Disasters: 37

Twisters (2024), an American disaster film directed by Lee Isaac Chung and written by Mark L. Smith based on a story by Joseph Kosinski, serves as a standalone sequel to the 1996 film of the same name. Kate Carter, who works in Oklahoma with her team of storm chasers Javi, Addy, Praveen, and her boyfriend Jeb, utilizes a Dorothy V doppler and barrels of sodium polyacrylate solution to decrease the intensity of tornadoes and secure funding for further research. Tragically, during one mission, Addy, Praveen, and Jeb lose ...

The Quake (2018), a Norwegian disaster film directed by John Andreas Andersen, tells the story of Kristian Eikjord, a geologist who becomes a hero for his bravery during the 2016 tsunami in Geiranger. However, three years later, he is dealing with personal struggles as his wife Idun divorces him and he is separated from his children Sondre and Julia. While Kristian lives in isolation above the now restored Geiranger, his family has moved to Oslo where Idun works at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel. Guilt-ridden over the 250 lives lost during the tsunami, Kristian keeps a secret room solely dedicated to the tragedy and its ...

Directed, cowritten, and coproduced by Dean Devlin, Geostorm (2017) is an American science-fiction disaster film that centers around a system of climate-controlling satellites called ‘Dutch Boy’. In 2019, an international coalition commissions the satellites following a series of devastating natural disasters. After successfully neutralizing a typhoon in Shanghai, chief architect Jake Lawson is reprimanded by a Senate sub-committee for acting without authorization. He is replaced by his brother Max, who works alongside Secretary of State Leonard Dekkom. Three years later, while stationed in the Registan ...

The American biographical drama film, Only the Brave (2017), was directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer. It is based on Sean Flynn’s GQ article No Exit. In 2007, Eric Marsh of the Prescott Fire Department in Arizona faces frustration while battling forest fires. The distant Type 1 or ‘Hotshot’ crews overrule his operational suggestions causing sorrow for his area. To change this dynamic, Marsh gains approval from ...

Deepwater Horizon (2016) is a biographical film about the disastrous explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident occurred on April 20, 2010, when an oil drilling rig called Deepwater Horizon, operated by contractor Transocean for BP, was completing drilling off the coast of Louisiana. Surprised by the decision of BP managers Donald Vidrine and Robert Kaluza to sed home workers without conducting a cement bond log (CBL), Chief Electronics Technician Mike Williams and Offshore Installation Manager James Harrell take action. Harrell convinces Vidrine to carry out a negative pressure test, which shows that the cement has not properly sealed the well from ...

The film The Finest Hours (2016), directed by Craig Gillespie and produced by Walt Disney Pictures, follows Bernie Webber, a crewman at Coast Guard Station Chatham in Massachusetts. Bernie has fallen for local girl Miriam Pentinen and the two plan to marry on April 16. However, according to Coast Guard regulations, he must first seek permission from Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff. On February 18, 1952, the tanker SS Pendleton breaks in half during a nor’easter off the Chatham coast. With most of the station’s crew already occupied with another rescue mission, Bernie is tasked with piloting motor lifeboat ...

The 33 (2015) is a biographical disaster-survival drama film directed by Patricia Riggen. In August 2010, a group of miners from Copiapó, Chile are working in the San José mine when it collapses due to the owner’s negligence. This unfortunate event leaves them trapped and without a way out. As the miners gather in a rescue chamber, they quickly realize they lack necessary supplies for a long stay – the radio is broken, the medical kit is empty, and there is little food. Amidst this dire situation, Mario Sepúlveda emerges as a leader, taking charge of rationing food and maintaining order among the group. Despite ...

Norwegian disaster film, The Wave (2015), by director Roar Uthaug, was Norway’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards. Despite this, it failed to secure a nomination. Geologist Kristian Eikjord’s last day in the popular tourist spot Geiranger takes an unexpected turn when sensors on the mountain signal a disappearance of groundwater at Åkerneset. With his wife Idun still working at the local hotel for a few more days and his children Sondre and Julia with him, Kristian realizes something is amiss and quickly heads back to the geology center. ...

In the disaster film, San Andreas (2015), directed by Brad Peyton and written by Carlton Cuse, we follow the journey of Caltech seismologist Dr. Lawrence Hayes. Along with his colleague, Dr. Kim Park, he is conducting tests at Hoover Dam using a new earthquake prediction model. However, their plans are disrupted when an unknown fault suddenly ruptures nearby, causing a catastrophic 7.1-magnitude earthquake that destroys the dam. Despite Park’s heroic sacrifice to save a young girl, he is swept away by the ensuing flood. As Hayes investigates further, he discovers ...

Into the Storm (2014) is an American found footage disaster film directed by Steven Quale and written by John Swetnam. In Silverton, Oklahoma, graduation preparations are underway for the local high school senior class. Gary Fuller, the high school’s vice-principal, has enlisted his two sons, Trey and Donnie, to help capture messages from the seniors for a time capsule that will be opened in 25 years. Meanwhile, veteran storm chaser Pete has been trying to capture footage of tornadoes using his specially designed Tornado Intercept Vehicle, but with no success so far ...

