The right mix of terror and an amazing duo set '90s disaster movies apart from stuffy romances and comedies. In the '90s, disaster movies were all that. If you wanted to experience a plane crash, an earthquake, a tornado ripping through the drive-ins, or an alien takeover, you’d find yourself at the theater from 1990-1999. Disaster movies are loved and accepted by so many people because they’re such a guilty pleasure; sometimes, they’re so bad that they’re good. Natural disasters were dominating the screen, and people just accepted it; some hated it while others loved it. You might find the CGI of Godzilla (1998) to be absolutely terrible, but there’s something so nostalgic about a 400-foot monster robotically moving through the city, destroying everything in its wake.
Updated June 28, 2023: If you are here for disaster movies, you'll be pleased to know we've updated this article with new entries.
The disaster movie in the 2000s took a different turn. After the tragic events of September 11th, the pleasure of watching a city get destroyed felt in poor taste. Natural disasters were no longer engaging threats, and audiences embraced supervillains and evil organizations for a world at war. Now large-scale disaster spectacles tend to be put in big superhero action films like Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Avengers, or Man of Steel, to name a few. For those nostalgic for when disaster movies were simple, take a look back at the best of the genre from the 1990s.
15 Alive (1993)
Some of the best disaster films are based on events that transpired in the real world. Such is the case of Alive. This heartbreaking survival film is based on Piers Paul Read's 1974 book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, which recounts the story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashes in the Andes Mountains. Stranded and enduring freezing conditions with little hope of rescue, the survivors must endure unimaginable hardships to stay alive.
This powerful story is directed by Frank Marshall, based on a screenplay by John Patrick Shanley. The film features young faces of the early 90s, such as Ethan Hawke, Vincent Spano, and Josh Hamilton. The film is known for being a genuinely challenging watch, showcasing humanity's raw nature in dire situations. Still, it also highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the lengths people will go to survive against all odds.
14 Firestorm (1998)
So very few films touch upon the terrible disaster presented by wildfires. Firestorm offered a great chance to explore this setup but got bogged down with multiple side stories. While the film still manages to tell a compelling story, it could have explored the thankless job done by wildfire firefighters. This movie is directed by Dean Semler, with a screenplay by Chris Soth and Graham Yost. The movie features the talents of working actors such as Howie Long, Scott Glenn, and William Forsythe.
This intense, action-packed film follows a group of smokejumpers, elite firefighters, battling a massive forest fire that threatens to consume everything in its path. Firestorm is also a crime drama with a side story exploring a heist gone wrong and how the nature of fire kills the prospect of a hidden reward for a double-crossing team of thieves. The film is loaded with stunning visuals and great action sequences. It also explores the injuries that can get these men out of commission.
13 Avalanche (1994)
Although the big studios made numerous tentpoles with natural disasters during the 90s, some networks also sought to get into action with their offerings. Such is the case of CTV Fox making a unique film named Avalanche, using the rocky Canadian mountains as the story's background. This solid thriller follows the story of a dangerous diamond smuggler who finds himself lost and separated from his loot after a violent avalanche. After being rescued by a family, he forces them to dig in the snow to get his diamonds back.
This small-scale drama was directed by Paul Shapiro, with a great script by Tim Redman. The cast includes working actors for the big red north, such as Michael Gross, Deanna Milligan, Myles Ferguson, and the special participation of David Hasselhoff as the scumbag Duncan, which shows the Baywatch mainstay has some acting range outside of his comfort zone. The film is full of tense moments and wonderfully paced. The characters' story takes a backseat to the natural disaster but still makes for a compelling watch.
12 Daylight (1996)
Something strange was going on with Stallone's career during the 90s. He consistently released a couple of films every year, but most of his best work during the decade is sandwiched between stinkers. Daylight is the underdog of the bunch. This disaster movie was directed by Rob Cohen, with a screenplay by Leslie Bohem, and features the talents of Stallone, Amy Brenneman, and Viggo Mortensen.
In this high-octane action film, a group of people finds themselves trapped in the Holland Tunnel after a massive explosion causes a catastrophic collapse. With limited time and rising water levels, a disgraced former emergency medical services chief leads the desperate rescue mission. Stallone gives a nuanced performance as someone solely motivated to do the right thing, even in the face of impossible odds.
11 Fearless (1993)
Very few disaster films explore the aftermath of a disastrous event, but Fearless goes one step ahead by exploring the strange detachment that overwhelms a single survivor. This unique movie is directed by Peter Weir, with a script by Rafael Yglesias. Fearless features the talents of Jeff Bridges, Isabella Rossellini, and Rosie Perez. The story explores the aftermath of a plane crash in which Max Klein survives against all odds.
After surviving the crash, Max feels a new lease on life, with no more fears invading his mind. Authorities don't know what to make of it, as he leaves the disaster scene and doesn't try to reconnect with his family. He eventually meets the nearing survivors of the crash, one struggling with survivor's guilt. The encounter triggers something in him that could help him get back to normal. It's an intense story exploring the human psyche and how we deal with trauma.
10 Outbreak (1995)
Wolfgang Petersen’s medical disaster film Outbreak was a box-office hit in 1995. Featuring an impressive A-list cast, including Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, and Donald Sutherland, the film focuses on an outbreak of a killer virus brought to America by a monkey from the African jungle. It is a terrifying thriller, which was released when a shocking real-life outbreak of the Ebola virus was occurring in Africa.
Because of a realistic look for handling a pathogen able to cause a global biological meltdown, Outbreak’s popularity surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, akin to other films like Contagion. After all these years, Outbreak is more watchable than ever.
