The 25 Greatest Disaster Movies of All Time

By Bilge Ebiri

The Perfect Storm. Photo: Warner Bros.

his list was originally published in 2015, and we’ve updated it to include newer releases.

It’s a big week for disaster movies, what with both Geostorm and Only the Brave opening wide in theaters across the U.S. And you could say that the two films reflect the wide spectrum of titles that are usually grouped under the term “disaster movie.” Only the Brave is based on a true story, and emphasizes the humanity of the men tasked with fighting raging wildfires; the flames themselves are terrifying and spectacular, but they’re only part of the story. Geostorm, on the other hand … well, the studio hasn’t let critics see it yet, but it looks like gloriously trashy and ridiculous fun. The kind that returns us to a borderline prelinguistic state where all we can do is mutter: “Big … storm … break … make … explode … good.”