Hours (2013) is an American thriller film directed and written by Eric Heisserer, centered around Nolan Hayes and his newborn baby in the midst of Hurricane Katrina. Prior to the storm’s arrival in 2005, Nolan brings his wife Abigail to the emergency room as she enters labor five weeks ahead of schedule. Despite the doctor’s explanation that Abigail gave birth to a baby girl but succumbed to liver failure, Nolan remains adamant that she is still alive and mourns her loss. However, he quickly learns that their premature baby must remain on a ventilator for the next two days until she can breathe ...

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by John Gatins, Flight (2012) is an American drama film which follows the story of airline pilot Captain Whip Whitaker. In an attempt to combat his fatigue after a sleepless night in his Orlando hotel room, Whip resorts to using cocaine. During his flight on SouthJetAir Flight 227 to Atlanta, the plane experiences intense turbulence upon takeoff. Co-pilot Ken Evans takes over while Whip discreetly mixes vodka into his orange juice and rests. However, he is abruptly awakened as the plane suddenly plunges downwards. In a bold move, ...

The Impossible (2012) is a disaster drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez, based on the real-life experience of María Belón and her family during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Doctor Maria Bennett, her husband Henry, and their three sons Lucas, Simon, and Thomas are on a Christmas holiday in Khao Lak, Thailand when disaster strikes. Arriving on Christmas Eve at the Orchid Beach Resort, they settle in and start to enjoy their vacation. But just two days later, on December 26, everything changes as the massive tsunami hits the area. Amidst ...

Hereafter (2010), directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, is an American drama with a screenplay by Peter Morgan. The film follows three individuals who share a common experience with death, all struggling to communicate with the deceased. Playing the role of George is Matt Damon, an American factory worker who has the ability to communicate with the dead professionally but chooses not to. Cécile de France portrays Marie, a French TV journalist who survives a near-death ...

Aftershock (2010) is a disaster-drama from China, directed by Feng Xiaogang and produced by Huayi Brothers. Li Yuanni and her husband, Fang Daqiang, along with their twins, Fang Deng and Fang Da, reside in Tangshan’s compact apartment. On the morning of July 28th, 1976, the couple engage in intimacy after tucking their children into bed. Suddenly, an earthquake strikes, causing buildings to crumble. As they rush back to rescue their kids, Fang urges Li to stay behind as he runs ahead of her but tragically gets crushed under falling debris. Their apartment complex collapses and traps their children beneath a pile ...

Tidal Wave (2009) is a disaster film from South Korea helmed by JK Youn. Local Haeundae District resident Man-sik suffers the tragic loss of Yeon-hee’s father while out at sea during the 2004 tsunami, due to an error in judgement. This causes him to distance himself from Yeon-hee, who manages an unlicensed seafood establishment, despite her efforts to build a relationship. Dong-choon and Seung-hyun’s grandmother become involved in illicit activities with Seung-hyun to earn quick cash, but are eventually apprehended by the authorities. In the meantime, Man-sik prepares for a marriage proposal to Yeon-hee. ...

2012 (2009) is a science fiction film directed and written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser. American geologist Adrian Helmsley travels to East India in 2009 to meet with astrophysicist Satnam Tsurutani, where he learns about a new type of neutrino causing the Earth’s core to heat up. Upon his return to Washington D.C., Adrian informs White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser and President Thomas Wilson. The following year, over forty-six nations work together to build nine arks in Tibet and secure important artifacts. Nima, a Buddhist monk, is evacuated with his ...

The American docudrama disaster film, World Trade Center (2006), was directed by Oliver Stone and written by Andrea Berloff. It portrays the harrowing experience of a team of New York City police officers during the September 11 attacks, when they became trapped in the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center. Dispatched to Downtown Manhattan on that fateful day, members of the Port Authority Police received news en route that both towers had been hit by planes. Led by Sergeant John McLoughlin, a veteran of the 1993 bombing, a group of volunteers including officers ...

Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006), an American disaster drama TV miniseries, portrays the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Written by Abi Morgan and directed by Bharat Nalluri, it is a joint production of HBO and the BBC. Through intertwining plotlines, we witness the personal tragedies faced by various characters. The Carter family, consisting of Ian, Susie, and their six-year-old daughter Martha, desperately search for her after she was carried away by the tsunami. In addition, Kim Peabody and her son Adam also scour the destruction for Kim’s ...

Poseidon (2006), directed and co-produced by Wolfgang Petersen, is a gripping American action disaster film. This thrilling adaptation of Paul Gallico’s 1969 novel, The Poseidon Adventure, is loosely based on the 1972 version. The lavish RMS Poseidon is embarking on a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Among the passengers are former New York City Mayor and firefighter Robert Ramsey, traveling with his daughter Jennifer and her boyfriend Christian Sanders who are soon to be engaged. Also on board are former Navy submariner turned professional gambler Dylan ...