Disaster Films

This list of disaster and doomsday films represents over half a century of films within the genre. Disaster films are motion pictures which depict an impending or ongoing disaster. The films typically feature large casts and multiple storylines and focus on the protagonists' attempts to avert, escape, or cope with the disaster presented.

  

Natural disasters

 

Geological

 

• On Hostile Ground (2000 TV)
• Caved In: Prehistoric Terror (2003 TV)
• The Core (2003)
• Descent (2005)
• Doomsday Prophecy (2011 TV)

Avalanches

• Avalanche (1978)
• Avalanche Express (1979)
• High Ice (1980 TV)
• Vertical Limit (2000)
• Avalanche Alley (2001)

Earthquakes

• Earthquake (1974)
• The Land Before Time (1988)
• The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990 TV miniseries)
• Aftershock (1998)
• Aftershock: Earthquake in New York (1999 TV miniseries)
• Epicenter (2000 TV)
• 10.5 (2004 TV miniseries)
• Nature Unleashed: Earthquake (2004)
• 10.5: Apocalypse (2005 TV miniseries)
• Descent (2005)
• Magma: Volcanic Disaster (2006 TV)
• Descent 2 (2007)
• 2012 (2009)
• 2012: Supernova (2009 TV)
• Megafault (2009 TV)
• Stonehenge Apocalypse (2010 TV)
• Doomsday Prophecy (2011 TV)

Electrical disturbances and lightning

• Lightening: Bolts of Destruction (2005 TV)
• Lightening: Fire from the Sky (2001 TV)
• NYC: Tornado Terror (2008 TV)
• Stonehenge Apocalypse (2010 TV)
• 2012: Supernova (2009 TV)

Meteors, asteroids and comets

• Meteor (film) (1979)
• Asteroid (1997 TV)
• Armageddon (1998)
• Deep Impact (1998)
• Dinosaur (2000)
• Post Impact (2004 TV)
• Anna's Storm (2007)
• Impact (2008 TV miniseries)
• Meltdown: Days of Destruction (2006 TV)
• 2012: Supernova (2009 TV)
• Melancholia (2011 film) (2011)

Volcanoes

• The Island at the Top of the World (1974)
• When Time Ran Out (1980)
• St. Helens (1981)
• Volcano (1997)
• Dante's Peak (1997)
• Fantasia 2000 (1999)
• Scorcher (2002)
• Dragon Head (2003)
• End Day (2005 docudrama)
• Supervolcano (2005 docudrama)
• Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York (2006 TV)
• Krakatoa: The Last Days (2006 docudrama)
• Magma: Volcanic Disaster (2006)
• Lava Storm (2008)
• 2012 (2009)
• Stonehenge Apocalypse (2010 TV)
• Miami Magma (2011 TV)
• Swamp Volcano (2012 TV)
• Collision Earth (2011 TV)
  
  
  
  Hydrological
     
  Floods
• Flood (film) (2007)
• Hard Rain (film)
• A View to a Kill (1985)

Tsunami

• The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
• Meteor (1979)
• The Abyss (1989)
• Deep Impact (1998)
• The Perfect Storm (2000)
• Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
• 10.5 (2004 TV miniseries)
• The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
• Category 7: The End of the World (2005 TV miniseries)
• 10.5 Apocalypse (2006 TV miniseries)
• Magma: Volcanic Disaster (2006)
• Poseidon (2006)
• Flood (2007 TV)
• Dasavathaaram (2008)
• 2012 (2009)
• Tidal Wave (2009)
• Hereafter (2010)
• Titanic II (2010 TV)
• Doomsday 2 New York (1998)

Climate

• 2012: Ice Age (2011)
• Absolute Zero (2005 TV)
• Alien Tornado (2012)
• Arctic Blast (2010)
• Atomic Twister (2002 TV)
• Category 6: Day of Destruction (2004 TV miniseries)
• Category 7: The End of the World (2005 TV miniseries)
• Doomsday Prophecy (2011 TV)
• Flood (2007 TV)
• End Day (2005 TV docudrama)
• Heatstroke (2008 TV)
• Hurricane (1979)
• Ice Twisters (2009 TV)
• Lost City Raiders (2008 TV)
• Meltdown: Days of Destruction (2006)
• NYC: Tornado Terror (2008 TV)
• Night of the Twisters (1996 TV)
• Space Twister (2012)
• The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
• The Perfect Storm (2000)
• The Wizard of Oz (1939)
• Titanic II (2010 TV)
• Tornado! (1996)
• Tornado Valley (2009)
• Tornado Warning (2002)
• Twister (1996)
• 2012 (film) (2009)
  
  
  
  Fires
• City on Fire (1979)
• Fire Down Below (1997 drama)
• Firestorm (1998)
• Knowing (2009)
• Ladder 49 (2004)
• On Deadly Ground (1994 Drama)
• The Towering Inferno (1974)
• Volcano (1997)
• Firestorm (1998)
  
