of 2019. While it may not be a traditional weather disaster movie, the film is still a lot of fun. While a movie like Twisters may use its real weather footage as part of its marketing, Crawl's heightened premise takes the genre in a different but still great direction.

1 Sharknado

2013

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buy Not available Not available Not available Sharknado is a disaster movie produced by The Asylum. Starring Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, and John Heard, the 2013 film revolves around a tornado that picks up thousands of sharks and threatens Los Angeles with massive destruction. Its unexpected success spawned a various sequels and spinoffs. Director anthony c. ferrante Release Date July 11, 2013 Writers Thunder Levin Cast Tara Reid , Ian Ziering , John Heard , Cassie Scerbo , Jaason Simmons Runtime 86 minutes Sequel(s) Sharknado 3 , sharknado 5 , Sharknado 6 , Sharknado 4 Budget $1 million Expand

Before seeing Twisters, it only makes sense for viewers to check out one of the weirdest yet most popular weather disaster movies of all time: Sharknado. Ever since the original film was released in 2013, the Sharknado movie franchise has been highly talked about, with the wacky premise of a school of sharks getting stuck in a tornado combining two of the biggest staples of disaster movies.

While Sharknado may vary wildly from the tone and quality of Twisters, viewers looking to get a fun disaster movie that doesn't take itself seriously can't find a better candidate of Sharknado. Sharknado and Twisters are two different flavors of the same idea, meaning that audience members can watch Sharknado and have a lot of fun without losing any desire to see Twisters when it is finally released.