10 Best Foreign Disaster Movies of the Last Decade, Ranked

If there is one advantage to new-age cinema, it is the ability to live through the thrill of events that have happened or could never possibly occur. Real-life disasters are terrifying, but sometimes, a little on-screen thrill and suspense is what audiences need to unwind and remember that there is a bit of humanity in everyone. Disaster films are good at terrifying people, but they are also good reminders of the good that exists in people, even when death is right in front of them.

Many fan favorites of disaster films have been produced by Hollywood, including Twister, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012, but what about international films that are oftentimes equally good and carry on the legacy? Here’s to the disaster films that remind us that nobody is inherently evil, and the world is one big community trying to survive catastrophe.

10 ‘Skyfire (2019)’

IMDb: 5.2/10

Meng Li (Hannah Quinlivan) lost her mother at Tianhuo Island when a volcano erupted. Years later, now an adult, Meng Li returns to the island, having become a scientist so that she can prevent deaths similar to the one that befell her mother. However, Tian-Hao Island has become a tourist attraction, an amusement park, and a resort that features a volcano. Chaos ensues when the dormant volcano erupts, and hundreds of lives are at stake.

Usually, in films about disasters caused by humans caused by power-hungry, wealthy elites, it’s hard to feel bad for the antagonists. Films like these are usually a commentary on capitalistic societies on how, given the chance, the wealthy will always make a profit off of everyone else’s tragedies. However, unlike most disaster films, Skyfire makes even the antagonist sympathetic. In this film, everyone has to work together to get out together, or else it’s lights out for everyone.

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9 ‘The Wandering Earth (2019)’

IMDb: 5.9/10

The Wandering Earth tells of a time when the sun grows close to engulfing the Earth in its fiery red flames. To save humanity from this disaster, the government decides to build propellers called “Earth engines” on the Earth to find a new solar system in something called the Wandering Earth Project., but as a result, the Earth stops its rotation and is forced out of its orbit, causing the Earth to freeze over. In the meantime, 17 years pass, and the younger generation, consisting of Han Duoduo (Zhao Jinmai), Liu Qi (Qu Chuxiao), Tim (Mike Sui), and others, try to help save the Earth from coming into contact with Jupiter when an earthquake destroys the Earth engines.

The Wandering Earth is a Chinese film with a unique premise where, even after disaster first strikes, more disasters occur continuously. The Wandering Earth is more of a unique film in that its disaster is being crushed by Jupiter, and Earth’s closeness to the planet has devastated the Earth. No matter how hard Earth’s populace try, they’ve been in danger for almost two decades. This film also encourages the idea that with the will of the people, almost anything is impossible, and sometimes, everyone has to be willing to sacrifice in order to move forward, which is what the entire cast of characters in the film do. The sacrifices made throughout the film add emotional depth to The Wandering Earth, which makes it that much more impactful and heartbreaking, something that many disaster films are unable to do.

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8 ‘Fukushima 50 (2020)’

IMDb: 6.0/10

An earthquake strikes the Japanese town of Okuma, which also happens to be where the Fukushima Daiichi facility is located. This takes out the power of the nuclear power plant, but when a large tsunami wave arrives and hits the nuclear power plant, the backup generator is destroyed, and the workers across Japan are left scrambling to keep the power plant going, even at the risk of their own lives.

Fukushima 50 is based on the book, On the Brink: The Inside Story of Fukushima Daiichi by Ryusho Kadota, which is based on the real story of a group of emergency workers called the Fukushima 50 who worked to clean up and fix the mess at the nuclear disaster site. Unlike most disaster movies, this film focuses primarily on the disaster itself and the attempts to prevent a nuclear explosion. As the characters examine the more severe issues that arise along the way, viewers will easily empathize with the characters involved—with minimal backstory—and easily feel attached, as the film shows that no single person necessarily wants to sacrifice themselves, but rather, they feel an obligation to do so to protect their loved ones. Fukushima 50 is a more technical retelling, eliciting strong emotions from the viewer along the way.

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7 ‘Ashfall (2019)’

IMDb: 6.2/10

Jo In-chang (Ha-Jung woo) is part of a bomb-disarming unit in South Korea, which can be dangerous if not done correctly. This upsets his wife Ji-young (Bae Suzy) who is pregnant. Then suddenly, on his way home to meet with her and learn the gender of the baby, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Korea—caused by the eruption of Paektu Mountain—creating a deadly disaster that only gives South Koreans a little bit of time to live before the entire peninsula is destroyed by the now-active volcano. In-chang is then put in charge of a special forces unit to help prevent another disaster from destroying the Korean peninsula. Along the way, he has to recruit the help of a captured spy, and Choi Ji-young has to survive the disaster on her own.