    
  Epidemics
• Absolon (2001)
• The Andromeda Strain (1971)
• The Andromeda Strain (2008 TV miniseries)
• Blindness (2008)
• Carriers (2009)
• The Cassandra Crossing (1976)
• Children of Men (2006)
• Contagion (2011)
• Covert One: The Hades Factor (2006)
• Darwin's Nightmare (2004)
• Daybreakers (2010)
• Doomsday (2008)
• Ebola Syndrome (1996)
• Epidemic (1987)
• Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America (2006)
• Flying Virus (2001)
• The Happening (2008)
• I Am Omega (2007)
• The Invasion (2007)
• The Last Man on Earth (1964)
• Outbreak (1995)
• Doomsday Virus (1996)
• Perfect Sense (2011)
• Plague (1978)
• Quarantine (2008)
• Smallpox 2002 (2002)
• SST: Death Flight (1977)
• Undead (2003)
• Virus (1980)
• Virus (1999)
• Warning Sign (1985)
    
  Space
• Anna's Storm (2007)
• Armageddon (1998)
• Asteroid (1997)
• Apollo 13 (1995)
• Battle: Los Angeles (2011)
• Deep Impact (1998)
• Disaster Movie (2008)
• Doomsday Prophecy (2011 TV)
• End Day (docudrama) (2005)
• End of the World (1977)
• Epoch (2001)
• Independence Day (1996)
• Judgment Day (1999)
• Knowing (2009)
• Lifeforce (1985)
• Meteor (1979)
• Pandorum (2009)
• Solar Attack (2005) AKA Solar Strike
• Solar Crisis (1990)
• Space Twister (2012)
• 2012: Supernova (2009 TV)
• Tycus (1998)
• When Worlds Collide (1951)
• Where Have All The People Gone? (1974)
• Without Warning (1994)

   Aliens

• Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe (1990)
• Alien Abduction (2005)
• Alien Hunter (2003)
• Alien Intruder (1993)
• Aliens in the Attic (2009)
• Alien Tornado (2012)
• Allegro Non Troppo (1977)
• Alone in the Dark (2005)
• The Andromeda Strain (1971)
• The Arrival (1996)
• Attack the Block (2011)
• AVH: Alien vs Hunter (2007)
• Battle: Los Angeles (2011)
• Battleship (2012)
• Bedtime Stories (2008)
• Beware! The Blob (1972)
• Breeders (1986)
• Body Snatchers (1993)
• The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
• Cloverfield (2008)
• Communion (1989)
• Contact (1997)
• Creature (1985)
• The Creature Wasn't Nice (1983)
• Creepozoids (1987)
• Dark City (1998)
• The Day the Earth Stopped (2008)
• Decoys (2004)
• Doom (2005)
• Enemy Mine (1985)
• Epoch (2001)
• Explorers (1985)
• The Faculty (1998)
• Gamera: Super Monster (1980)
• Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1998)
• Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999)
• Godzilla 2000 (1999)
• Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
• Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
• Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
• Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla (1994)
• Good Boy! (2003)
• The Great Heep (1986)
• Hangar 18 (1980)
• Heatstroke (2008 TV)
• Heavy Metal (1981)
• Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)
• Impostor (2002)
• I am Number Four (2011)
• I Come in Peace (1990)
• Independence Day (1996)
• Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009)
• Invaders from Mars (1986)
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
• Invasion of the Pod People (2007)
• Killer Mountain (2011 TV)
• Knowing (2009)
• Koi... Mil Gaya (2003)
• Krull (1983)
• The Last Starfighter (1984)
• Lifted (2007)
• Liquid Sky (1982)
• The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
• Megamind (2010)
• Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor (1990)
• Monsters (2010 film)
• My Stepmother is an Alien ||1988
• My Favorite Martian (film) ||1999
• Night Skies (2007)
• Night of the Creeps (1986)
• Outlander (2008)
• Pitch Black (2000)
• Planet 51 (2009)
• Predators (2010)
• Progeny (1999)
• The Puppet Masters (1994)
• Rebirth of Mothra (1996)
• Rebirth of Mothra II (1997)
• Rebirth of Mothra III (1998)
• Repo Man (1984)
• Returner (2002)
• Signs (2002)
• Skyline (2010)
• Slither (2006)
• Solaris (1972)
• Solaris (2002)
• Spaced Invaders (1990)
• Species (1995)
• Species II (1998)
• Species III (2004)
• Species IV (2007)
• Searcher: The Legend of Orin (1985)
• Stargate (1994)
• Starman (1984)
• Strange Invaders (1983)
• Suburban Commando (1991)
• Super 8 (2011)
• Terrorvision (1987)
• Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
• The Forgotten (2004)
• The Fourth Kind (2009)
• The Invasion (2007)
• The Monster X Strikes Back/Attack the G8 Summit (2008)
• The Shadow Men (1998)
• They Live (1988)
• Things Are Tough All Over (1982)
• Track of the Moon Beast (1976)
• Transmorphers (2007)
• Transmorphers: Fall of Man (2009)
• Under the Mountain (2009)
• Underdog (2007)
• U.F.O. (1993)
• Vague (2009)
• Virus (1999)
• The Visitor (1979)
• Within the Rock (1996)
• Xtro (1983)

