The Best Sci-Fi Disaster Movies
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- 1Will Smith, Alice Braga, Dash MihokIn I Am Legend, Robert Neville (Will Smith) finds himself the lone survivor in a post-apocalyptic world devastated by a man-made virus. As a military virologist, Neville's immunity becomes both his curse and potential salvation. He navigates through desolate New York City, his only companions being his loyal dog, Sam, and haunting memories of his family. Striving to reverse the effects of the virus with his own blood, he battles with isolation and relentless nocturnal mutants. His hope persists though as he relentlessly broadcasts radio messages, seeking other survivors. Despite its bleak landscape, this sci-fi thriller encapsulates a gripping tale of survival, resilience, and unyielding hope.More I Am Legend
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- 2Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge DaleIn the gripping film World War Z, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) finds himself in a desperate race against time. As a former United Nations investigator, his particular set of skills become humanity's last hope in the face of a global zombie pandemic. Unveiling a mosaic of fear and chaos, Lane embarks on a perilous mission, traversing continents to find the source of the outbreak. His journey reveals both the fragility and resilience of human spirit. Directed by Marc Forster, this apocalyptic thriller intertwines suspense with survival horror, crafting an enthralling narrative that keeps viewers on edge till the end.More World War Z
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- 3Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan FreemanIn the gripping film Outbreak, a deadly and highly contagious virus is unleashed in a small California town. The virus, brought to American soil by an African monkey, swiftly turns the peaceful town into a hotbed of contagion. Sam Daniels (Dustin Hoffman), a maverick virologist, races against time to isolate this new pathogen before it spreads beyond control. Assisting him are his ex-wife, Robby Keough (Rene Russo), and his loyal colleague, Casey Schuler (Kevin Spacey). The trio must navigate governmental obstruction, personal tensions, and their own fears in this tense medical thriller. Their mission: halt the outbreak and prevent a potential global catastrophe.More Outbreak
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- 4Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian HolmIn the thrilling disaster film, The Day After Tomorrow, Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), a paleoclimatologist, sets out on a daring mission to rescue his son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) amidst a sudden and extreme shift in global climate. The world plunges into a new Ice Age almost overnight, leaving cities frozen and societies in chaos. Meanwhile, Sam and his friends hunker down in the New York Public Library, battling against time and the biting cold. Directed by Roland Emmerich, this movie is a chilling tale of survival against nature's most brutal forces.
- #163 of 772 onThe Most Rewatchable Movies
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- 5Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv TylerIn Armageddon, a NASA executive (Billy Bob Thornton) recruits a ragtag team of drillers, led by Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), to save the world from an approaching asteroid. Meanwhile, Grace Stamper (Liv Tyler), Harry's daughter, is romantically involved with A.J. Frost (Ben Affleck), one of the team members. This action-packed sci-fi thriller, directed by Michael Bay, intertwines elements of suspense and drama as humanity's last hope embarks on a high-stakes space mission. The film won multiple awards for its visual effects and original song I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith.More Armageddon
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- 6Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence FishburneIn the gripping thriller Contagion, a deadly virus, unknown to mankind, erupts and spreads at an alarming rate. Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) leads a team of international scientists in a desperate race against time to find a cure. Meanwhile, everyday life crumbles into chaos as panic ensues globally. Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon), immune to the disease, navigates through this apocalyptic landscape in search of safety for his daughter. The film is a stark exploration of a world under siege by an invisible enemy, making it both timely and chillingly realistic. Notably, Contagion won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards.More Contagion
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- #10 of 138 onThe 100+ Best Disaster Movies Of All Time
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- 7Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah WoodDeep Impact, a gripping blend of science fiction and drama, presents an imminent extinction-level event as a comet is set to collide with Earth. In this high-stakes narrative, journalist Jenny Lerner (Téa Leoni) uncovers the truth, while President Tom Beck (Morgan Freeman) steers the nation through crisis. Astronaut Spurgeon Tanner (Robert Duvall) leads a team in an audacious attempt to destroy the comet. This race against time, filled with suspense and bravery, explores humanity's struggle for survival in the face of annihilation.More Deep Impact
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- 8John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda PeetIn the disaster movie 2012, the world faces an apocalyptic cataclysm of biblical proportions. Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), a science fiction writer, stumbles upon these unsettling predictions and embarks on a race against time to save his family. Alongside him is Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a government scientist who also discovers the impending doom. Directed by Roland Emmerich, this film combines elements of action and science fiction genres, bringing together a star-studded cast in a thrilling narrative about survival and resilience amidst global catastrophe.More 2012
