7 Underrated Natural Disaster Movies You Need To See

Disaster films have entertained the public for decades, but some within the genre remain underestimated and deserve more attention. The subgenre of action films reached its maximum point in the 1970s, with popular releases such as Poseidon’s adventure and The imposing hell. As technology has advanced and the demand for bigger box office successes that life has grown, disaster films have only captivated the public.

There is something equally exciting and scary to see a series of colossal events that threaten the basis of cities and the safety of their population. Most natural disaster films follow a family and somewhat predictable structure, and these underestimated films are no exception. Still, movies like Deep impact, The waveand Crack in the world Make an appreciated effort to produce a shocking disaster film with their stories driven by the characters and their achievements special effects, making them watch movies that deserve attention.

7 City on Fire (1979)

Directed by Alvin Rakoff

A group of people find out in the streets of a city that is wrapped in flames.

Unfavorable reviews and average quality of City in flames They have contributed to their lack of popularity over the years, although it remains a film that must be seen for the public that seeks a film that embodies the golden era of the disaster film. City in flames Follow several residents of a city after it is wrapped in flames, capturing the different ways in which people react to this chaos.

The burning sequence of events begins after a former angry employee of an oil refinery begins a fire in the facilities. While City in flames It may not end the golden age of the disaster film with an orderly arch, its false steps add to its general charm.

The effects in City in flames They are not too convincing, but the film can maintain its tension and sense of urgency thanks to its direction and actions, which skillfully captures panic and destruction that conquer the city. Like most disaster movies, City in flamesThe cast is full of family faces, including Leslie Nielsen, Barry Newman, Ava Gardner and Henry Fonda.

6 volcano (1997)

Directed by Mick Jackson

Tommy Lee Jones clings to Gaby Hoffmann in the front seat of a car.

Certainly the most cheesy film mentioned, Volcano It is very fun and can be appreciated for its special effects. The film has an unlikely series of events and follows the efforts of Los Angeles residents to divert the path of a volcano that has formed in the city.

The special effects and the convincing actions of actors such as Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche successfully transmit a tense and terrifying atmosphere that does not decrease until VolcanoThe final moments. It is true that the narrative and the characters in the film lack the depth found in other disaster films such as Deep impact and The wave.

This has resulted in Volcano Obtain a mixed response of critics and be largely ignored by the public in the years since its launch. Even so, the film went well at the box office at the time of its launch and has a handful of redemptive qualities that make it a must.

5 Know (2009)

Directed by Alex Proyas

Rose Byrne and Nicolas Cage examine a sheet of paper.

Knowledge It is one of the films over high of Nicolas Cage and a thriller that presents a variety of disasters that threaten life on earth. Cage leads the film as MIT professor John Koestler, who realizes that a document stored in a time capsule fifty years before predicts the date, the death toll and the location of the great disasters over the years.

Knowledge It is not a natural disaster film as direct as the other films are mentioned, but includes enough fragments of Mother Nature’s fury to guarantee its inclusion. With a handful of more Cataclysms to come, including a massive sunbrobe that goes to Earth, John is in a tense race against the clock to avoid disaster.

Knowledge A mixed critical response has been won over the years, with praise for the awkward atmosphere of the film and its performances, namely Cage. Even so, the failures of the film, such as its dark end and its unlikely details, should not prevent one from being delivered KnowledgeThe exciting pieces of the set and the unique premise.

4 crack in the world (1965)

Directed by Andrew Marton

Karon Moore goes down in a burning cave.

Catastrophic events seen in natural disaster films vary in their logic. Launched in the mid -60s, Crack in the world It is a more reasonable disaster film, although it still contains enough comforts to present a fun and exciting story for the public. Crack in the world Follow a group of scientists who are determined to reach magma drilling the nucleus of the earth.

To achieve this, scientists detonate an atomic device, which produces devastating results of the earth as a massive crack begins to form along a failure line. The pressure to save the earth from separation in two creates a great emergency feeling that will have the public on the edge of its seats.

While the love triangle between the main characters of the film is not entirely convincing, it complements Crack in the worldThe suspense tone quite well. Besides, Crack in the worldScience fiction elements are among those that are more solid within the genre, and their special effects, although they are not perfect, are quite impressive for the time it was launched.

3 The Quake (2018)

Directed by John Andreas Andersen

Two people hold the arms of a girl falling from a shattered window.

Collecting three years after the events of The wave, The earthquake It meets the public with Kristian, which is located in the center of another natural disaster. This time, Kristian predicts that a massive earthquake will hit the city, and it is proposed to warn others and protect their loved ones once more. The earthquakeFor the most part, it follows a structure similar to the previous film, placing great emotions within a moving family drama.

Deal with the survivor’s remorse and feel guilty for the deceased people who could not save from the tsunami in The waveMuch of The earthquakeThe first act presents Kristian’s current emotional state.

From there, the film takes place like any other disaster film, but is slightly high thanks to its outstanding special effects and cinematography. These elements create a lot of tension that keeps the audience hooked and inverted in the struggle of its protagonists for survival.

2 deep impact (1998)

Directed by Mimi Leder

Deep impact

Released within a few months of difference, Deep impact and Armageddon They have a similar theme, and there is a strong argument about why any of the movies is better than the other. However, while the last film seeks to impress the public with its fast and imposing action rhythm, Deep impact It presents them to the tangible human drama.

Deep impact Follow the efforts of a group of astronauts to destroy a comet addressed to Earth. The film explores not only the devastating impact that such a collision would have on the population of the Earth, but also touches how people respond to imminent fatality.

Performing better commercially, Armageddon has eclipsed a little Deep impactThe value of the years, but the last film has gained greater praise for its scientific precision and emotional depth. It is not always guaranteed that disaster films will prioritize their characters and their emotions in the middle of the tragedy, which is what it does Deep impact A movie that is worth it.

1 The Wave (2015)

Directed by Roar Uthaug

Kristoffer Joner and Silje Breivik sit on the front seats of a car, holding their hands with force while the water flows through the back of the car.

From Norway, The wave It is a disaster film well acted and based on characters that obtained a positive response from critics, but is overlooked in the genre as a whole. The film sees a devastating avalanche that produces a massive tsunami that destroys a small Norwegian city. Determined to warn others and saving his family is the geologist Kristian (Kristoffer Jer).

Like any good disaster movie, The wave It has its fair part of emotions and family gender clichés. However, what makes the film really memorable, and what distinguishes it from others in gender, is its focus on human drama. Kristian’s emotional and desperate search for family members in the midst of chaos easily attracts the public and maintains their attention until the shady end of the film.

The family drama in the center of the film not only closes The waveBut it also establishes a convincing premise for a sequel as well. The success of the film, which became the highest grossing film in Norway the year it was launched, resulted in a sequel, The earthquakeThree years later.