There are any number of cop movies that have been made over the decades (though, less so recently), but oddly enough the lineup for films focusing on firefighters is far slimmer. Really, there are only a handful of A-list examples, and even the majority of them only incorporate the profession, e.g. Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, as opposed to actually focusing on the profession.
Odd, considering fighting fires has to be one of the bravest paths someone can choose to walk in their life. And, where there's bravery, there's also something that must be overcome. In other words, the profession is a phenomenal template for a character or even a narrative as a whole. There aren't many firefighter films, but those that exist are mostly solid, and cinephiles won't regret picking one on movie night.
10 The Towering Inferno (1974)
The Towering Inferno was released back when massive disaster films with impressive ensemble casts were the norm instead of a rarity. The Paul Newman-Steve McQueen-Faye Dunaway action drama thankfully falls closer to The Poseidon Adventure than Airport on the quality scale, even if its 165-minute runtime can prove overwhelming.
The plot takes place in a newly-constructed, record-setting, 138-story skyscraper. A dedication ceremony is being held on the 135th, but when a fire starts on the 81st, the party's over. The cast is rounded out by Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner, Richard Chamberlain, Fred Astaire, William Holden, and O.J. Simpson.
9 Backdraft (1991)
Almost certainly the highest-profile studio film to ever focus on firefighters, Ron Howard's Backdraft is really a small-scale family affair at heart. It's debatable whether the star-studded movie is one of Howard's best, but even retrospectively it has elements that work in its favor.
The plot follows Kurt Russell and William Baldwin's Dennis and Brian McCaffrey. When their father (also Russell) is killed on the job, the boys handle the trauma differently, but both end up walking the same path he chose. But, soon, a serial arsonist ups the ante on their crime spree, and the brothers may just learn that the criminal is under the same fire station roof.
8 Volcano (1997)
Released the same year as the superior, similar, and equally unsuccessful Dante's Peak, Volcano is a big-budget natural disaster movie that often strains the extent of logic. The plot takes place in Los Angeles, where an earthquake unsettles the already tumult-inclined terrain, releasing the wrath of a volcano that's been building in the subterranean sewer system.
The audience spends the majority of their time with O.E.M. head Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones) and geologist Dr. Amy Barnes (the late Anne Heche) as they jump from one setpiece to the next. In order to evacuate the city, though, they need to work with the LAPD, the Department of Water and Power, and the Los Angeles Fire Department, none of whom can seem to get on the same page.
7 Collateral Damage (2002)
Even with The Fugitive's Andrew Davis behind the camera and action star Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of it, Collateral Damage simply doesn't work. It's not that the movie is broken per se so much as it's just utterly bland, falling in line on the Schwarzenegger filmography alongside projects such as Raw Deal, End of Days, and The 6th Day.
In the end, the best thing about the movie is the odd fact that Bill Hader was a PA on it, which is something the Saturday Night Live vet hilariously revealed on Conan. The plot follows Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Gordon Brewer, who was injured in a bombing by the self-titled "El Lobo" (Cliff Curtis). The explosion also took Brewer's wife and son, and now he's on the warpath to Colombia where he intends to take on "The Wolf" once and for all.
6 Ladder 49 (2004)
Featuring Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta (a duo who would assuredly be more interesting in a different project), Ladder 49 tells the (fictional) story of Jack Morrison, a Baltimore City firefighter trapped in a 20-story warehouse. Much of the movie is actually told via flashback, with the warehouse fire bookending the narrative. And, like with many movies involving the elements, the bookend is of a tragic nature. The movie does a good job of fleshing out the youthful Morrison's ambition, and Phoenix carries the movie over the sometimes heavy-handed performance from Travolta.
But, ultimately, the film's main issue (which can make it a slog to sit through) is the very one pointed to by many critics. Specifically, how the movie views firefighters. The script treats them as those to be perpetually exalted. And, naturally, while firefighting is a profession more than worthy of that admiration, it makes for an overbearing "We get it" kind of movie when put into action. Ultimately, Ladder 49 plays more like a movie of the week than something that was theatrically distributed, even with the presence of Phoenix and Travolta (who was on the verge of entering the direct-to-video bin).
5 I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)
A somewhat problematic movie in 2007 is absolutely problematic in the 2020s, regardless of how progressive its heart is trying to be. I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry follows two New York City firefighters who pretend to be gay to scam the government.
But, the purpose is wholly pure, as Larry is a struggling widower. Devoted to his children, Larry still has a hard time balancing being a father, being alert on the job, and being able to spend some time on himself. If reading the plotline for I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, one might be forgiven for assuming Sandler had nothing to do with it. But, when the plot is put into action, the film's utterly juvenile tone supersedes any sort of good intention. Furthermore, you can't make a movie that attempts to support one group of people while simultaneously having Rob Schneider dive into the pool of cultural appropriation.
4 Only the Brave (2017)
Only the Brave is a realistic and intimate human interest story featuring a group of men willing to burn to death in an effort to stop civilians from doing the same. The film's Granite Mountain Hot Shots was a real team (and there's still the Prescott Hotshot Crew) and Joseph Kosinski's film doesn't stop short of showing what they went through.
19 of the 20 Granite Mountain Hot Shots died fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire, and they're brought to life by an ensemble cast, e.g. Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, James Badge Dale, Jennifer Connelly, and Taylor Kitsch. There's an argument to be made that Only the Brave stands as the best firefighter film there is. It's certainly the most heartfelt, and is almost as much a testament to Kosinski's considerable talent as Top Gun: Maverick.
3 Skyscraper (2018)
Like Black Adam, Skyscraper stands as one of the primary examples of the limit to Dwayne Johnson's box office draw. Admittedly, it became profitable once worldwide tallies were taken into account, but the mega-budgeted film mostly whiffed in the U.S.
And, really, it's not surprising because there isn't much to remember about Skyscraper beyond its profound similarities to Die Hard. But, it was certainly an experience on IMAX screens, where viewers felt every inch of "The Pearl's" 225 floors, just as they could nearly feel the fire consuming it. The plot concerns a group of terrorists who set the building on fire in an effort to extort the highly-discussed building's property developer. Dwayne Johnson portrays former FBI agent Will Sawyer, who has interactions with firefighters frequently throughout the film's runtime.
2 Playing with Fire (2019)
A fine forgettable diversion to have on while the kids need to settle down, Playing with Fire also made a decent splash at the box office. But, like The Tooth Fairy with Dwayne Johnson or The Spy Next Door with Jackie Chan, it's just another example of a likable star of violent action movies jumping into a poorly-written kids' film to appeal to a wider audience.
John Cena plays Jake Carson, the commanding officer of a smokejumper unit in the California woodlands. Their daily routine is thrown into a tailspin for a while after they rescue three little girls from a burning cabin. Naturally, CPS is on its way, but per usual bureaucratic red tape is cut with dull scissors.
1 Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)
A rare (but minor) blemish on Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan's filmography, Those Who Wish Me Dead can often play as a bit jumbled. But, it has two terrific villains in Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen's assassins, who are on the hunt for Connor, a boy who saw the duo murder his father.
He stumbles upon Angelina Jolie's Hannah Faber, a smokejumper grieving over a failed mission. But, her protective skills are put to increasingly good use with Connor, and life gives Faber a chance for some personal, internal closure.
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