- #455 of 772 onThe Most Rewatchable Movies
- #116 of 165 onThe 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
- #11 of 138 onThe 100+ Best Disaster Movies Of All Time
- 9Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, Delroy LindoGeophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes (Aaron Eckhart) discovers that an unknown force has caused the earth's inner core to stop rotating. With the planet's magnetic field rapidly deteriorating, our atmosphere literally starts to come apart at the seams with catastrophic consequences. To resolve the crisis, Keyes, along with a team of the world's most gifted scientists, travel into the earth's core. Their mission: detonate a device that will reactivate the core.More The Core
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- 10Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James OlsonChilling tale about a US research satellite carrying a deadly extraterrestrial microscopic organism that crashes into a small town in Arizona. A group of top scientists are hurriedly assembled in a bid to identify and contain the lethal stowaway. Based on the novel by Michael Crichton.More The Andromeda Strain
- #57 of 165 onThe 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
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- #36 of 138 onThe 100+ Best Disaster Movies Of All Time
- 11Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche, Gaby HoffmannWhen a massive earthquake rocks the city of Los Angeles, Emergency Management department head Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones) returns from his vacation to help with the city's response. After geologist Dr. Amy Barnes (Anne Heche) warns that a volcano may be forming in sewer tunnels, another severe earthquake unleashes the lava flowing underfoot, threatening to destroy the whole city. As the fiery molten rock runs through the streets, Roark and Barnes must figure out how to divert it.More Volcano
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- 12Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette AnnableIn the heart of Manhattan, Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) plans to move to Japan, leaving his friends behind. During his farewell party, chaos ensues as a massive creature wreaks havoc on the city. Cloverfield, a found-footage science fiction thriller directed by Matt Reeves, chronicles the terrifying ordeal through the lens of Hud (T.J. Miller), Rob's friend and accidental documentarian of their survival journey. The movie's unique storytelling style and realistic depiction of an alien invasion earned it critical acclaim. The story unfolds in real-time, keeping viewers on edge until the final frame.
- 13Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra DaddarioA seemingly ideal day turns disastrous when California's notorious San Andreas fault triggers a devastating, magnitude 9 earthquake, the largest in recorded history. As the Earth cracks open and buildings start to crumble, Ray Gaines (Dwayne Johnson), an LAFD search-and-rescue helicopter pilot, must navigate the destruction from Los Angeles to San Francisco to bring his estranged wife (Carla Gugino) and their only daughter (Alexandra Daddario) to safety.
- 14Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Chandler CanterburyFifty years after it was buried in a time capsule, a schoolgirl's cryptic document falls into the hands of Caleb Koestler, the son of professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage). John figures out that the encoded message accurately lists every major disaster from the past five decades, and predicts three future calamities -- one a global cataclysm. When his warnings fall on deaf ears, John enlists the help of the prophetic author's daughter and granddaughter to try to avert the ultimate disaster.More Knowing
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- #52 of 138 onThe 100+ Best Disaster Movies Of All Time
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- 15Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind CashIn the post-apocalyptic movie The Omega Man, Robert Neville (Charlton Heston) is seemingly the last human in a virus-ravaged Los Angeles. With his immune blood, he grapples with survival against nocturnal mutants known as The Family. Directed by Boris Sagal, this 1971 sci-fi thriller explores themes of isolation and perseverance. While Neville navigates through desolate landscapes, he encounters Lisa (Rosalind Cash), another survivor, adding an unexpected dynamic to his solitary existence. A gripping narrative unfolds as they fight for survival while seeking a cure for humanity's plight.More The Omega Man
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- 16Charlie Hunnam, Diego Klattenhoff, Idris ElbaLong ago, legions of monstrous creatures called Kaiju arose from the sea, bringing with them all-consuming war. To fight the Kaiju, mankind developed giant robots called Jaegers, designed to be piloted by two humans locked together in a neural bridge. However, even the Jaegers are not enough to defeat the Kaiju, and humanity is on the verge of defeat. Mankind's last hope now lies with a washed-up ex-pilot (Charlie Hunnam), an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) and an old, obsolete Jaeger.More Pacific Rim
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- 17Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Barbara EdenHarriman Nelson (Walter Pidgeon) is the creator of a revolutionary nuclear submarine. After testing its capabilities in the Arctic Ocean, Nelson and the commanding officer (Robert Sterling) surface the vessel, only to discover the sky ablaze. Learning that the Van Allen radiation belt has caught fire, Nelson conceives a plan that could save the planet from destruction, but the U.N. shoots it down. Nelson is convinced it will work, but an onboard psychiatrist (Joan Fontaine) questions his sanity.