While most disaster films begin with a build-up of characters and their situations and circumstances, Ashfall (also known as Mount Paektu) introduces two of the main characters before enveloping viewers in a severe natural disaster. Interestingly enough, Ashfall is almost like an action film with a natural disaster as a subgenre. The action sequences—pulled off successfully by Lee Byung-hun as Lee Joon-pyeong—add a layer of intrigue to the film. Meanwhile, female lead and K-pop idol Suzy Bae as Choi Ji-young adds emotional depth to the film as she not only has to survive for herself but for the child she is carrying. Viewers can almost feel the same fear that Ji-young feels in her terrifying circumstances. A little humor is also thrown into the mix, which is not common in disaster films, and this film is successful at it by maintaining a balance of humor and seriousness.

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6 ‘The Quake’

IMDb: 6.2/10

The Quake is the sequel to The Wave, following Kristian Eikjord (Kristoffer Joner) and his family after the events of the rockslide tsunami. Kristian has decided to stay in Åkneset, dealing with the trauma and survivor’s guilt from the tsunami. Unfortunately, this means that Kristian and his family are separated, and Kristian gets temporary custody of his kids, though sunken deep into his own trauma, he is revealed to be somewhat neglectful and emotionally distant. Like before, Kristian is stuck in trying to prevent catastrophes and disasters, and his life has become consumed by them. However, when he starts to investigate the death of a friend in Oslo, where his family lives, Kristian discovers the research that his friend had been working on and finds out that there is suspicious activity in the Earth’s core in Oslo, and not too long after his attempts to warn his family, a high-magnitude earthquake strikes, and Kristian attempts to save his family.

The Quake proves itself to be a very good sequel to a disaster film. Normally, many would argue that disaster films should be stand-alone films. After all, if the disaster has already occurred, how could another happen to the same characters? The Quake shows how a sequel to a disaster film can be made, and it’s done so realistically with the hero of the film, Kristian, facing real-life consequences and emotions of surviving a tsunami that killed others. His family had already planned their move, so the setting itself allows for another disaster to occur without it seeming too unrealistic. Furthermore, The Quake adds more depth to the characters that viewers loved from the first film; sometimes, stress and pressure pull families apart, and even though characters survive disasters, it is not always a happy ending. For those who loved The Wave, The Quake will prove itself to be an even more emotional film and worth the watch, which can’t always be said for sequels.

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5 ‘The Burning Sea (2021)’

IMDb: 6.3/10

The Burning Sea, also known as Nordsjøen, follows the story of Sofia’s (played by Kristine Kujath Thorp) descent into the ocean in order to save the man she loves. Sofia is a submarine operator who works in the same company as Stian (Henrik Bjelland), who is a rig worker, and both have fallen in love with one another. After an accident on Sofia’s mission where there is an oil rig disaster, Sofia decides to stay with Stian while she recovers emotionally from the explosion. However, Stian still has to go to work, and when the crew has to evacuate due to looming dangers in the ocean caused by the oil rig, Stian offers to shut off the final valve which must be done manually. However, no one is prepared when suddenly fire erupts in the sea, causing the drilling platform to collapse with Stian still inside. After learning that Stian is inside, Sofia and another submarine operator, Arthur (Rolf Kristian Larsen), attempt to save Stian before the sea is set aflame.

The Burning Sea, although serving more as a cautionary tale than a real story, focuses on the theme of self-sacrifice in order to save the ones you love. It carries a solemn tone throughout the film, with each incident adding a certain level of hopelessness that viewers aren’t sure that the characters can come back from. While it is a story to raise concerns over environmental crises that can occur—–and have been occurring—it is also a love story about doing what it takes to save a loved one at all costs, which can be seen through the varying degrees of sacrifice throughout the film. It creates an emotional story that many viewers might feel that they can relate to.

