Ashes Roy
It’s a normal day at the beach. It could be a park or a suburb or a city bustling with office goers. Life is going as usual in its mundane way. Suddenly, people start running for their lives, buildings explode and mayhem is ensured. The catastrophic finale of human mortality has always intrigued the average cine-goer. Diverse forms of disaster have given us some really incredulous movies in this genre. We curated a list of those and ranked them per their ability to make the viewer awestruck. Keep your survival kit handy and enjoy the ride of this list of top disaster films. You can watch best disaster movies on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
9. Contagion (2011)
A global pandemic threatens to take over the world. While biologists look for cure, the rest of the world gets into chaos. Weaving several storylines into one, director Steven Soderbergh creates a world at the doorsteps of apocalypse where social norms have been shattered by the spreading disease. The movie was praised by the critics for its taut scripting and accurate depiction of the catastrophic events.
8. Cloverfield (2008)
Shot as a found footage, on the lines of ‘Blair Witch Project’, ‘Cloverfield’ is essentially a humongous creäture running wild in downtown Manhattan. What makes it unique to watch is the first person account of the events. The movie moves at a breakneck speed, without giving any plausible explanation of the events. Watch out for the scene where the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty rolls down the street, after bouncing off a building.
7. The Impossible (2012)
On 26th December, mother nature played havoc on its creation in the form of a devastating tsunami. Among the south asian countries, Indonesia bore majority of the brunt. ‘The Impossible’ is the story of a family torn apart in the same event and their tryst to get together. While the father gets stranded with two of the children, the injured mum is left with the elder son. Playing a mother who goes through myriad of emotions looking for her lost family, Naomi Watts earned praise from all quarters including a nomination for best actress at the academy awards.
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6. Apollo 13 (1995)
While they float back to earth, astronaut Jim Lovell looks back at moon’s surface and for a moment ponders on the fact that he came so close to his dream of walking on the moon. The very next moment, he goes back concentrating on the impending disaster looming on them, in the midst of an unending space. Based on the actual incident, ‘Apollo 13’ tells the story of the doomed manned mission to moon, which eventually resulted in the rescue of the crew. Starring Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon, this technically well made film received universal acclaim and won two academy awards.
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5. United 93 (2006)
In the ghastly events of 9/11, United 93 was the only aircraft where the passengers came together to foil the hijackers attempt, eventually meeting their demise. Chronicling the events leading to the ultimate disaster, ‘United 93’ recounts the brave efforts of those people onboard at the face of death. Shot real-time, this is one gripping tale of courage.
4. The Thing (1982)
When it was released in 1982, along with ET and Blade Runner, the audience didn’t take kindly to it. It was labelled as a gore fest that only teenagers would like to see. But over the years, the movie has attained a cult status because of its capability of pushing the viewer of his limits of feeling safe. ‘The Thing’ is about a creature which can imitate any living being to perfection. It brings out a certain paranoia of the viewer, because he doesn’t know who are humans and who is the thing. Throughout the movie, the thing keeps changing into different people and attacking the rest. The movie’s tagline said – ‘Man is the warmest place to hide’. Couldn’t be more right!
3. The Birds (1963)
Alfred Hitchcock’s monster movie, albeit with a twist – is how ‘The Birds’ rose to prominence. It tells about an unexplained phenomenon which shakes the coastal town of Bodega Bay to its core. Over the years, it has been the subject of countless debates. Multiple allegories of human psyche and nature’s backlash have always made the viewer curious about ‘The Birds’. And even after so many years, it still manages to baffle the most avid movie watcher. After all, why did the birds attack?
2. Gravity (2013)
‘Gravity’ is much more than just a disaster film or a science fiction. It tells about the undying human resilience in the face of adversity. An accident leaves Dr. Ryan Stone shuttling alone in space. Her only chance of surviving is her skills and courage. Director Alfonso Cuaron’s second on this list is nothing short of a technical marvel. Universally acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, ‘Gravity’ went on to win seven awards at the academy awards.
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1. Children Of Men (2006)
In a not so distant future, disaster strikes earth making its inhabitants infertile. In a chaotic world, ravaged by wars and insurgencies, the only hope is a pregnant woman, who holds the key to cure. Directed by the visionary Alfonso Curon, ‘Children of Men’ is a clever juxtaposition of several themes such as religion, anti immigrant sentiments and hope in face of absolute hopelessness. It was highly praised for its superior technique of movie making as well as its story, earning the movie three nominations at the academy awards.