Man-made disasters

Hazardous materials

• Daylight (1996)
• End Day (docudrama) (2005)
• Fire Down Below (1994)

Chemicals

• Chain Reaction (1996)
• Daylight (1996)
• The Children (1980)
• Danger Zone (1997)
• Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
• Fire Down Below (1997)
• The Happening (2008)
• Once Upon a Forest (1993)
• Right at Your Door (2006)
• The Patriot (1998)

Nuclear energy

• The China Syndrome (1979)
• Knowing (2009)
• Atomic Train (1999)
• Atomic Twister (2002 TV)
• By Dawn's Early Light (1990)
• The Chain Reaction (1980)
• Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986)
• Countdown to Looking Glass (1984)
• The Day After (1983)
• The Doomsday Machine (1972)
• The Final Combat (1983)
• The Manhattan Project (1986)
• Miracle Mile (1988)
• The World is Not Enough (1999)
• Next (2007)
• On the Beach (2000)
• Panic in Year Zero! (1962)
• The Peacemaker (1997)
• Special Bulletin (1983)
• The Sum of All Fears (2002)
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
• Testament (1983)
• Threads (1984)
• The War Game (1965)
• When the Wind Blows (1986)

Transportation

Airplanes

• Air Force One (1997)
• Airport (1970)
• Airport 1975 (1974)
• Airport '77 (1977)
• The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979)
• Airspeed (1998)
• Alive (1993)
• Cast Away (2000)
• Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501 (1990 TV) aka. Aftermath
• The Day Britain Stopped (2003)
• Die Hard 2 (1990)
• Executive Decision (1996)
• Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 (1995 TV)
• Fearless (1993)
• Final Descent (1997 TV)
• Final Destination (2000)
• Final Destination 5 (2011)
• Fire and Rain (1989)
• Flight 93 (2006)
• Flight of The Living Dead (2007)
• Ground Control (1998)
• Happy Flight (2008)
• The Hindenburg (1975)
• Knowing (2009)
• Mayday (2005 TV)
• Millennium (1989)
• Miracle Landing (1990)
• Doomsday Virus (1996)
• Panic in the Skies! (1996 TV)
• Passenger 57 (1992)
• Passengers (2008)
• Skyjacked (1972)
• Stairwell: Trapped in the World Trade Center (2002)
• Starflight One (1983 TV)
• Stealth (2005)
• Storm Tracker (2000)
• Terror in the Sky (1971 TV)
• Turbulence (1997)
• United 93 (2006)
• World Trade Center (2006)

Cars, trucks and buses

• Breaker! Breaker! (1977)
• The Big Bus (1976)
• Daylight (1996)
• Eagle Eye (2008)
• Final Destination 2 (2003)
• The Final Destination (2009)
• Knowing (2009)
• Maximum Overdrive (1986)
• The Night the Bridge Fell Down (1983)
• Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976 TV)
• Speed (1994)
• Super 8 (2011)
• Trucks (1997)

Ships and submarines

• Britannic (2000)
• Crimson Tide (1995)
• Deja Vu (2006)
• Gray Lady Down (1978)
• Hostile Waters (1997)
• In Search of the Castaways (1962)
• Juggernaut (1970)
• K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
• The Last Voyage (1960)
• Noah (1998)
• Poseidon (2006)
• The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
• Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)
• The Poseidon Adventure (2005)
• Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
• Tarzan (1999)
• Titanic
  
  • S.O.S. Titanic (1979 TV)
  • Titanic (1996 TV miniseries)
  • Titanic (1997)
  • The Legend of the Titanic (1999)
  • Titanic II (2010)
• U-571 (2000)
• Ghost Ship (2002 film)
• Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)
• The Little Polar Bear (2001)

Spaceships

• Apollo 13 (1995)
• The Black Hole (1979)
• Independence Day (1996)
• Lost in Space (1998)
• Marooned (1969)
• Pandorum (2009)
• Space Cowboys (2000)
• Apollo 18 (2011)

Theme parks

• Final Destination 3 (2006)
• Rollercoaster (1977)

Trains

• Anastasia (1997)
• Atomic Train (1999)
• Knowing (2009)
• Final Destination 3 (2006)
• The Cassandra Crossing (1976)
• The Day of the Roses (1996)
• The Fugitive (1993)
• Money Train (1995)
• The Peacemaker (1997)
• Runaway! (1973 TV) AKA The Runaway Train and Frozen Passage
• Runaway Train (1985)
• Silver Streak (1976)
• Source Code (2011)
• Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
• Super 8 (2011)
• The Swarm (1978)
• Unstoppable (2010)
• Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)
• Unbreakable (2000)