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4 ‘Flu (2013)’

IMDb: 6.6/10

Flu begins with two smugglers, brothers Ju Byung-woo and Ju Byung-ki, as they open up a shipping container that contains undocumented immigrants. However, they discover that all the immigrants seem to have died from an unsuspecting illness. The film then follows mother and doctor Kim In-hae (Soo Ae) as she tries to balance her work life with her personal life. However, when her car falls into a mine shaft, In-hae loses a valuable hard drive containing valuable information about her job. Oh Ji-goo, an ERT member who saved In-hae from the accident, retrieves the hard drive at her request, and in an attempt to get a hold of her, he meets her daughter Mi-reu. However, after Mi-reu meets Monssai, the only surviving immigrant from the shipping container, she loses sight of him and calls for Ji-goo to help her find him. Meanwhile, In-hae learns of a mutated virus that is rapidly spreading, and chances of survival are little to none due to the lack of knowledge surrounding this mutation. In-hae, Ji-goo, and Mi-reu all fight to survive both the virus and the rising tensions between South Korea’s government and its citizens, all while trying to find a cure.

Flu is one of South Korea’s best disaster films. It begins slowly, with characters unrelated to the main cast who discover something as simple as a virus. However, the film flashes back to the two brothers, as viewers learn of the deadly virus, which makes it all the more interesting, as it is revealed that there is nothing known about it. This allows the viewers to question whether their favorite characters will survive this disaster. Viewers will undoubtedly grow to love the cast of characters for their nuances and their will to survive and save others.

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3 ‘The Wave (2015)’

IMDb: 6.6/10

Also known as Bølgen, The Wave follows geologist Kristian (Kristoffer Joner) as he and his family prepare to move out of the small town of Åkneset. He has quit his job at the geology center where they keep watch on the mountain for mysterious behavior. However, one day, Kristian comes upon a realization and, on the day he was supposed to take his children to the ferry for their move, returns to the geology center to confirm his concerns regarding the mountain and the disappearing groundwater. When his predictions turn true, the evacuation siren comes a little too late, and residents of Åkneset have just 10 minutes to evacuate before the tsunami, caused by the mountain’s rockslide, floods the town. After the devastation occurs, Kristian goes out to find his son and wife, who evacuated on their own, and Kristian sees the aftermath with his own eyes.

The purpose of the film The Wave is to examine how reliable it would be for an entire town to evacuate and get to safety in the case of a tsunami. It’s based on tsunamis caused by rockslides in the past in Norway. Interestingly enough, the film delivers a spot-on reenactment of such possibilities, showing how deadly tsunamis can be when people are not given the proper time to evacuate. The devastation shown in the film will hit viewers hard, and the main cast of characters is easy to get attached to due to their charm and realistic nature.

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2 ‘Pandora (2016)’

IMDb: 6.7/10

Jae-hyeok works at the town’s nuclear plant. One day, while contemplating leaving his job, a high-magnitude earthquake strikes the town and damages the poorly constructed nuclear power plant. Although he wants to leave, Jae-hyeok understands that if he doesn’t help get workers out and prevent more radiation from polluting the air, then much of Korea will ultimately be uninhabitable. Alongside his coworkers and friends, Jae-hyeok helps to clean up the disaster.

Nothing hits closer to home and is more terrifying than a nuclear disaster. Unlike many disasters that people can recover from, radiation from nuclear disasters is often fatal, depending on the severity. The bond between the main characters establishes an emotional foundation for the movie, and viewers will definitely be rooting for the nuclear plant workers as they try to save Korea from radiation poisoning. Although Pandora has some cliche emotional scenes seen in the Korean film genre, it will still leave viewers emotional in the end.

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1 ‘Train to Busan (2016)’

IMDb: 7.6/10

Workaholic and divorced father Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) has an estranged relationship with his daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an), and to make her happy for her birthday, he decides to take her to her mother’s house for her birthday. However, things take a turn for the worse when a viral outbreak spreads throughout the passengers on the train, and soon, it becomes a matter of survival when people start turning into zombies—and fast. Seok-woo plans to protect his daughter at all costs, and he has to work together with the remaining inhabitants of the train who aren’t infected—yet.

Train to Busan is another disaster film that tugs at the viewer’s heartstrings. It does exceptionally well at telling a story of an estranged relationship between father and daughter, and this strained relationship makes the film all the more tense. The film also focuses on other side characters that viewers will find themselves rooting for. Its incorporation of zombies does not take away from the stories of the characters at all and instead enhances them, making each infection all the more emotional. Train to Busan is one of the better zombie films out there, mixing an element of horror with in-depth characters that viewers will grow to love.

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