Mother nature should never be trusted, it is both what allows us to prosper, and more often, to perish. Not surprisingly, This Chick’s biggest fear isn’t what she can see, but what she can’t. So keeping that in mind, it’s no surprise that I’m somewhat of a fangirl for natural disaster movies. There is something almost supernatural about the sheer force that nature can smack us down with on a moment’s notice. So here’s This Chick’s list of the best movies where mother nature brings down her fist and says, “enough.”

 

10. 2012 (2009)

What’s scarier than the end of the world? 2012 is all about the human desire to survive during an extinction level event. Now, science majors may find this movie more than a little offensive, with its explanation of the apocalypse being little more than a wave of the hand about mutating neutrinos. But damn, is it fun! John Cusack, Danny Glover, and Chiwetel Ejiofor fight and fly for their lives, through the widely misinterpreted Mayan calendar’s foretelling of the end of the world.

9. The Wave (2015)

This little known Norwegian disaster flick will make you happy that you don’t live in a place with volcanic activity and beautiful oceans. . . unless you do. And if so, you’re already screwed, so embrace it! This gem never made it to the big screen in Canada, but did make it to Netflix, and it’s pretty bad ass. The Norwegians don’t mess around and The Wave will not disappoint. Despite not having the most creative title (Psst! The movie is about a big wave, just FYI), it’s pretty killer. If you can deal with subtitles, check it out.

 

8. San Andreas (2015)

Two words people, The. Rock. That in itself bumps this movie up to frickin’ great in my opinion. Putting aside my love for wrestling here, this 2015 disaster film can stand on its effects and set pieces alone. It’s not a game changer, but literally half the movie is spent watching whole cities get destroyed and eaten by the earth, displacing millions of people in the process and as a bonus the CGI is pretty great. That’s half the battle won there and that’s enough to make it on the list for This Chick. And again, The Rock.

 

7. Dante’s Peak (1997)

You HAVE TO love 90s natural disasters, before the era of overused CGI. This hot dramatic natural disaster film stars a dreamy Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, and of course a dog who steals the show, Roughy. Now if that’s not enough for you, let’s add in a quaint little town, nicely set right beside a super volcano, and an idiot boss who just won’t listen to reason in time to save them all! It’s 90s as hell, and absolutely glorious.

 

6. The Impossible (2012)

This inspiring film is based on the true story of the Indian Ocean tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004, and is a real tear-jerker. This dramatic natural disaster tale is not for the faint of heart. It follows the story of a fictionalized family trying to find each other and survive after a massive wave destroys the coast of Thailand on Boxing Day. Led by Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, this film was up for awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes and The Screen Actors Guild. This, in my opinion, is the closest I think you can get to a truly respected disaster film.

 

5. Deep Impact (1998)

A young Elijah “Frodo” Wood leads the cast of this sci-fi drama. When Leo (Frodo) discovers a comet headed straight for earth, something our best NASA scientists missed, the world essentially starts to fall apart. Impending doom brings out the best in people, right? Add in a crew of heroic astronauts and you have Deep Impact, a movie broken up into two different story lines, that still manages to leave us “hole” at the end.

 

4. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

This original 70s film is more widely respected than its 2006 remake, Poseidon, but if you must see that one instead, I will understand. However, this ’72 version boasts a pretty stellar cast of five Academy Award winners and obviously some great acting. Only in the 70s could a movie like this land a cast like that. Now add in the fancy dress parties, endless champagne, an over-priced cruise ship and a giant mother of a wave, and you have one of the most epic American disaster films to take place on the high seas.

 

3. Contagion (2011)

Let’s get gross. This medical thriller makes the list in a different kind of way. Mother nature can be a real bitch in countless ways. But what’s the most dangerous? Invisible, incurable, deadly viruses. Enter Contagion, which is just that! Matt Damon does his best to keep his shit together, and his daughter safe as his world literally dies off around him. It’s a slow burning, realistic look at how the world would respond to a global epidemic that can’t be contained.

 

2. Perfect Sense (2011)

This sci-fi disaster film may have slipped under most people’s radar as it was an indie film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. But it’s definitely worth the watch. A worldwide epidemic has occurred. The land is not crumbling, the seas aren’t rising. Sickness isn’t eating our insides. This plague takes away the very things that allow us to live in this world: our senses. Imagine living in a world where you lose your senses one at a time. Your taste, smell, hearing, and sight. And there is no cure. All you can do is wait for it to happen. That is scarier than any extreme weather system.

 

1. Twister (1996)

Of course Twister would be number 1. Did you really have any question? You have Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt chasing storms in tank-tops and pickup trucks, 90s style! You have flying cows, epic music, actors that throw themselves into the role like they think it’s art house, and amazing visuals for the time where CGI hadn’t advanced to the level of the recent Apes series. So, to this day, if you want great disaster action, watch the movie that made This Chick a super fan of natural disasters and shaped mine, and probably your childhoods! Take a stroll down memory lane and remember the pinnacle of natural disaster movies!