9 Armageddon (1998)
Michael Bay’s 1998 blockbuster, Armageddon, stars Bruce Willis as an oil driller leading his team on a mission to nuke a Texas-sized asteroid from the inside before it hits Earth. It is unrealistic but still highly entertaining. Entertaining enough to become the highest-grossing film of 1998 worldwide. Nevertheless, film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote that "It’s strictly a side issue whether mankind will survive colliding with an asteroid the size of Texas; the real question is whether Liv Tyler, who plays Bruce Willis’s daughter, gets to keep her boyfriend (Ben Affleck)."
8 Deep Impact (1998)
In 1997, these were volcano disaster films (Dante’s Peak, Volcano). In 1998, two films about comets hurtling toward Earth, Deep Impact and Armageddon, were released. Armageddon fared better at the box office, but Deep Impact became one of the most scientifically accurate movies. The astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson did not bring up any scientific errors in Mimi Leder’s science-fiction disaster film, saying that Deep Impact "had really good science going there." (via BuzzFeed).
The film begins when a 14-year-old amateur astronomer (played by pre-The Lord of the Rings Elijah Wood) discovers a giant comet. Like Netflix’s important failure Don't Look Up, Deep Impact involves the media’s and the president’s (played here by Morgan Freeman) reaction to the crisis.
7 Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Easily one of the best shark movies of its time, the iconic Samuel L Jackson and Saffron Burrows star in Deep Blue Sea, and it really takes the cake for cheesy '90s CGI sharks. The story follows Burrows’ character, Dr. Susan McAlester, as a researcher for an Alzheimer's disease cure, which conveniently is found in brain tissue of altered sharks. When things go wrong (which, of course they do), she calls Russel Franklin (Jackson) to help combat these man-eating sharks. Paired with a great cast and solid soundtrack, you can see how it made $165 million at the box office.
6 Volcano (1997)
Inspired by the real-life Parícutin volcano in Mexico, Volcano pretty much gives you all you need to know about it in the title. Tommy Lee Jones stars as Michael Roark, the city of Los Angeles’ director of emergency management, and from the beginning, he suspects that something is going wrong in his city. When a volcano erupts in the middle of downtown, it takes a stacked cast of Jones, Don Cheadle, Keith David, and Anne Heche to try and stop the flow of lava. This movie is such a pure disaster film simply because of all the reckless destruction that takes place. In the end, Los Angeles is destroyed, and Tommy Lee Jones is the hero. What more could you ask for?
5 Dante’s Peak (1997)
Unlike Volcano, Dante’s Peak, another volcano movie, did absolutely terrible at the box office. It received negative reviews, certainly couldn’t keep up with Volcano in box office revenue, and people just hated it. However, that’s what makes it so good. The CGI is unpolished, the story is already overdone and cooked, and Pierce Brosnan delivers one of his weakest performances, and yet… it’s a '90s cult classic.
The film stars Brosnan alongside Linda Hamilton and the late Charles Hallahan. It's based in a fictional town where a dormant volcano sits until one day, it wakes up and wreaks havoc on the sleepy little town. Chaos ensues. If you love bad disaster movies and acting that's so weird that it's good, look no further and pop Dante’s Peak in. You’re in for quite a ride.
4 Independence Day (1996)
Roland Emmerich's Independence Day is routinely considered the most expensive B movie ever made and the turning point in the history of the Hollywood blockbuster. The astonishing images of mass devastation from this action-packed film about an alien force that attacked on July 4 became commonplace in disaster movies that followed.
Despite quite a ridiculous script, stereotypical characters, and weak dialogues, Independence Day benefited from outstanding visual effects and became the highest-grossing film of 1996. 20 years later, in 2016, the sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, was released.
3 Apollo 13 (1995)
Ron Howard brings the true story of the Apollo 13 mission to life with Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and the late Bill Paxton leading the journey. This film dramatizes what happened on the mission to land on the moon, but when an explosion of an oxygen tank takes place, things start to go very wrong for Lovell (Hanks), Swigert (Bacon), and Haise (Paxton).
This disaster movie is so good because, while it isn’t something nature-related, like an earthquake or a tornado, this is history being retold again. The audience is entranced by the performances of three critically-acclaimed actors, telling the frightening story of what it was like to be on that mission. You almost feel like you’re there with them on the spacecraft due to the shaky camera and lighting, sweating along with them as they try to figure out what to do and how to safely land Apollo 13.
2 Titanic (1997)
The spectacle of the doomed luxury liner with the love story of Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) is still one of the most important disaster movies of all time. James Cameron’s Titanic won 11 Oscars, including awards for Best Picture and Best Director, and was the first film to reach the billion-dollar mark. Compared to the 'so bad that they’re good' disaster B movies, Titanic is even better than it needs to be; it's a disaster epic about an epic disaster.
1 Twister (1996)
The first thing you need to know about Twister is that it is the most ridiculous tornado movie ever made. The second thing you need to know is that it is the best disaster movie ever. Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt lead this epic flick, with a handful of notable cast members surrounding them, including the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Jami Gertz, and Cary Elwes. The film is about a group of tornado chasers and their love for horrible weather, but also each other.
Twister has something that most disaster movies ignore; the found family. Helen Hunt’s character, Dr. Jo Harding, leads this group of misfits almost around the state of Oklahoma, chasing the biggest tornados they can possibly find and using their new device, Dorothy, along the way. Twister features a number of nasty tornadoes that come sweeping in and, with them, a ton of life-or-death moments. In the end, every single person survives, and the family is brought back together as Jo Harding and Bill (Paxton) reconcile. Oh, and the villain of the story, Dr. Jones Miller (Elwes), certainly gets what’s coming to him. Audiences are eagerly awaiting the sequel, Twisters, in 2024.
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