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- 18Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John LeguizamoIn The Happening, Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), a high-school science teacher, experiences a chilling event of inexplicable nature. A mysterious, invisible enemy triggers a wave of mass suicides across the Northeastern United States. As panic ensues, Elliot, along with his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), and friend Julian (John Leguizamo), embark on a desperate journey to outrun this apocalyptic threat. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this horror-thriller weaves an eerie tale of survival amidst an unknown menace, raising thought-provoking questions about humanity's relationship with nature. No awards were won for this film.More The Happening
- #92 of 138 onThe 100+ Best Disaster Movies Of All Time
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- 19Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Abbie CornishAfter an unprecedented series of natural disasters threatened the planet, the world's leaders came together to create an intricate network of satellites to control the global climate and keep everyone safe. But now, something has gone wrong: the system built to protect Earth is attacking it, and it becomes a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything and everyone along with it.More Geostorm
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- 20Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose ByrneIn the sci-fi thriller Sunshine, physicist Robert Capa (Cillian Murphy) and his diverse team of astronauts embark on a daring mission to reignite the dying sun. Set in 2057, this gripping narrative follows their perilous journey aboard spaceship Icarus II. Driven by an urgent need to save Earth from an eternal winter, the crew, including the stoic Mace (Chris Evans), faces unimaginable challenges that test their resolve and unity. Directed by Danny Boyle, the film is a compelling exploration of survival and sacrifice against a backdrop of cosmic terror.More Sunshine
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- 21Casey Affleck, Elisabeth Moss, Anna PniowskyA man tries to protect his daughter from the dangers of the world after a devastating plague wipes out most of the female population.
- 22Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George KennedyWhen a major earthquake hits Los Angeles, the various residents of the city cope with the chaos and destruction. Successful architect Stewart Graff (Charlton Heston) argues with his demanding wife, Remy Royce-Graff (Ava Gardner), as the disaster hits. Later, when he checks in on his flirtatious friend Denise Marshall (Geneviève Bujold), they begin an affair. As the personal dramas continue, the city is threatened by aftershocks and possibly even greater quakes.
- 23Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter HansenAfter Dr. Bronson (Hayden Rorke) discovers Zyra, a new planet, fellow astronomer Dr. Hendron (Larry Keating) checks Bronson's data and reaches the horrifying conclusion that Bellus, a star in Zyra's orbit, is doomed to crash into the earth within a matter of months. Meanwhile, Hendron's daughter, Joyce (Barbara Rush), has grown fond of pilot David Randall (Richard Derr), and pleads to have him brought along as a small group is relocated to Zyra to avoid the impending mass destruction.
- 24Ray Milland, Jean Hagen, Frankie AvalonAs the Baldwin family heads on vacation, their hometown of Los Angeles falls victim to a nuclear attack. Harry (Ray Milland), his wife, Ann (Jean Hagen), and their two teens head to their fishing retreat in the mountains, hoping to regroup and get more information. But they can't escape the frantic and irrational citizens, most of whom are dangerously deranged. Harry tries to stay calm during the nuclear-inspired end of days, but it's tempting to follow the masses' frenzied behavior.
- On the Beach is a 1957 post-apocalyptic novel written by British-Australian author Nevil Shute after he emigrated to Australia. The novel details the experiences of a mixed group of people in Melbourne as they await the arrival of deadly radiation spreading towards them from the northern hemisphere following a nuclear war a year previously. As the radiation approaches each person deals with their impending death in different ways. Shute's initial story appeared as a four-part series The Last Days on Earth in the London weekly periodical Sunday Graphic in April 1957. For the novel Shute expanded on the storyline. The story has been adapted twice as a film and as a BBC radio broadcast in 2008.More On the Beach
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- 26Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard WidmarkScientist Dr. Bradford Crane and army general Thalius Slater join forces to fight an almost invisible enemy threatening America; killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason. Disaster movie-master Irwin Allen's film contains spectacular special effects, including a train crash caused by the eponymous swarm.
- 27Sean Connery, Natalie Wood, Karl MaldenIn this disaster movie, Americans and Soviets must put aside their differences to save civilization from a huge meteor bearing down on the planet. Paul Bradley (Sean Connery) enlists the expertise of fellow scientist Alexei Dubov (Brian Keith), who is joined by his beautiful assistant, Tatiana Donskaya (Natalie Wood). Although Paul and Tatiana are attracted to each other, they wisely focus on taking out the meteor, which may still cause massive destruction even if it is partially damaged.More Meteor
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- 28Dana Andrews, Janette Scott, Kieron MooreA dying scientist (Dana Andrews) and his team drill for magma, crack the globe and try to fix it with a nuclear bomb.
- 29Claudia Christian, Madison McLaughlin, Joe LandoMeteor Apocalypse is a 2009 American science fiction film directed by Micho Rutare.
- 30Georgy Millyar, Ada Vojtsik, Anna OrochkoSampo is a Russian and Finnish language 1959 joint Finnish and Soviet production based loosely on the events depicted in the Finnish national epic Kalevala. A significantly edited version called The Day the Earth Froze was released internationally. This version was later featured in the American series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
