Summary
A good disaster movie can be about several exciting and dangerous events, but there’s something special about great hurricane movies.The ocean is the most powerful force on Earth, and hurricanes combine this strength with high winds, torrential rain, and floodingthat can destroy everything in its path. Stories told about these storms can be fictional, but many deal with real events and the fallout communities and people face in the wake of a devastating hurricane. Fictionalized movies use hurricanes as a thrilling set piece to conquer, while true stories take a more somber approach.
Since visual effects and technology have come a long way since the 1970s, much more is possible in portraying hurricanes and intense storms onscreen.
Thetornado moviesTwistersandTwisterhave been a large part of the cultural conversation since the disaster movie sequel was released to audience and critical acclaim. This has reignited interest in the disaster movie genre, which peaked in the 1970s. Since visual effects and technology have come a long way since the 1970s, much more is possible in portraying hurricanes and intense storms onscreen. As there’s little chance that characters will be able to escape the hurricane once it hits,most of these narratives involve their attempts to survive by any means necessary.
8 Disaster Movie Sequels & Reboots That Must Happen After Twisters
After the booming success of Twisters, a precedent has been set for more overlooked disaster movies to get the sequels & reboots they deserve.
10The Hurricane Heist (2018)
Directed by Rob Cohen
Audience members might recognize Maggie Grace, who plays Casey inThe Hurricane Heistfrom her role as Shannon onLost. Placed in another survival situation, the actress easily slips into the role of Casey, a Federal agent who becomes embroiled ina plot to steal from a Federal Reserve facility as a category five hurricane approaches.The conspiracy of people who join together to rob the facility increases as the movie progresses, as do the whipping winds and unbelievable shootouts that Casey and her allies encounter.
ThoughThe Hurricane Heistdoesn’t tread any familiar ground, it has echoes ofTwistersin the way it’s in conversation with classic disaster movies from the 20th century.
ThoughThe Hurricane Heistdoesn’t tread any familiar ground, it has echoes ofTwistersin the way it’s in conversation with classic disaster movies from the 20th century. The antagonists of the film are cartoonishly evil at times, and they’re no match for the intelligence and know-how of the story’s heroes.At the heart of the movie is a sibling relationship between brothers who spent their lives learning about hurricanesafter their father was tragically killed by one.
9Storm Seekers (2009)
Directed by George Mendeluk
While storm chasers who pursue tornadoes across the Oklahoma countryside are well-known by audiences,the hurricane hunters inStorm Seekersaren’t part of the cultural zeitgeist.The actions the characters inStorm Seekersmust take to track and collect data about their hurricane are even more terrifying than the actions of storm chasers. They have to fly directly into the storm, which could potentially bring the aircraft crashing down into the ocean. It’s an unstable position that leaves the audience worried about the characters.
Much ofStorm Seekersrevolves around the scientists on the ground not listening to or believing the reports coming from the crew in the air observing the hurricane. Additionally,the characters who populate the crew are all entrenched in deeply personal problems that continuously affect their workand get in the way of tracking the hurricane. While this might not be the most realistic course of events, it does make for plenty of drama alongside the brewing storms.
Mel Gibson cuts a striking figure in the movie, proving that he hasn’t aged out of his action roles.
Force of Naturewas released at a difficult time in 2020, so the film didn’t see a theatrical release in the U.S., meaning fewer audiences saw the film. ThoughForce of Naturehas faded from recent memory, it’s worth revisiting for the unexpected chemistry between the ensemble cast andthe heist element that raises the stakes beyond the impending hurricane.Mel Gibson cuts a striking figure in the movie, proving that he hasn’t aged out of his action roles.
Force of Naturecombines a hurricane, the threat of a band of art thieves, and a bloodthirsty tigerto make for a story that moves at breakneck speed. The movie never lets up on the tension and drama, making it impossible to imagine what plot development will come next. ThoughForce of Natureisn’t the most serious disaster film, it revels in its own unexpected and larger-than-life nature. Though critics didn’t appreciate the quirks of the film, it’s still an enjoyable romp for viewers who love action.
Crawl
Cast
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.
The horror aspects ofCrawlare all too real, as not only does a hurricane make evacuation impossible for Haley and her father, Dave. However, they’re pursued by alligators. Set in Florida,the story sees the alligators make their way to the character’s suburban town because of the floodingfrom the hurricane. Though the premise is a little unconventional,Crawlapproaches the material with a serious edge, and there are more than a few jump scares throughout the story.
Though the alligators quickly become the primary antagonists inCrawl, much of the movie is dedicated to the force and power of the hurricane. The characters spend much of the film in waist-high water, and the aquatic filming is an impressive aspect of the project. Additionally,Crawluses its limited cast to its great advantage, and almost the entire movie passes with only Haley and Dave onscreen.This gives the audience time to invest in their relationship and see them develop as people in the midst of their intense surroundings.
Adrift
Adrift is a survival drama based on the true story of Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, the film stars Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin as a young couple who set out on a sailing voyage, only to encounter one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. The movie focuses on their struggle to survive against seemingly insurmountable odds.
The real experience of Tami Aldham Ashcraft inspiredAdrift.
Though Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin both got their start inYA dystopian movies, they make a realistic and compelling couple inAdrift. As much a survival film as it is a disaster one,Adriftbegins as a romance, showing Tami and Richard, the film’s protagonists, falling in loveand planning to sail across the world together. The real experience of Tami Aldham Ashcraft inspiredAdrift. In reality, Tami and Richard were hit by a hurricane while sailing from Tahiti to San Diego, and Tami survived on her own at sea for many days.
Adriftdoes an excellent job of making the audience feel for the couple and become invested in their story immediately. Watching Tami struggle to keep herself and Richard alive as the ocean continuously assaults them is a stirring sight, butit’s the love that’s shown in the first half of the film that propels the story forward.Though the film premiered to mixed reviews, there’s no question that Woodley’s performance anchors the project and pushes her abilities to their limit.
Paul Walker heads upHours, a fictionalized story about a man and his daughter during the worst of Hurricane Katrina. Tragically, Walker passed away just before the film was released to larger audiences.Hoursis remembered as part of his legacy of thrilling and engaging action movies that delighted audiences of all kinds.Hoursis easy to get wrapped up in because it seesWalker’s character, Nolan, fight to get his newborn daughter to safety during Katrina.It tackles the real problems that many people in hospitals faced during the hurricane.
The baby is premature and can’t be moved from the hospital, but the flooding and damage from the storm make it impossible for the staff and other patients to leave.Hoursis a race against time as Nolan struggles to keep his daughter alive,signal the evacuation teams, and looters who steal the supplies he desperately needs. As the story progresses, the stakes and tension only increase, leaving the audience wondering if Nolan and his daughter will ever get out and see the end of the storm.
Though much of the film’s plot does follow the true events of that day,The Perfect Stormis a fictionalized account and takes dramatic liberties with some details.
Based on the real storm that formed in 1991 and was coined as The Perfect Storm, the movie of the same name explores the experience of a commercial fishing crew that was caught in the middle of it.The movie features a star-studded cast, including George Clooney, John C. Reilly, and Diane Lane,who all valiantly and empathetically portray the real crew of the fishing boat, the Andrea Gail. Though much of the film’s plot does follow the true events of that day,The Perfect Stormis a fictionalized account and takes dramatic liberties with some details.
Overall,The Perfect Stormwas a smash success and shed new light on the formation of this enormous weather event, but it hasn’t remained an overly popular installment of the disaster film genre. The biggest issue withThe Perfect Stormis that adding interpersonal drama between the characters that didn’t exist between the real people would have been in poor taste. However, even if a documentary might have done the story’s job just as well,the effects that created the winds and rain in the film were outstanding.
The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow depicts the cataclysmic effects of global climate change as a series of extreme weather events unfold, leading to a sudden and severe ice age. The film follows a paleoclimatologist and his son’s struggle for survival amidst the rapidly descending chaos.
The Day After Tomorrowis a classic disaster flick with all the outrageous science and unconventional storytelling that defines these modern thrillers. The movie stars Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal as a father and son who watch asthe world is sucked into a seemingly endless string of severe weather events.Hurricanes are only one of the major events to threaten humanity inThe Day After Tomorrow. Though the pace and extremity of the storms are exaggerated, they are a direct comment on the potential effects of climate change.
Plenty of movies have tackled the issue of climate change and humanity’s failure to respond and act as the environment becomes irrevocably damaged. However,The Day After Tomorrowis not a searing indictment of these factors. Rather,it’s a roller-coaster-like adventure that throws the characters into a litany of near-death experiences and visually stunning effectsthat make even the most outlandish weather events seem possible. ThoughThe Day After Tomorrowreceived mixed reviews, there’s no doubt that it’s fun until the very end.
10 Best Disaster Movies Like The Day After Tomorrow You Need To See
There are a ton of thrilling disaster movies like The Day After Tomorrow that plunge viewers into the terror of a widespread apocalyptic scenario.
2Katrina Babies (2022)
Directed by Edward Buckles Jr.
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit the United States in the 21st century, and since then, many films and pieces of media have grappled with the fallout from the event.InKatrina Babies, the filmmaker Edward Buckles compiled interviews and archival footage over several yearswith the survivors in New Orleans and the children who grew up in the city in the decades after the storm. It’s a serious and emotionally poignant documentary and could only be made by someone involved in the community with deep love and empathy for the people there.
Katrina Babiesis a portrait of the effects of hurricanes and the government’s failure to provide relief in emergency situations.
Another great documentary miniseries to explore after watchingKatrina Babiesis Spike Lee’s projectWhen The Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Parts. While many movies about hurricanes incorporate tragedy and hardship,few honestly portray the realities of the lasting effects of these storms.It’s important to remember that while these enormous events make for strong conflict and drama in movies, they impact people all over the world and should be taken seriously.Katrina Babiesis a portrait of the effects of hurricanes and the government’s failure to provide relief in emergency situations.
Key Largo
Key Largo is a 1948 film noir directed by John Huston, featuring Humphrey Bogart as war veteran Frank McCloud. He visits a Florida hotel to honor the family of a fallen comrade but finds himself ensnared in a tense standoff with gangster Johnny Rocco, played by Edward G. Robinson. The film explores themes of courage and redemption against the backdrop of a brewing hurricane.
Key Largois not only a movie about a hurricane, it’s also one ofHumphrey Bogart’s best film noir movies, and he co-stars with his wife and frequent collaborator, Lauren Bacall. As a crime thriller,Key Largois a far cry from a disaster movie, and the hurricane is used as a plot device rather than an overarching antagonist or metaphor.The hurricane forces the characters to remain inside their hotel in Key Largoinstead and face off against the gangsters who trapped them there.
However, there are still great moments of action that take place on the ocean, asBogart’s character, Frank, knows his way around a ship and is not one to cower in the face of intimidation.Despite its difference from other hurricane films,Key Largois one of the most well-crafted because its relationships and conflicts are elevated by the storm instead of relying on them. As disaster movies evolve and enter a new era for modern audiences, much can be learned from older films that cross genres.
